The policy notes that it is not in their “best interest” to pursue individuals who use or provide medical marijuana in compliance with state law.  According to The Associated Press, the memo advises prosecutors that they,

 “Should not focus federal resources in your states on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.”

The Obama's administration's new policy is a sharp contrast to the Bush administration's idea to endorse anti-marijuana laws regardless of state laws.

The memo does note however that federal agents will continue to detain individuals whose “medical” marijuana use exceeds the allotted amount and those who use it as a cover for other crimes.

Fourteen states allow the medical use of marijuana including Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii , Washington State and of course California.

"Youth violence is not a Chicago problem, any more than it is a black problem, a white problem or a Hispanic problem, it is an American problem.”

He also added that the Obama administration plans to ask for $25 million in next year's budget for crime prevention programs.

Secretary Duncan spoke out on the situation as well adding that an emergency grant of $500,000 would be given to Fenger Academy High School, the school Derrion Albert attended, for counselors and grief programs.

Nice to see the White House taking a stand. $500,000 sounds like an awful lot of money though for one school's counseling and grief programs. Hope they use it wisely.

"Though government cannot regulate what's in people's hearts, the White House believes such crimes call for community involvement.”

Now the Obama administration is taking a stand and sending Holder to the area where the incident took place. The Attorney General will meet with school officials, residents and students to talk about school violence. Holder arrives in Chicago Wednesday.

“I want to be clear that I have nothing but love and admiration for President Obama and the entire administration. White House staffers are there to serve and support the President, not the other way around. At this critical moment in history, I could not in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. The White House needs all its hands on deck, fighting for the future.”

He also asks his supporters to continue to defend him on blogs and message boards as well as on the “Stand With Van Jones” Facebook group and “I Love Van Jones” Twitter page.

“Stay connected and speak up for me via your favorite blogs (e.g., Huffington Post, Grist, Jack & Jill, etc.), on message boards and all of your favorite social networking platforms (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Supporters have set up a couple of them, to help you stay engaged, including: I Stand With Van Jones and I Love Van Jones.”

Jones also mentions that he will defend himself and his character in due time saying,

In layman terms, the email would probably read like this:
Support the president because yeah his people did me dirty but we're still cool. Check out my Facebook page and add me on Twitter too because hell, I need more followers. Oh and don't' worry I got something for the people that got me kicked out, but be patient.
At least that's how I took it…

You can form your own opinion when you check out the full email here

In addition to the dissension behind the petition, Jones has faced a firestorm of criticism for a remark he made about Republicans before he took the White House position, which was captured on video and alter circulated on the internet.

While there is suspicion that he was asked to resign, White House officials say it was his own decision.

"Absolutely not -- this was Van Jones' own decision," David Axelrod told NBC's
"Meet the Press" when asked if the president had ordered the resignation.
Minke Pence, Republican Rep. of Indiana called for Jones' resignation or that he be fired.

"I think Van Jones did the right thing," Pence said Sunday about the resignation. "His extremist views and coarse rhetoric have no place in this administration."

Jones has been labeled the "green jobs czar" for the Obama administration.

"The president should suspend any future appointment of so called czars while the administration and the Congress carefully examines the background and qualifications of the more than 30 individuals who've been appointed to these czar positions," said Pence, speaking to reporters. "And the Congress ought to initiate a thorough inquiry into the constitutionality of this practice which has spanned Republican and Democrat administrations."

"On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me," Jones said at the White House Saturday night. "They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide."

According to CNN, Jones maintains he came to Washington to "fight for others, not for myself," Jones said in the statement, "I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting for the future."

Jones resignation come after it was discovered that he signed a petition in 2004 which called for an investigation into the notion that the government purposely allowed the Sept. 11 attacks to take place.

In a statement last week, Jones said of the petition on the Web site 911truth.org:"I do not agree with this statement and it certainly does not reflect my views now or ever."

Jones was under fire last week for a statement he made about Republicans, in which he called them "assholes."

In his statement last week, Jones said, "If I have offended anyone with statements I made in the past, I apologize."

While GOP members are outraged at his blanket statement, Jones made the comment before he accepted the position with the administration and has since declared his remarks "were clearly inappropriate," reports Fox News.

A YouTube video that has gone viral since he took the position at the White House was shot earlier in the year when a group of audience member questioned why Republicans were stonewalling Obama.

"I apologize for the offensive words I chose to use during that speech," Jones said in a written statement. "They do not reflect the views of this administration, which has made every effort to work in a bipartisan fashion, and they do not reflect the experience I have had since I joined the administration."

"Well, the answer to that is, they're assholes," Jones said, prompting a mass of laughter. "That's a technical, political science term." 

Jones made the statements back in February of this year at a energy conference in Berkeley, California. A woman stood and asked why the Democrats were seeming to have difficulties passing legislation even though Republicans, who were no longer the majority, didn't seem to have the same troubles during the Bush administration.

The questioner responded, "I was afraid that that was the answer." 
He went on to say Obama is "not an asshole," and others have to take a more aggressive approach.

"Now, I will say this. I can be an asshole, and some of us who are not Barack Hussein Obama are going to have to start getting a little bit uppity," he said. 

In the forefront of his agenda, Holder plans to buck the systematic racial discrimination as it relates to voting rights, housing, employment and bank lending practices.

The Obama administration is planning a massive overhaul of high-impact civil rights enforcements against policies including housing and employment, where minorities fare poorly in disproportionate percentages. The former administration dissuaded from these tactics and opted to focus on individual cases in which evidence of discrimination was obvious.

According to the New York Times, the Civil Rights Division has been plagued with heavy turn-over and politically driven hires during the Bush era. The Obama administration has proposed to revamp the unit with several hundred civil rights lawyers and 50 additional lawyers.

The division is “getting back to doing what it has traditionally done,” Mr. Holder said in an interview. “But it's really only a start. I think the wounds that were inflicted on this division were deep, and it will take some time for them to fully heal.”

Over time, the division has faced a significant amount of controversy stemming from the long-time rift between liberals and conservatives, including issues like school bussing and affirmative action.

In July, the division's head, Loretta King, issued a memorandum to every federal agency urging more aggressive enforcement of regulations that forbid recipients of taxpayer money from policies that have a disparate impact on minorities.
In a transition report, the document states the era of hiring such “inexperienced or poorly qualified” lawyers has left lasting damage.

“While some of the political hires have performed competently and a number of others have left, the net effect of the politicized hiring process and the brain drain is an attorney work force largely ill-equipped to handle the complex, big-impact litigation that should comprise a significant part” of the division's docket, the transition report said.

"It's the second hundred days?" a senior administration official retorted. He went on to say "the incline on the treadmill is not as steep," the official said, but added, "it's still moving very fast."

Since his election, Obama hit the track running and hasn't stopped for a breather since. Reviving the auto industry, a speech to promote peace in the middle east, health care reform, a trip to the coast of Africa where slaves were once sipped to the New world and the list continues.

While 65 percent of Americans feel the president bit off more than he can chew, he and his administration have made significant strides particularly in the second 100 days. Health care reform appears to be in next in line for the green light after the blindsiding success of the "cash for clunkers" program.

So 200 days in office really means what?

"There's a certain rhythm and level of familiarity," Ernest said. "We understand how things work ... and we're settling more into a groove."
But a senior administration official said it was also a chance to "make sure that everyone was on the same page."

In the 100 days to come, advisors expect Obama to continue his intricate approach to foreign and domestic policies. A senior official said Afghanistan will be the center point of attention and "we'll be watching how things stabilize in Iraq."

Only time will tell the legacy the president President Obama will leave behind, but 200 days in could he be trailblazing his way into a second term? Or is it too soon to tell?