The Obama Justice Dept. announced yesterday that they would refuse to enforce federal drug laws as it relates to marijuana in states where they have passed laws allowing for the “medical” use of the drug.

Federal drug agents won't pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued Monday by the Obama administration.

Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state law.

The guidelines to be issued by the department do, however, make it clear that agents will go after people whose marijuana distribution goes beyond what is permitted under state law or use medical marijuana as a cover for other crimes, the officials said.

The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.

For the record, I’m generally in favor of the nation’s drug laws and I earnestly believe that the “medicinal” qualities of pot are grossly exaggerated.

Now, whether or not you are in favor of this new federal policy or not, here’s the outrageous part of the whole thing that I’ve yet to see anyone highlight: For a man who campaigned vociferously against the “unitary executive” and assailed his predecessor for allegedly ignoring federal law, doesn’t this kinda smack of … oh, what’s that word … hypocrisy?

Seriously. Congress has passed several laws making marijuana possession and use a crime. The Supreme Court has upheld those laws. And now we have a president who has decided unilaterally that he’s not going to enforce them? Heck, if he wanted to get more support for his health care overhaul, he’d probably be better off putting a similar provision in the bills working their way through Congress.