Memo Form - State Of California: Fill & Download for Free

NOT CLIMATE CHANGE. Data over a few years is not relevant and the reality is California wildfires are natural and beneficial from time immemorial.Understanding WildfiresPresentation by Dr. Willie Soon from DDP 38th Annual Meeting, August 15, 2020, Las Vegas, NVNEW RESEARCH PUTS THE BLAME ON HUMAN RELATED IGNITIONSRESEARCH ARTICLEHuman-started wildfires expand the fire niche across the United StatesJennifer K. Balch, Bethany A. Bradley, View ORCID ProfileJohn T. Abatzoglou, R. Chelsea Nagy, Emily J. Fusco, and Adam L. MahoodPNAS first published February 27, 2017 Human-started wildfires expand the fire niche across the United StatesEdited by Gregory P. Asner, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, and approved January 6, 2017 (received for review October 20, 2016)Article Figures & SI Info & Metrics PDFSignificanceFighting wildfires in the United States costs billions of dollars annually. Public dialog and ongoing research have focused on increasing wildfire risk because of climate warming, overlooking the direct role that people play in igniting wildfires and increasing fire activity. Our analysis of two decades of government agency wildfire records highlights the fundamental role of human ignitions. Human-started wildfires accounted for 84% of all wildfires, tripled the length of the fire season, dominated an area seven times greater than that affected by lightning fires, and were responsible for nearly half of all area burned. National and regional policy efforts to mitigate wildfire-related hazards would benefit from focusing on reducing the human expansion of the fire niche.AbstractHuman-Related Ignitions Vastly Expanded the Extent of WildfireHuman-started wildfires represented 84% of the 1.5 million wildfires included in this analysis (n = 245,446 lightning-started fires; n = 1,272,076 human-started wildfires). The eastern United States and western coastal areas were dominated by human-started wildfires, whereas lightning-started fires dominated the mountainous regions of the western United States (Fig. 1, Table 1 and Table S1). Here we define a fire regime as dominated by either human or lighting ignitions when one cause accounts for more than 80% of the number of fires in a given 50 × 50-km grid cell. Based on this definition, 5.1 million km2, or 60% of the total land area of the coterminous United States, was dominated by human-started wildfires, whereas only 0.7 million km2, or 8% of the area, was dominated by lightning-started fires. In addition to expanding the numbers of fires, humans also expanded the total area burned. Human-started wildfires burned a total of 160,274 km2, or ∼44% of the total area burned from 1992 to 2012 (Table 1).Fig. 1.The total number of wildfires (dot size) and the proportion started by humans (dot color: red indicating greater number of human started fires) within each 50 km × 50-km grid cell across the coterminous United States from 1992 to 2012. Black lines are ecoregion boundaries, as defined in the text.Human-started wildfires expand the fire niche across the United StatesSpend money managing the forest undergrowth is the most urgent priority to address and reduce the harm from California wildfires.“Check out who is managing those forests that are burning. Most fires are on public land where “greens” have demanded a hands-off approach. Private forest lands are managed by professional foresters who know how to reduce the fire hazard, mainly by reducing fuel load.” Patrick Moore climate expert.Quit passing the buck.95% of California fires are unnatural caused by arson or human error. They are not evidence of global warming as they are not global. Much of the US interior is now in record early snow and colder weather. You cannot be a little bit global warming pregnant in California and global cooling in the mid-west.Alarmist call this California drone fire dropping arsonist ‘climate change.’The Left Calls This Drone Dropping Flames “Climate Change”Oh Maybe They Didn’t Want You To See This. #WakeUpPeoplepic.twitter.com/PZ1xef7ksG— SwampNugget (@swamp_nugget) September 12, 2020California wildfires are not due to climate changeIn this video, author and scientist Tony Heller brilliantly debunks ambulance chasing climate scientists who come out of the woodwork every time there is a natural disaster, like wildfires in California. In fact, burn acreage in the US has plummeted over the past 85 years, as CO2 has increased.California wildfires are not due to climate changeby Geoffrey GriderSeptember 12, 2020As of 2018, the number of dead and uncleared trees in California forest lands exceeded 120,000,000, and that amounts to an incredible amount of kindling to accelerate forest fires. They have no money left to maintain forests after spending $23 billion caring for illegal immigrants.Far Left Liberal Progressive governor of California, Gavin Newsom, got in front of the cameras yesterday and made a ‘very serious’ statement about the raging wildfires currently plaguing their state. He said ““The debate is over around climate change. Just come to the state of California, observe it with your own eyes,” a grinning Newsom told reporters while touring the fire-ravaged North Complex near Oroville. “It’s not an intellectual debate, it’s not even debatable.” Absolute rubbish, to say the least. Let’s begin a real debate, shall we?YES, OUR GLOBAL CLIMATE IS CHANGING RAPIDLY, AND NO, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT AND THERE IS NO POWER ON EARTH THAT CAN STOP ITAlways makes me laugh, seeing as most Liberals are either atheist or agnostic, that they are such die-hard, true believers in their own religion of Climate Change. And woe be to the infidel who dares to say the emperor has no clothes, or in this case, the governor of California. Let’s leave aside the Liberal hysterics of the pagan, Gaia religion of climate change and take a peek into where the money is currently spent in sanctuary city California:It’s so much easier to blame the imaginary scapegoat of ‘global warming’ and ‘climate change’ for the wild fires in California, instead of looking to the incredible mismanagement of the California forest and park lands. California is a sanctuary state, and as such spends over $23 billion each year on the staggering costs associated with caring for illegal immigrants and their children.California Governor Gavin Newsom Spewing Nonsense:According to the California Policy Center, the Golden State’s total state/county/municipal debt tops a staggering $1.3 trillion.[1] Meanwhile, as the state teeters on the brink of economic collapse, its civic and political leaders relentlessly advance laws and policies that attract and reward illegal immigration. And, all the while, they ignore the simple fact that cooperating with the federal government in its efforts to suppress illegal immigration would decrease the massive cost imposed on taxpaying citizens and legal immigrants living in California. READ MOREWhen you are spending that much money to care for illegal immigrants, guess what you don’t have money for? Taking care of the forest lands that require constant care, and California no longer has the money to do that. As of 2018, the number of dead and uncleared trees in California forest lands exceeded 120,000,000, and that amounts to an incredible amount of kindling to accelerate forest fires.California’s ubiquitous pines and oaks are vulnerable to insect infestation and disease. Those giants crash to the forest floor and, unless they are removed, provide ready fodder for the next voracious fire. The die-off is catastrophic, beyond the reach of state foresters to remedy. In many communities of the central and southern Sierra Nevada mountain range, “80 percent of trees are dead,” said Ken Pimlott, former director of Cal Fire.MEMO TO GAVIN NEWSOM: Stop spending all your money on illegal immigrants, and start taking care of the needs of your state and the American citizens that live there. Most of all, quit your pusillanimous blaming of ‘climate change’ as the cause of the wild fires, when the reality is they are caused largely by the sheer incompetence and neglect of your administration.California Governor Gavin Newsome Says Cause Of Wildfires Is 'Climate Change' But It's Actually Massive Mismanagement Of Forest Lands • Now The End BeginsPHOTOS: MONDAY’S SNOWFALL BREAKS HISTORICAL RECORD IN CASPERBy Brendan LaChance on September 8, 2020(Dan Cepeda, Oil City)CASPER, Wyo. — The snowstorm that began on Monday, Sept. 7 broke a record in Casper.The Oil City saw its earliest measurable snowfall on record with 2.3 inches accumulating by midnight Monday, according to weather forecaster Ralph Estell, data acquisition program manager with the National Weather Service in Riverton.“This is Wyoming,” he said. “Anything can happen at any time.”PHOTOS: Monday's snowfall breaks historical record in Casper - Casper, WY Oil City NewsSurprise Winter Storm Drops 17 Inches of Snow in Wyoming Just Days After 100-degree WeatherThe change in weather set the record for the earliest freeze.BY CAILEY RIZZOSEPTEMBER 10, 2020University of Colorado Boulder students play in the snow during an early-season winter storm on September 9, 2020 in Boulder, Colorado.MICHAEL CIAGLO/GETTY IMAGESThe Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains experienced an early dose of winter weather this week as 17 inches of snow covered parts of the country.The quick change in weather, from summer to winter, came seemingly without warning as Rapid City, S.D. set a U.S. record for the fastest switch between 100-degrees, according to NBC News. On Sept. 5, the city reported a temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, an all-time record high for September weather. Two days later, an inch of snow fell and the city set a new record for the earliest first freeze.The two-day difference broke the record for the shortest amount of time between those two weather patterns (the previous record was three days, set by Ardmore, South Dakota in September 1929).The top snowfall this week was set by Casper, Wyoming — which recorded a total of 17 inches of snowfall. Red Lodge, Montana reported 15.5 inches of snow and Terry Peak, South Dakota reported 15 inches.Surprise Winter Storm Drops 17 Inches of Snow in Wyoming Just Days After 100-degree WeatherExtreme Weather GSMJUST COUNT THE COLD-RECORDS THAT FELL OVER THE PAST 24HRSSEPTEMBER 10, 2020 CAP ALLONNOAA won’t want to hear it –I doubt they’ll even properly log it– but HUNDREDS of low temperature records have tumbled across the United States over the past 24 hours as brutal Arctic air sank anomalously-far south on the back of weak and wavy meridional jet stream flow.According to the ‘unofficial’ data compiled by coolwx.com, a plague of new all-time cold records spread across the U.S. over the past 24 hours — an embarrassment of riches for the cold hunters, almost as embarrassing as that paltry handful of heat records tumbling in the far northwest:Only cities having an NCDC GSOD recorded history of at least 35 years are shown here. The records are defined here using GMT, with the day resetting at 00GMT (7PM EST;8PM EDT).In addition to the cold, many regions also received their most-ever snowfall this early in the season: seventeen inches of global warming goodness fell in Wyoming, New Mexico saw its earliest flakes on record, and parts of Colorado suffered their earliest snowfall in decades—these are just a few of the astonishing weather reports coming out of a record-setting September week.Rapid City, SD, set a U.S. record for the fastest turnaround between 100 degree temperatures and measurable snow, after it hit 102 degrees on Saturday, only to then see an inch of snow on Monday. This two-day gap broke the record for shortest amount of time between those two weather observations — the previous record being Ardmore, SD, in Sept 1929 when a similar event took place over the course of approximately three days. And it stands: if proponents of a CO2-induced Apocalypse want to blame human activity for every flip-flopping weather phenomenon, then they also have to acknowledge the natural factors that caused 1929’s swing-between-extremes:Sydney, Melbourne weather: Antarctic air mass to lead to rain, snow, blizzardsNSW is bracing for its “coldest day of the year”, with temperatures up to 10C below average as polar conditions continue to linger.Benedict Brook@BenedictBrookAUGUST 22, 20208:52AM·NSW is set to be hit with its coldest day of the year. Picture: Nine NewsSource:SuppliedSnow fell in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, on August 22, as a cold snap brought wintry conditions to southeastern Australia. “It will be a cold and windy weekend...New South Wales is bracing for its “coldest day of the year” today, with temperatures sinking to 10C below average this weekend in parts of the state as an Antarctic air mass blasts the country’s east. Goulburn, north of Canberra, may not see the mercury reach double digits until next week.Expected widespread snowfall could see dozens of towns and cities experience flurries with up to 20mm of the white stuff falling in some places. Hail has already fallen in Adelaide.“A series of strong cold fronts and troughs will bring a cold blast to the southeast, with temperatures 2 to 8 degrees below average,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Diana Eadie told The Sydney Morning Herald.“Saturday will be particularly cold for NSW and the ACT, likely the coldest day of the year – with strong winds making it feel even colder.”“Many Australians will be waking up to snow this weekend,” said Sky News Weather meteorologist Tom Saunders.Conditions were set to ease after today but forecasters have now said Sunday, too, could be notable for its cold conditions, snow, blizzards, heavy rain and damaging winds.Snow hits in the Blue Mountains. Picture: Nine NewsSource:SuppliedAhead of the cold weather will come the rain, with showers widespread on Friday as a front passes through.“Then the main polar blast moves in. It’s time to rug up,” Mr Saunders said.“A very cold air mass will drop temperatures well below average even for winter. On Saturday temperatures could be below 5C in the middle of the afternoon,” he added.The snow is forecast to reach as low as 500 metres meaning Orange, the Southern Highlands, the Blue Mountains and even Canberra could see a flurry or two.Why does early snowfall matter to the weather and climate?Ans. The snow albedo causes declining temperatures and there is an Earth albedo that will change global warming to global cooling. Even the very politically biased UN IPCC recognized that snowfall had a unique impact on the climate and they predicted the end of snow or at least very moderate winters which have been the opposite.False prediction that undercuts fears of global warming.2014 : the global warming theory-obsessed New York Times touted “The End of Snow?”…“The truth is, it is too late for all of that. Greening the ski industry is commendable, but it isn’t nearly enough. Nothing besides a national policy shift on how we create and consume energy will keep our mountains white in the winter — and slow global warming to a safe level.This is no longer a scientific debate. It is scientific fact. The greatest fear of most climate scientists is continued complacency that leads to a series of natural climatic feedbacks…”(Climatism bolds)The End of Snow? – The New York Times2017 : The Age’s resident global warming catastrophist Peter Hannam signalled the end of snow…Snowy retreat: Climate change puts Australia’s ski industry on a downhill slope | The AGEAustralia’s ski resorts face the prospect of a long downhill run as a warming climate reduces snow depth, cover and duration. The industry’s ability to create artificial snow will also be challenged, scientists say.Snowy retreat: Climate change puts Australia’s ski industry on a downhill slope | The AGE***THE SNOW THEY TOLD YOU WOULD “DISAPPEAR” KEEPS ON FALLINGCONTRARY to dire ‘expert’ prognostications and climate models to the contrary, global snowfall continues to fall in abundance, aided by ‘record-breaking cold temperatures’…Crop Loss Extreme Weather GSMNEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR FARMERS SERIOUSLY HAMPERED BY HISTORICALLY HARSH WINTER (AND IT AIN’T OVER YET)MARCH 19, 2020 CAP ALLONWinter 2019/20 has been one of persistent Arctic cold for much of Canada, particularly for Newfoundland and Labrador. The province has been battered by sub-zero temperatures, heavy snow and high winds during the past few months, making life utterly miserable for NL farmers.The worst storm of the season so far was the “historic” blizzard of January 17 and 18, which buried the greater St. John’s region under a record-breaking 76+ cm (2.5+ ft) of snow.Extreme Weather GSMMONSTER SUMMER SNOWDRIFTS BURY THE SOUTHERN-RUSSIAN VILLAGE OF KURUSHAUGUST 26, 2020 CAP ALLONRare and heavy summer snow has settled in the Russian village of Kurush as the air temperature plummeted to just a few notches above freezing.As reported by pogoda.mail.ru, and picked-up by iceagenow.info, out-of-season snowfall has buried Kurush: a southern Russian village situated in the Dagestan Republic, famed for being the highest continuously inhabited settlement in both transcontinental Russia as well as Europe.Despite the village’s high altitude (2480–2560m, depending on the source), its locals were still shocked at the sheer depth of the summer snowdrifts — so much so that they took to social media to share the rare event:What happens when snowfall increases world wide?This photo shows a lightly colored planet which is natural because we continue in the Quaternary Ice Age. The earth albedo is very relevant to climate trends, particularly temperature, but poorly researched by the alarmist crowd. Why? Perhaps the do not like the results.

On May 8, 2018 H.R. 5520, The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018 was reported favorably out of the House Veteran Affairs Committee. The bill, while limited in scope (it codifies the VA's ability to do research on medical cannabis) marks the first time a stand-alone cannabis bill has been reported favorably by a committee since the introduction of the Controlled Substances Act. Kindly email highlytrip at protonmail dot com to buy THC vape, affordable and legit source. The bill is currently awaiting being scheduled for a vote in the full House.Despite medical cannabis laws in 46 states, cannabis is still illegal under federal law. The federal government regulates drugs through the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) (21 U.S.C. § 811), which does not recognize the difference between medical and recreational use of cannabis. These laws are generally applied only against persons who possess, cultivate, or distribute large quantities of cannabis.Under federal law, cannabis is treated like every other controlled substance, such as cocaine and heroin. The federal government places every controlled substance in a schedule, in principle according to its relative potential for abuse and medicinal value. Under the CSA, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug, which means that the federal government views cannabis as highly addictive and having no medical value. Doctors may not "prescribe" cannabis for medical use under federal law, though they can "recommend" its use under the First Amendment.Federal cannabis laws are very serious, and punishment for people found guilty is frequently very steep. Federal law still considers cannabis a dangerous illegal drug with no acceptable medicinal value. In several federal cases, judges have ruled that medical issues cannot be used as a defense, though defense attorneys should attempt to raise the issue whenever possible during trial. Federal law applies throughout Washington D.C. and the United States, not just on federal property.As of 2016, several federal agencies have issued guidelines and other policy memorandums to manage the conflict between federal and state laws as they pertain to medical marijuana. On August 29, 2013 the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a guidance memo to prosecutors concerning marijuana enforcement under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) making it clear that prosecuting state legal medical marijuana cases is not a priority. The memo included eight guidelines for prosecutors to use to determine current federal enforcement priorities. Fortunately, most medical cannabis program’s regulations require the same guidelines ensuring that any business with a licenses are meeting these requirements as well. These guidelines include:1. Preventing of distribution of marijuana to minors;2. Preventing revenue from the sale of marijuana from going to criminal enterprises, gangs or cartels;3. Preventing the diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal under to state law in some form to other states;4. Preventing state-authorized marijuana activity from being used as a cover or a pretext to traffic other illegal drugs or other illegal activity;5. Preventing violence or the use of firearms in cultivation and distribution of marijuana;6. Preventing drugged driving and the exacerbation of other adverse public health consequences associated with marijuana use;7. Preventing the growing of marijuana on public lands and the attendant public safety and environment dangers posed by marijuana production on public lands;8. Preventing marijuana possession or use on federal property.There are two types of federal sentencing laws: sentencing guidelines, enacted by the United States Sentencing Commission, and mandatory sentencing laws, enacted by Congress. The Sentencing Commission was created in 1987 to combat sentencing disparities across jurisdictions. The current mandatory minimum sentences were enacted in a 1986 drug bill. Federal sentencing guidelines take into account not only the amount of cannabis involved in the arrest but also the past convictions of the accused. Not all cannabis convictions require jail time under federal sentencing guidelines, but all are eligible for imprisonment.If convicted and sentenced to jail, a minimum of 85% of that sentence must be served. The higher the amount of cannabis, the more likely one is to be sentenced to jail time, as opposed to probation or alternative sentencing. Even for a defendant with multiple prior convictions, being charged with low-level offenses may lead to probation for the entire sentence of one to twelve months, with no jail time required. Possession of over 1 kg of cannabis with no prior convictions carries a sentence of six to twelve months with a possibility of probation and alternative sentencing. Over 2.5 kg with no criminal record carries a sentence of at least six months in jail; with multiple prior convictions, a sentence might be up to two years to three years in jail with no chance for probation.In United States v. Booker (2005), a Supreme Court decision from January 2005, the court ruled that the federal sentencing guidelines (as outlined above) are advisory and no longer mandatory. In addition to the sentencing guidelines, there are statutory mandatory minimum sentences, which remain in effect after United States v. Booker and primarily target offenses involving large amounts of cannabis. There is a five-year mandatory minimum for cultivation of 100 plants or possession of 100kgs, and there is a 10-year mandatory minimum for these offenses if the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction. Cultivation or possession of 1000kg or 1000 plants triggers a 10 year mandatory minimum, with a 20-year mandatory sentence if the defendant has one prior felony drug conviction, and a life sentence with two prior felony drug convictions.Conflict between State and Federal LawAs of this printing, the federal government claims that marijuana is not medicine and in Gonzales v. Raich (2005), the United States Supreme Court held that the federal government has the constitutional authority to prohibit marijuana for all purposes. Thus, federal law enforcement officials may prosecute medical marijuana patients, even if they grow their own medicine and even if they reside in a state where medical marijuana use is protected under state law. The Court indicated that Congress and the Food and Drug Administration should work to resolve this issue.The Raich decision does not say that the laws of California (or any other medical marijuana state) are unconstitutional; nor does it invalidate them in any way. Also, it does not say that federal officials must prosecute patients. Decisions about prosecution are still left to the discretion of the federal government.According to a post-Raich statement by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, the ruling does not overturn California law permitting the use of medical marijuana. Lockyer also underscored the role of local law enforcement in upholding state, not federal, law. A superior court has rejected the County of San Diego's claim in a lawsuit filed against the State that California's medical marijuana laws are preempted by federal law. As of this printing, that case is pending on appeal.States have recognized marijuana's medical value and have either passed laws through their legislatures or adopted them by initiative. In support of the numerous states that have taken responsibility for the health and welfare of their people, and have implemented medical marijuana laws, ASA is fighting for states' ability and right to pass and enforce their own laws, regardless of federal law.CJS Budget Amendment Provides ProtectionIn 2014 and 2015, Congress called a ceasefire in the federal war on medical cannabis. In the first change in federal law affecting patients since 1970, when it classified cannabis as a dangerous drug with no medical use, Congress approved a budget amendment that prohibits Justice Department funds from being used to prevent states from implementing medical cannabis laws. These restrictions on federal enforcement are part of the 2016 funding bill for the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) budgets and expire at the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2016. Protections were continued through 2017 and will expire on September 30, 2018 without additional action by Congress.Known as the Rohrabacher-Farr or CJS amendment, it first signed into law on December 16, 2014 and then again on December 18, 2015. The Rohrabacher-Farr amendment doesn’t just prevent direct interference with state implementation; it should also end federal medical cannabis raids, arrests, criminal prosecutions, and civil asset forfeiture lawsuits, as well as providing current medical cannabis prisoners with a way to petition for their release.Similar bipartisan amendments to limit federal enforcement in medical cannabis states have been offered seven times over the past 12 years without success. Over the past few years, ASA has promoted citizen lobbying as part of the annual National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference and Lobby Day in Washington, DC. Hundreds of visits from patients and advocates have helped demonstrate to Members of Congress that medical cannabis is an issue important to their constituents.The current version of the amendment was renewed in the FY 18 Appropriations process and expires September 30, 2018 without additional action by Congress.Federal Courts uphold the CJS ProtectionsU.S. v Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana (Northern District of California)On October 19th, 2015 Judge Breyer from San Francisco’s federal court ruled that the prosecutions of medical cannabis defendants must be consistent with the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment in a long-standing case with Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana (MAMM) and its founder Lynette Shaw. Judge Breyer ruled that the Amendment "forbids the Department of Justice from enforcing this injunction against MAMM to the extent that MAMM operates in compliance with state California law.” In other words, as long as providers adhere to state law, the Amendment prevents DOJ from shutting down state-legal providers.While this is a major victory for medical cannabis patients and providers, it is important to note that this case is not binding in other federal jurisdictions, and judges in other jurisdictions could rule otherwise. In early 2015, a federal judge in Washington State refused to dismiss the Kettle Falls Five case when presented with a motion invoking the Amendment. However, the judge in that case had determined that there was a strong likelihood that the defendants had violated state law, and there was not a similar determination made in the MAMM case.Harborside caseIn May 2016 the DOJ dropped its civil forfeiture action against Harborside Health Center in Oakland, CA. The case was brought by the DOJ back in 2011 as part of a federal crackdown against legal state medical cannabis dispensaries. The dropping of the case was at least in part the result of the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which prevents the DOJ from interfering with those abiding by their state medical cannabis law.Since the Harborside was dropped, it does not carry any binding legal precedent. However, the fact that it was dropped strongly suggests that the federal prosecutors thought they would lose the case had it continued in the courts.U.S. vs. McIntosh (9th Circuit)The most important care involving the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment took place in the federal 9th Circuit Court. In the August 2016 decision of U.S. vs. McIntosh, the court held that the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment prohibits the federal prosecution of conduct that is allowed by the state's medical cannabis law.In the opinion, Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain wrote:We therefore conclude that, at a minimum, § 542 prohibits DOJ from spending funds from relevant appropriations acts for the prosecution of individuals who engaged in conduct permitted by the State Medical Marijuana Laws and who fully complied with such laws.The opinion remanded all of the cases that included in the appellate ruling back to the trial court. If federal prosecutors want to continue pursuing their cases against the defendants, they must prove at an evidentiary hearing that the defendant violated state law.Federal Agencies Grappling with State ConflictToday, several federal agencies have issued guidelines and other policy memorandums that are legitimate efforts to manage the emerging issues within medical marijuana. In fact, as of 2016, every federal agency except the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has stopped ignoring medical cannabis. Starting with the 2009 Ogden memo and later the 2013 by Deputy Attorney General James Cole, the Department of Justice has made clear that state legal medical marijuana is not a priority. However, this guidance was rescinded by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in early 2018.In 2010, the VA updated their policies to no longer deny veterans’ access to medical services due to their participation in a state-legal medical marijuana program. The VA issued updated guidance in 2017, adding a policy to support the Veteran-provider relationship when discussing the use of marijuana and its impact on health including Veteran-specific treatment plans. This marked a slight shift from previous guidance because it actively encourages VA providers to discuss the use of cannabis with their patients without adverse consequences to develop a more complete picture of care.