With the Department of Justice's announcement that it would prosecute federal marijuana laws in California even if voters approve the ballot initiative to legalize the drug, it's hard not to wonder, "What comes next?"

Attorney Gen. Eric Holder's announcement comes just two weeks before Election Day, when Californians will vote on Prop. 19, the ballot initiative to legalize recreational use of marijuana in the state.

A recently released Reuters/Ipsos poll shows voters are leaning against the initiative 53 percent to 43 percent, a huge shift from June data, which showed voters almost evenly divided on the issue.

From the New York Times:

Washington has generally looked the other way as a growing medical marijuana industry has prospered here and in 14 other states and the District of Columbia, but Mr. Holder’s position — revealed in a letter this week to nine former chiefs of the Drug Enforcement Administration that was made public on Friday — made explicit that legalizing marijuana for recreational use would bring a whole new level of scrutiny from Washington.

Mr. Holder did not fully spell out the reasons for the decision, but he did allude to the reluctance of the federal government to enforce drug laws differently in different states. “If passed, this legislation will greatly complicate federal drug enforcement efforts to the detriment of our citizens,” he wrote.

So what does this mean for California?

To reach editor-in-chief Callie Schweitzer, click here.
To follow her on Twitter: @cschweitz
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