The problem we see is that they can take away funding, but until civil forfeiture is gone the drug warriors can fund themselves on the backs of marijuana.
I've publicly proposed that all drug forfeiture money be turned over to schools to fund band, arts, and sports. This can be done with direct donations by the task forces after they get their matching funds, or at their annual budget review by their local governments (ok your budget is 100K, but you got 75k in forfeiture last year so here is 25K for this year. Hope you put it in the bank chief). We need to fund education and our communities, not arrests.
The Cole memo gives some guidance to tribes and other states thinking about legalization or medical use, and the funding changes help, but MORE needs to be done about civil forfeiture to stop it being used to self fund and as a weapon on low level marijuana growers and patients or even recreational users. No one should lose their home over an ounce of weed.
Dr. Bob