We are really seeing what happens when a society becomes bound up with laws upon laws upon laws with none going away and hundreds being added every year. Pretty soon the laws are in direct conflict.
Marijuana has been outlawed on a federal level in this country since 1937. Prior to that 30 states had already outlawed it. Is the use of marijuana a state or federal issue? I would think that until the Supreme Court rules otherwise, the Federal law supersedes state law.
Then you have Gonzales v. Raich which gives Congress the right to criminalize marijuana production under the commerce clause.
In 2009, the Obama administration issued guidelines allowing for not enforcing the federal ban as it pertained to medical marijuana. But they did not change the law. They just decided not to enforce parts of it.
Soon, states began passing laws allowing medical and or recreational marijuana use. But the issue of jurisdiction has not been properly addressed. So state and federal law are in conflict. This is a situation of which growers are well aware. Any investment in the marijuana industry was done with full knowledge of the existing federal law.
Once again, President Trump faces criticism for doing what he is sworn to do, enforce the laws of the country. And once again, the opposition refuses to admit the truth, that it is the law.
