Holder to California Potsmokers: We Will Still Lock You Up

From the Associated Press:

Attorney General Eric Holder says the federal government will enforce its marijuana laws in California even if the state's voters approve a ballot measure to legalize the drug. […]

He made the comments in a letter to former chiefs of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter, dated Wednesday.

"We will vigorously enforce the CSA against those individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law," Holder wrote.

He also said that legalizing recreational marijuana in California would be a "significant impediment" to the government's joint efforts with state and local law enforcement to target drug traffickers, who often distribute marijuana alongside cocaine and other drugs. Holder said approval of the ballot measure would "significantly undermine" efforts to keep California communities safe.

Man, I can't wait for this thing to pass.

Today's no-on-19 newspaper editorials: Napa Valley Register ("'Just Say No' remedy isn't 'Just Say Yes'"), Santa Cruz Sentinel ("Do we want our kids to get the message that being stoned is OK, because government says it's OK?"), and Marin Independent Journal ("It is time to admit the 'war on drugs' has been a failure," by … opposing the first marijuana legalization that has a snowball's chance in hell). And the Orange County Register still hasn't weighed in yet, though today the libertarian-leaning ed board shot down the notion that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's semi-decriminalization obviated the need for Prop. 19.