Reefer Madness?

" I everybody from Geraldo Rivera on here now is jay left."

" New guidelines issued by the Obama administration federal agents will not pursue pot smoking patients in states that allow America my home. This new policy is called don't ask don't. What they talk about."

" Happening almost under the radar this week the federal government may be most massive shift in federal marijuana policy since reefer madness. The Obama administration Justice Department announcing that the feds will no longer seek to arrest medical marijuana users. Or supplier is as long as they're conforming to state law as you probably know under the guise of health care. Marijuana is already more or less legal and Alaska California. Colorado Hawaii he Maine Maryland Michigan Montana. Nevada New Mexico Oregon Rhode Island Vermont and Washington State. And now if you are in compliance with the laws in those fourteen states. Then contrary to the policy under the Bush Administration. Federal law enforcement officials are pledging to lay off. But the double is in the details say advocates of legalize marijuana and to keep what they see as momentum toward that. Ultimate goal some of the world's most famous pot heads. Joined thousands of others that a smoke out today in California he is brother Craig and some burial friends and."

" Being. Today she -- Chung are opening this smoke yeah. How culture concert series focusing on efforts to. To legalize America. Always have to do. It was scheduled to where it's available by prescription. Only -- the."

" California is among fourteen states that provides for marijuana use for medical purposes. -- so called patient has allowed about a dozen plants for personal use more can be grown and distributed if you provide for others to prove they are also -- need. But that doesn't stop federal authorities former -- think it."

" I spent ten months and Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown LA did so level five maximum security. Holding facility. Everybody in there is put in together and all security levels live together it's a very violent rough."

" Place still Smith claims he was operating to distribution centers within the law. When his Orange County marijuana dispensary was raided by federal authorities."

" November 1 of 2007. Two years simultaneously. Broken that both locations and proceeded to arrest people and destroy property in. Seize assets and everything was -- this."

" legalization effort vague laws leave no clarity for medical marijuana users or the police. Lieutenant Rick -- is with the San Bernardino sheriff's department."

" The law was actually pretty poorly written -- cannot really well thought out. This law really didn't count for how the marijuana was to be produced and distributed cops."

" Like lieutenant -- say many distributors and collective like the one Steele was running are skirting the law under medical marijuana guidelines."

" What what's happened isn't particularly in Los Angeles and orange counties is there's a large amount of dispensers. Making huge huge sums of money distributing in the lawsuit specifically. That it should not be. Produced for profit and that's where -- we have a conflict."

" Israeli -- You know it helps you with the terminal. -- also can help. Press reports. Comedian George Lopez believes his state to tax and regulate. If you win. And regulated. Positive you know one."

" Publishers Lopez went on. Went on to say the marijuana legalization efforts are really a vindication for Tommy Chong who spent nine months in federal prison for. Selling bonds -- entered into a plea agreement. So they government would not prosecute his wife or his son who we're selling bonds under -- name. And as you know teaching -- are planning to do concert series in January talk about Tommy's experiences."

" Yeah gig did it legal let's -- Craig end you know it's amazing how they are hotter than they have ever been thanks very much you favor this."

" I guess. Yes no I -- again oh yeah no I am now on and -- Now I'm hesitant to go after teacher John -- look at feminists are laughing in which everyone can be like them might. No I just never heard a good argument for means one thing. People who have cancer and and it helps with the non unit makes the hungry the by the way I've known people people with cancer who needed pot. And nobody had any trouble get it. So I think it's about ride the -- is now when you don't want kids doing you don't want people living in a baseball game so now I like the law the way it is now okay we'll debate that further there are no doubt about it folks ambiguities."

" And it's another obvious complication to reform since marijuana sales are still the single largest source of money for the violent Mexican drug cartels the authorities now have to separate the pot heads from the hardcore criminals and the attorney general Eric Holder promises to do just that. Keep going after big time crooks using the facade of a clinic. What dispensary. To disguise criminal drug dealing all money laundering his return to."

" 3000 federal state and local law enforcement officials have worked this well. The United States locate and arrest more than 300. Individuals this unprecedented. Coordinated United States law enforcement action news the largest ever undertaken against the Mexican drug cartel we have -- 3.4 million dollars in US currency. In nearly 730. Pounds of methamphetamine. As well as other narcotics cartels should know that we hear in the United States are not going to allow them to operate unfettered. In our country. When you seek to extend your nefarious criminal networks north of the border we will come after you."

" Since strict enforcement of anti drug laws has been a cornerstone of federal policy for half a century. What does once and future presidential candidate former governor started on it -- here on the Fox News Channel Mike Huckabee. Think about this reversal when it comes to -- medical pot user's. I think it's one thing to sort of recognize you can enforce all the laws equally. I do have a problem when a federal agency says we're really not gonna enforce this one it's sort of a license to get what you wanna do. If they choose not to make it a high priority I get that there's probably things that. Do demand their attention more I'd like to see him go after some white collar crime and like to see him. Go after corruption cases and things that. Maybe involved trafficking of children and women. But to announce that you're not gonna do it. I don't understand that if you don't think the laws could change the law don't just go out there and announce that we don't pay any attention to it but isn't. Law and order crime injustice aren't those states' rights issues shouldn't that state be able to say this is good for our people this is not. Well to a degree but it in the case of let's say medical marijuana if you can go to California and legally body and then transported across the state lines. That's where the issue comes up it it's not legal may be in the adjacent state. So does that jurisdiction and go ahead and -- the people who are -- wait a minute I have legal right to have this stuff we took about immigration and a bit. I -- talk about my views on immigration I did amazingly negative feedback permit money and people in my I'd say most of the people in my oriented and I talk about legalizing marijuana I do not my perception is that. That issue crosses ideological political philosophical lines that most people to say when it comes to pot. Yes it's harmful and yes that you know makes kids dumb and school and all the other things but it's not as -- is that cigarette smoking or -- I guess some a little bit on the side of why create yet another. Issue where the government is is for all practical purposes putting approval. On habit that could lead to other problems and I don't know that there's any practical benefits and -- persons has. Since -- service smoking marijuana. I've lost weight I've gained great strain I'm smarter on the -- Scoring a 100% -- ICT scores I think public coming neurosurgeon let's face it that's not what happens. And I'm just not sure that there is a great benefit. To taking this step of legal legalizing marijuana other than somebody's gonna get a lot of tax revenue out of it. But you do on on the issue of prioritizing limited their resources you do understand that aspect of the every. Law enforcement agency did you will have to make decisions. Are we gonna break down every obscenity case to get a break out on every. Marijuana case. Course there's his discretion that the prosecutors and police have to use. But it's rare that you see the police or prosecutors announcing an advance. We don't plan to enforce that crime whether it's parking meters. Our -- its armed robbery that's why I believe that this is a major policy announcement I think that this is a big deal when it comes to marijuana law. But now let's move to the immigration because at the same time the Obama administration officials are pledging."

" To lay -- medical marijuana the feds are also withdrawing street level authority the local cops to arrest people who are in this country illegally. Unless those people are also accused of committing some other substantive crimes so. From now on local cops like Phoenix sheriff Joe Arpaio. Who'll be joining me for a robust debate just a couple of minutes are no longer authorized to enforce federal. Immigration law a good idea that."

" But I think it's a bad idea in part for the same reason that I mentioned on the marijuana. Why do you have a law if you if you're not gonna enforce it if you don't have the guts in the political power to change it. Did admit that it may not be a law that's ready to be changed. The executive branch job is not to make law it's to enforce it that's what it's supposed to do I was an executive branch is a governor. It was never my right to just say I just don't like that loss I'm not gonna follow it again. Can you put some priority yes but to announce that you're just simply not going to following at all that's what you have a congress far. When we start. Just completely delineating these lines. Our rather obliterating these lines between the executive the judicial -- the -- the legislative branch. That to me is troubling because it starts boring who we are as a government so you're saying that because the Obama administration doesn't have the courage -- of the -- political will -- wherewithal to get comprehensive immigration reform passed. They're doing this through the backdoor that's exactly what they're doing they're trying to. Satisfied constituency that they can't fully satisfied that the change of law. And their then they go after people like Joe Arpaio who I think you know he he's looking at his community and he easily elected chair for his community. And unless the people of his county say we don't want him enforcing these laws that's an election decision in that county. Now do you have a federal agency superseding bill of local boaters. Barack Obama can't get the congressman from Arizona and the senators from Arizona and the rest of the states to given the legal authority to change the law so he's not ignore it and he's gonna do that at the expense of a duly elected local share. Who wants to carry out the laws that he -- that's the problem I have forget the the philosophically could you can argue this on any level. It's the precedent that it sets that that troubles me. All right well Joe acquire certain it certainly is elected. In that says yeah vehicles America brought -- it's great to see -- governor thank you very much when we come back into cold there."