JACKSONVILLE, Ore. (AP) — Raids by federal drug agents on medical marijuana gardens in Oregon have rankled some lawmakers, who say federal authorities are overstepping their authority.
During a tour Thursday of a medical marijuana farm outside Jacksonville, Republican Rep. Dennis Richardson said some growers are abusing Oregon’s medical marijuana law, but law enforcement should be left to Oregon.
Democratic Sen. Alan Bates, a doctor, likened the situation to federal pressure against Oregon’s assisted suicide law.
Attorney General John Kroger had no comment on the issue at this point, but spokesman Tony Green noted the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the issue.
The court ruled in 2005 that the federal government can prosecute home-grown marijuana operations, even in states that have legalized medical use.
