On the Limits of Federal Supremacy: When States Relax (or Abandon) Marijuana Bans

With new laws legalizing marijuana use on the books in Colorado and Washington, everyone is waiting to see how the Justice Department will react. Meanwhile, House legislation has been introduced to get the feds to back off states that pass legalization measures. A new Cato Institute study – “On the Limits of Federal Supremacy: When States Relax (or Abandon) Marijuana Bans” – examines where marijuana laws are headed nationwide. An ever-growing number of states have adopted legalization measures and the report also explains why these state laws, and most related regulations, have not been—and cannot be—preempted by Congress.