Sweetin's order to raid and arrest Bartkowitz came in defiance of President Barack Obama and United States Attorney General Eric Holder's directive not to enforce federal law against medical marijuana users and care-givers that operate in "clear and unambiguous compliance with state law".
[1] This directive echoed a campaign promise by then candidate Obama that he would stop prosecuting doctor authorized medical marijuana patients and caregivers because he felt that using federal resources to circumvent state law on the issue of medical marijuana was a poor use of federal resources.
[3] Several days after the arrest, Sweetin revised his argument and claimed that Bartkowicz was violating state law because he was in possession of 224 marijuana plants for 12 registered patients, while state law only allowed for a caregiver to have 6 plants and 2 ounces of marijuana per registered patient.
[7] Colorado medical marijuana advocate and head organizer of a February 18, 2010 protest aimed to notify President Obama and raise public awareness of the DEA's recent actions, Brian Vicente, questions the motives of those involved "I think the U.S. Attorney and the DEA view marijuana laws as a continuing employment act.
[8] Colorado Representative Jared Polis wrote to Attorney General Holder and President Obama requesting clarification on the issue of whether Sweetin's comments that the DEA will "arrest everybody" is United States policy regarding medical marijuana.