In October the federal government took California medical marijuana dispensaries by storm, intent on shutting them down permanently. You may recall that even the IRS was involved in this operation, hitting them with audits and seemingly creating tax problems out of thin air.
The problem in California is not unlike the problems encountered in other states that have legalized medical marijuana. The state laws clash with the federal governments classification of the drug. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) still classifies marijuana as a controlled substance with no accepted medical use (Schedule I). But two governors are trying to get that changed.
Gov. Christine Gregoire of Washington and Gov. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island have filed a petition asking the DEA to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II drug (one with some legitimate medicinal properties). The DEA has not yet responded to this petition, but has rejected prior petitions to reclassify the drug.