BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they closely conform to state laws.

That's good news for folks like those at the Kern River Collective, who say they have always abided by the law.

Related

Feds Issue New Medical Marijuana Policy

The new policy will give local law enforcement stricter federal guidelines to follow. Sheriff Donny Youngblood said that his office has already been following state laws regarding medical marijuana, but, his office is not happy with the president's decision. The Justice Department issued the new policy guidelines Monday. Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying federal prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in compliance with state laws.

The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes. Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Over the last few years, the Kern County Sheriff's Office along with the DEA closed several marijuana dispensaries around Bakersfield. A local medical marijuana collective said the new federal policy gives a sigh of relief to those who are already abiding to state law. Because of fear that the sheriff's office will shut them down, just because they want to, said the owner.

Advocates of the state law say that the new federal policy takes out the gray area, so local law enforcement can focus on the black and white area of real crime.

The sheriff's office said it will fight the illegal use of marijuana and will continue to look for those who abuse the medical marijuana state law.