we saw that...

reporter: "on drugs policy, right after the inauguration there was some raids on california medical marijuana dispenciaries, was that a deliberate decision by you, by the justice department - the prediction of policy going forward, do you expect those sorts of raids to continue..."

attorney general holder: "no..." interrupted by reporter

reporter: "...despite what the president said during the campaign?"

attorney general holder: "well, what the president said during the campaign, you will be surprised to know will be consistent with what we will be doing here in law enforcement. he was my boss during the campaign. he is formally and technically and by law my boss now and so what he said during the campaign will and is now american policy."

groundbreaking legislation that would tax and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. The Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education act (AB 390) would create a regulatory structure similar to that used for beer, wine and liquor, permitting taxed sales to adults while barring sales to or possession by those under 21.

"I support this legislation because I feel this issue should be the subject of legislative and public debate," said current San Francisco Sheriff Mike Hennessey. Orange County Superior Court Judge (retired) James P. Gray added, "Assemblymember Ammiano is to be applauded in addressing this critical issue honestly and directly."

"Marijuana already plays a huge role in the California economy. It’s a revenue opportunity we quite simply can’t afford to ignore any longer," said Stephen Gutwillig, California state director for the Drug Policy Alliance. "It’s time to end the charade of marijuana prohibition, regulate the $14 billion market, and redirect law enforcement resources to more important matters. Assemblymember Ammiano has done the state an enormous service by breaking the silence on this commonsense solution."

"It is simply nonsensical that California's largest agricultural industry is completely unregulated and untaxed," said Marijuana Policy Project California policy director Aaron Smith. "With our state in an ongoing fiscal crisis -- and no one believes the new budget is the end of California's financial woes -- it's time to bring this major piece of our economy into the light of day." source