The legal regime in the United States has long been an expressed fascination of and conundrum for legal commentators in other parts of the world, especially those living in countries that lack the subtle interplay between state and federal law arising from federalism.
That concept — that some subject matter must be controlled by the federal government exclusively, that certain matters are purely state considerations and that others still can be regulated in tandem — must seem especially befuddling to students of American government regarding the subject of marijuana use.
As virtually every American knows, a similar marijuana-related activity undertaken in different states can result in highly differentiated outcomes. In Colorado, for example, a comparatively liberal electorate recently became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use. In Georgia, contrastively, possessing even a small amount of pot and sharing it with friends could result in a stringent jail term on a possession with intent to distribute charge.
As evidenced by a flurry of pot-related activity recently in states across the country, America is clearly in flux concerning its marijuana attitudes and laws. A strong and growing minority of states — 18 presently — now allows for the medicinal use of marijuana, and, in the wake of the recreational pot laws passed recently in Colorado and Washington states, legalization initiatives in several other states are gaining steam.
Given the singular demographics of the United States, not all pockets of the country are firmly on board with progressively liberal pot-related regimes.
Georgia is a case in point, being a state where marijuana use of any sort continues to be frowned upon and, more importantly, prosecuted zealously and to the fullest extent provided under the law.
And Georgia law is notably strict. An experienced Georgia drug crimes attorney can answer questions and provide diligent representation on behalf of any person facing a drug charge in the state.
Source: Yahoo! News, “Marijuana’s march toward mainstream confounds feds,” Nancy Benac and Alicia A. Caldwell, July 1, 2013
