According to a recent Time article, Colorado and Washington have an obligation to keep any marijuana use, medical or otherwise, off of federally owned property. Though both states have recently changed their stances on marijuana, bringing any of the substance onto federal property is still considered a crime. In fact, thousands of citations are given each year to those who bring marijuana to places such as national parks, forests, or monuments. This comes as part of eight federal law enforcement priorities that any states must follow if they wish to take part in marijuana regulation. These eight priorities include keeping the drug in state borders, off the black market, away from children, and, of course, off of federally owned land.
While this may seem like a no-brainer to many of you reading, there have already been 146 arrests in Washington and at least 135 arrests in Colorado in the last seven months for this very reason. Medical users are dumb-founded as these federal guidelines place limits on where they can take their medicine. Recreational users traveling on roads that run through or around federal property take the risk of being cited and fined, even while following their state's laws.
Needless to say, these are interesting times we find ourselves in as new laws take effect and the details begin to get hammered out. Marijuana regulation is an issue that pushes the boundaries between state and national government and allows us to look at the grey area between. In my opinion, anything that causes our nation to take a critical look at it's own inner-workings is more than worth the time.
