Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Fed Pot Crackdown

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge in Sacramento has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged U.S. attorneys' efforts to shut down pot clubs in California.

U.S. District Judge Garland Burrell said in a ruling this week that the Justice Department is free to enforce federal drug laws. He rejected the plaintiffs' argument that the Obama administration had reneged on a promise to let states set their own medical marijuana policies.

The plaintiffs — a Sacramento medical marijuana collective and a patient — pointed to a 2009 administration memo directing federal prosecutors not to focus on those following state medical marijuana laws.

But Burrell said the memo was a statement of priorities, not a binding commitment.

The lawsuit was one of four challenging the federal crackdown. A lawyer for the plaintiffs says they plan to appeal.