The confluence of local and federal legalities surrounding border patrol-run checkpoints on the Olympic Peninsula now has another layer of intrigue.
Enter medical marijuana.
Five cases have been referred by the border patrol to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle for marijuana possession. At least one of those cited is a Brinnon man who has a medical authorization to use pot for chronic pain.
All five cases have been dropped, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, citing manpower issues (and not medical marijuana nor checkpoint ones).
Federally — the laws followed by border patrol agents — any pot’s illegal. Interestingly, the border patrol is also allowed to have said checkpoints under federal law, and attempts to have local checkpoints haven’t gone too well.
Here’s my previous entries on this topic:
The exchange between Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Brasfield and U.S. Border Patrol Chief John Bates in Chimicum;
The bolstering of the border patrol on the Olympic Peninsula;
And some other recent border patrol setbacks are here.
The terrorists must be happy to be yanking our chain.
Some say that those who complain about checkpoints would be the first to scream if the Federal Government fails to keep us safe. The fail part has already happened. Leave us alone to go about our daily business- we’ll call when we need you.