This image is a map of the United States which shows the 50 individual states that have their own rights but still make up a whole country. Amendment 10 talks about the power that the individual states or the people are given when the power is not reserved for the United States. This is important because it defines the balance of power between the states and the government, and shows that the states have individual powers so that the federal government does not overstep its bounds and become tyrannical. The 10th amendment gives states rights in order to limit the authority of the federal government. However, states are still subject to federal law, so when does federal law override states rights? Should the federal government be able to take away states’ rights?
So this post references the Constitution in regards to the state’s laws in comparison to federal law. This issue is particularly interesting with the rise of certain events, specifically the legalization of marijuana. While being legal within California, it is still illegal within the federal government. This can cause confusion within law enforcement as in the case of the state level it is perfectly legal but in terms of the federal law, possession is still forbidden. For the most part, California citizens are arrested with accounts for holding marijuana when they are wanted in connection with another case or if they illegally dispensing large quantities of it (like crossing over state lines). This is an example of a state law that overpowers federal law but is occasionally looked over in favor of the federal law.