A hearing has been ordered in the voting rights case against the federal government.  Brought by California medical marijuana patients, the case alleges that patients have been denied the right to vote on medical marijuana legalization, in spite of the December 2009 decision of Congress to grant that same right to voters in Washington DC.

Arguments will be heard by US District Court Judge Andrew Guilford on March 26th.  He will listen to arguments as to whether federal officials should have been stopped from sending letters mandating the closure of Costa Mesa’s medical marijuana dispensaries.

The California case, James v. United States, was filed by attorneys on behalf of patients who lost their ability for safe access to medical marijuana after the federal government sent letters forcing the closure of collectives in both Costa Mesa and Lake Forest.  As a part of the case, patients want the federal government to be barred from ordering collectives to shut down as long as they are in compliance with California state law.

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