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Life Not Groovy for Licensed Pot Sellers

New Mexicans left fearing both feds and criminals

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 10, 2009 7:27 AM CDT

(Newser) – New Mexico has started handing out licenses to nonprofit medical marijuana producers and distributors in an effort to avoid the kind of dispensary free-for-all seen in California—but that's not making those involved sleep any easier. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, meaning growers, distributors and users—fearing both arrest and robbery—are still in the shadows despite the state's hopes of helping patients openly gain access to the drug.

The Marine who delivers the drug to licensed "compassion centers" has been told that he will be arrested if caught at Homeland Security checkpoints, despite Attorney General Eric Holder's announcement earlier this year that medical marijuana distributors who comply with state laws won't be prosecuted. "I’m so totally paranoid I can’t stand myself," one woman—currently the only person in the US with a state license to sell marijuana—told the New York Times. Rhode Island and several other states with legalized medical marijuana are considering following New Mexico's lead.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Young marijuana plants are shown Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Jim Hill looks over the marijuana he grows for medical purposes at his farm in Potter Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

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If we do this in some uncontrolled fashion and some big bad thing happens, the whole program comes crashing down.
- Dr. Alfredo Vigil,
New Mexico’s secretary of health

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 13 comments

yummines

Oct 12, 2009 5:38 AM CDT

y dont they just legalize it? they did so with alcohol (every 15 min drunk driving death) and cigarettes (5.4 million deaths a year) so why not with pot (no recorded deaths from drug itself). the government makes money off of it, drug cartels lose money, people do not have to be afraid of being arrested. its a win win situation so why are they being so stubborn about it?

Cat-Lover

Oct 11, 2009 12:58 PM CDT

So, the way I read this: If Homeland Security arrests a carrier, the federal government will not prosecute. If a lower entity prosecutes and convicts, the federal government will side with the appellant. Various NPO's will financially support the appellant's cause. Nothing will be lost save time. But precedence will have been established. And our pot wil be legal.

maevealleine

Oct 11, 2009 4:32 AM CDT

Just legalize it already.

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New Mexico • medical marijuana • marijuana • marijuana legalization

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Life Not Groovy for Licensed Pot Sellers