Recreational marijuana may be the law of the land here in California, but the sticky-icky remains illegal on the federal level. And it's that discrepancy that has lawmakers looking at ways to prevent federal authorities from raiding dispensaries that are otherwise complying with state marijuana regulations.
That's where AB 1578 comes in.
The bill, submitted by Los Angeles Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, would keep local and state cops from joining in with federal raids against people who are otherwise working within California law that allows recreational and medical marijuana possession.
AB 1578 would prevent any state or local agency from helping federal authorities unless they have a court order signed by a judge.
This bill would prohibit a state or local agency, as defined, from taking certain actions without a court order signed by a judge, including using agency money, facilities, property, equipment, or personnel to assist a federal agency to investigate, detain, detect, report, or arrest a person for commercial or noncommercial marijuana or medical cannabis activity that is authorized or allowed under state or local law in the State of California and from transferring an individual to federal law enforcement or detaining an individual at the request of federal law enforcement or federal authorities for marijuana- or cannabis-related conduct that is legal under state or local law.
AB 1578 is similar to some policies by police departments who will not participate in federal deportations.
The law has already been passed by the state Assembly, but it still needs to get through the state Senate and its Public Safety Committee before Gov. Jerry Brown could sign it into law.