Associate Dean Amar Comments on Marijuana Initiative for KCBS
Associate Dean Vikram Amar commented for a news report on KCBS radio on a ballot initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana use for adults in California. Associate Dean Amar said that in ruling on a previous California initiative that legalized medicinal use of marijuana, the Supreme Court has already held that federal laws regarding marijuana use take precedence over state regulations.
"The U.S. Supreme Court, less than a decade ago, upheld the federal government's power to make it a crime to possess or use marijuana for any purpose, notwithstanding the fact that California and other laws try to authorize medicinal marijuana," Associate Dean Amar said.
Vikram Amar, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Law with the UC Davis School of Law, is a national authority in the fields of constitutional law, civil procedure, criminal procedure, and remedies. His biweekly column for FindLaw.com, a leading provider of online legal information, centers on his expertise in constitutional law.