A few months ago, we chronicled a suit that Josephine County brought against the State of Oregon, which challenged the legality of the state’s marijuana laws. On August 30, Federal Magistrate Judge Clarke recommended dismissal of the lawsuit. In succinct fashion, Judge Clarke noted that Josephine County lacks standing to sue the State of Oregon on constitutional grounds because the county is a political subdivision of the state. As additional grounds for dismissal, Judge Clarke explained that the state has not (yet) placed any substantive limitation on the county’s regulation of marijuana, such that there is no live controversy for the court to address.

Judge Clarke closed by noting the hypocrisy of the county’s lawsuit:

Finally, on a practical rather than legal note, the Court is unpersuaded by Josephine County’s argument that the State is “requiring” it to “aid and abet a federal felony.” The County has provided no evidence to the Court that it has attempted to ban any and all marijuana use and production, as would be theoretically required by full compliance with the [Controlled Substances Act]. Instead, the County merely seeks to limit the use and production in rural residential zones, while continuing to allow marijuana use and production in other instances. Apparently the County is only worried about aiding and abetting federal felonies on certain kinds of land and not others.

Judge Clarke leaves open two important substantive issues — whether Josephine County can retroactively prohibit marijuana production in rural residential zones and whether the federal Controlled Substances Act preempts state level marijuana laws. His Report and Recommendation will be referred to a federal Article III judge for review — the parties have 14 days to submit objections.