Fed Focus Shifts From Pot Patients to Marijuana Traffickers

Read Eric Holder's memo on the new pot policy here.

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Eric Holder's Medical Marijuana Policy

This signals a shift in medical marijuana policy but for those waiting for the legalization of marijuana, you'll probably have to wait until Obama's out of office. From what I gathered during the campaign, he's adamantly opposed to legalizing marijuana.

NPR: "The policy is to go after those people who violate both federal and state law," Holder said in a question-and-answer session with reporters at the Justice Department.

California law permits the sale of marijuana for medical purposes, though it still is against federal law.

Holder did not spell out exactly who no longer would face the prospect of raids by the Drug Enforcement Administration. But he was quick to add that law enforcement officers will target anyone who tries to "use medical marijuana laws as a shield" for illegal activity.

"Given the limited resources that we have, our focus will be on people, organizations that are growing, cultivating substantial amounts of marijuana and doing so in a way that's inconsistent with federal and state law," the attorney general said.