In the Supreme Court case WEEDS, Inc., et al. v. UNITED STATES, the court ruled that Section 4 of the Food Control Act was unconstitutional due to its uncertainty. This case involved WEEDS Inc and other parties challenging the constitutionality of the Food Control Act, specifically the clause penalizing sales of necessaries at unjust or unreasonable rates or charges and the clause penalizing conspiracies to exact excessive prices. The court, in this case, found that this provision of the law was too vague and therefore unconstitutional.
This decision had a significant impact on federal drug laws. The case is often cited as an example of the limitations of federal power to regulate commerce, particularly in the context of the criminalization of drugs. The court's ruling in WEEDS, Inc., et al. v. UNITED STATES, limited the government's ability to use vague and overly broad language in criminal statutes. This case is also notable for its impact on the government's ability to regulate the prices of goods and services, as well as its ability to prosecute conspiracies to fix prices. The decision in this case has been used in subsequent cases to argue against the constitutionality of other federal laws and regulations that are seen as being overly vague or broad.