The Hill News

Federal prosecutors are warning marijuana dispensaries in California that they must shut down in 45 days or face criminal charges, The Associated Press reported Thursday.

The letters tell store owners, who are operating legally under California state ordinances but in violation of federal drug laws, that they face jail time and the confiscation of their property. The move is the first manifestation of an escalated effort by the Obama administration to target marijuana use announced in July.

Over the summer, the White House released a brief on the nation’s drug use, noting that marijuana consumption was the highest it’s been in eight years, a phenomenon partially attributed to legalization efforts in the Golden State. The Drug Enforcement Administration also conclude! d that marijuana had no accepted medical use, and the Justice Department warned that while they had no plans to target sick people with pot prescriptions, they could target medical marijuana shops on drug and money-laundering charges.

{mosads}The administration is now moving forward in doing just that, sending the letters to at least 16 shops in California.

“Under United States law, a dispensary’s operations involving sales and distribution of marijuana are illegal and subject to criminal prosecution and civil enforcement actions,” reads a letter signed by a U.S. attorney. “Real and personal property involved in such operations are subject to seizure by and forfeiture to the United States ... regardless of the purported purpose of the dispensary.”

Marijuana policy has been a complicated issue for the administration, which has seen national attitudes o! n the drug shift. While a majority of Americans still oppose legalization, the margin between those who do and do not favor legalization has shrunk steadily over the past 20 years.

Last month, the administration launched a “We the People” petition site that promised to evaluate any proposal that received more than 5,000 signatures within 30 days. A petition to legalize marijuana was the first to meet the threshold, earning more than 17,000 signatures within 24 hours of being posted.