The U.S. Department of Justice is pushing back against a challenge to the federal ban on marijuana, defending Congress’s authority to regulate the plant despite state-level legalization.
In a recent filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the DOJ maintained that the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) remains valid law, even as marijuana reform gains momentum in many states.
The case was brought by Massachusetts-based Canna Provisions Inc., along with several other cannabis companies, seeking to overturn federal marijuana prohibition. They argue that widespread legalization at the state level undermines the need for federal restrictions. However, the DOJ pointed to the 2005 Supreme Court ruling in Gonzales v. Raich, which upheld the CSA and reaffirmed Congress’s right to regulate interstate commerce, including marijuana.
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