U.S. to Prosecute Pot Cases If California Law Passes

The U.S. Justice Department will prosecute possession and distribution of marijuana in California even if voters approve a ballot measure to legalize the drug, Attorney General Eric Holder said.

The department “strongly opposes” California’s Proposition 19, Holder said in an Oct. 13 letter to former administrators of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The measure would “complicate” U.S. drug enforcement efforts, he said.