Judge Rejects Request To Halt California Pot Club Shutdowns
OAKLAND (CBS/AP) - A federal judge has rejected a request from medical marijuana dispensaries and patients to order an immediate halt to U.S. attorneys' efforts to shut down pot clubs in California.
Oakland U.S. District Court Judge Saundra Armstrong found that plaintiffs failed to show that the crackdowns are unconstitutional.
She concluded in the opinion filed Monday that pot advocates' arguments against the attempt to oust the clubs likely won't succeed in court.
Lawsuits filed three weeks ago in California's four federal court jurisdictions accuse the U.S. Justice Department of entrapping pot providers by reversing its own policy on medical marijuana, among other legal issues.
Federal prosecutors in October announced a broad effort to close pot clubs, in particular by threatening to seize the property housing the dispensaries.
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