US Federal Government Requests Supreme Court To Dismiss Case Filed Against Colorado Marijuana Law

The United States Federal Government has advised the Supreme Court to junk the case filed by Oklahoma and Nebraska states against Colorado and its law on marijuana.

In a report from The Cannabist, the United States government has taken Colorado's side in a dispute with neighboring states over marijuana legalization and is urging the Supreme Court to not hear a major challenge to the state's recreational cannabis laws.

The brief was filed by U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. seven months after the Supreme Court asked his opinion, being a top government lawyer, on the lawsuit filed by Oklahoma and Nebraska against Colorado.

The brief states that "The motion for leave to file a bill of complaint should be denied because this is not an appropriate case for the exercise of this Court's original jurisdiction," and that entertaining this kind of dispute would represent an unwarranted expansion of the Supreme Court's jurisdiction as this kind of disputes should be between states.  

According to Sun Times, the lawsuit filed by Nebraska and Oklahoma a year ago alleged that Colorado's marijuana law is leading people to cross over into their states and violate marijuana laws. Nebraska in particular is asking Colorado to pay for drug enforcement in the state.

Founder and chairman of Marijuana Majority, an advocacy group that supports legalizing and regulating marijuana, Tom Angell is in agreement with the dismissal of the case. He added that the solicitor general's call for the dismissal of the case is a right move by the Obama administration.

The states of Oklahoma and Nebraska, according to USA Today, have sued Colorado over the actions of private citizens who are breaking the law. Colorado allows people within the state to grow, possess and consume it, but leaving the state remains illegal.

Cannabis use and planting remains illegal in federal law. 

Tags

Colorado, US Supreme Court, Obama Administration, Marijuana, cannabis, US government, Nebraska, Oklahoma

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