Conflicting Laws, Evolving Ethics

As states adopt laws legalizing the use of cannabis products for medical or personal recreational use, judges are faced with conflicting laws. The various articles in this issue highlight the conflicts created when a longstanding illegal substance becomes legal for either a limited purpose or a limited venue, or with undefined regulatory standards. So, too, the local laws remain in conflict with federal law concerning the same substances. While the articles in this issue outline the difficult legal decisions judges will need to make, these conflicting laws also have judicial ethics implications.