California Congressmen Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa; and Sam Farr, D-Carmel; continue to agitate against what they call an illegal crackdown on medical marijuana patients and providers by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Huffington Post reports Rohrabacher and Farr are asking the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate the issue.

This follows Rohrabacher and Farr asking then-Attorney General Eric Holder in April to stop prosecution of state-authorized medical marijuana dispensaries and respect a congressional budget amendment, the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, designed to protect dispensaries operating within the bounds of state law.

A Justice Department spokesman has said the agency did not interpret the budget amendment as protecting individuals against prosecution, but rather as stopping it from “impeding the ability of states to carry out their medical marijuana laws.”

Since the enactment of Rohrabacher-Farr the Justice Department “has continued to pursue and prosecute individuals and businesses for involvement with medical marijuana in states where it is legal despite the clear direction in the law to forswear such activities,” the lawmakers said in their latest letter to the Justice Department inspector general Thursday.







