Pubdate: Sat, 24 Jan 2004 Source: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) Copyright: 2004, Denver Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/371 Author: Karen Abbott U.S. COURT SNAGS POT FIGHT U.S. authorities moved a conflict between federal and Colorado marijuana laws to federal court Friday, snatching it from a Colorado county judge who has threatened federal agents with criminal contempt for not returning marijuana they seized from a licensed medical user. At issue is federal law that prohibits possession of marijuana under all circumstances, and Colorado law, enacted by voters in 2000 as an amendment to the state constitution, that allows its use for certain medical reasons. Federal law trumps state law on marijuana, and the federal law recognizes no legal use of marijuana, federal authorities say. The marijuana - about 5 ounces - was seized late last year from Donald Nord, 57, of Hayden. Nord has battled cancer and diabetes and suffers chronic pain. He showed the officers his Colorado certificate allowing him to use marijuana for medical reasons, but the officers ignored it. They gave Nord a ticket, charging him with the misdemeanor crime of possessing marijuana. The ticket ordered Nord to appear in Routt County Court on Nov. 4, 2002. But the government lost its copy of the ticket and failed to file it in court by that date. Routt County Judge James Garrecht dismissed the case and ordered the marijuana returned. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman