change - Medical Marijuana Arrest Guidelines Eased

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(CBS/AP) The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.

Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.

The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.

"We'll see less prosecutions now even though these guidelines are not mandatory," says CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen.

Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/19/politics/main5395248.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel