Business Law and the Legal Environment 7th Edition by Jeffrey Beatty,Susan Samuelson

Exercise 6

In 1996, California legalized the medical use of marijuana, even though it was still illegal under federal law. Californians Angel Raich and Diane Monson used homegrown medical marijuana. When federal agents destroyed their plants, Monson and Raich sued, claiming, among other things, that the Commerce Clause did not permit the federal government to regulate activities that took place in their backyards and homes. The federal government argued that because consuming locally grown marijuana for medical purposes affects the interstate market for marijuana, the federal government may regulate-and prohibit-such consumption. Whose argument should prevail?