Obama's Mixed Messages on Marijuana

[Dr. Leospace]

Obama's Mixed Messages on Marijuana

By FRED GARDNER

Two days after Barack Obama became President, DEA agents led a raid on a South Lake Tahoe dispensary run by a wheelchair-bound entrepreneur named Ken Estes. They seized about five pounds of cannabis and a few thousands dollars. They arrested no one. “It was a typical rip-and-run" said a friend who had spoken with Estes.

In years past, when dispensaries run by Estes had been closed by law enforcement, activists would tsk-tsk about the looseness of his management style, as if Estes had drawn the heat on himself. This time Ol’ Ken was seen as a brave, tax-paying victim and scorn was directed at the DEA for ignoring Obama’s alleged promise to end such raids. A few verbal militants blamed the new President himself for not seeing to it that his “promise

 

[dbieon12]

I never really had that much faith in Obama reversing laws on a federal level but I was hoping that he would help negate some of the Feds raids and possibly reduce them. And to stop prosecuting medical marijuana users who are just the innocent bystander in the situation.

 

[bransondude]

I don't understand what the big deal is about "using resources" to fix the MMJ raids. Seems to me it would take a couple phone calls. Tell the DEA you want MJ moved to schedule 3. Tell the FDA to recognize the research that has been around for years and they can approve it for medical use. In the meantime, tell the DEA to move their focus onto other things.

Am I missing a step? Is this really that hard?

 

[Jahvisions]

Here it starts you see. fuck change we can, he is a hypocritical bastard, and in the end you will all see that he is just a lying motherfucker like every other politician in this world.

 

[phatass]

i don't think marijuana is at the top of obamas priority list...

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Cannabis Action Network
Date: Feb 5, 2009 12:14 PM

Washington, DC -- White House Spokesman Nick Shapiro reacted to new Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raids at medical cannabis collectives in California, saying he expects President Obama to end that policy when a new DEA Administrator is seated. “The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind," Shapiro said.

The statement puts the Department of Justice and the DEA on notice of a change in federal policy, and indicates that continued raids may not be tolerated. "Americans for Safe Access acknowledges President Obama's continued pledge to end federal interference with state medical marijuana laws," commented Caren Woodson, Director of Government Affairs. “We look forward to working with the President and his Administration to enact long-term policies that support safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research." Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s largest medical cannabis advocacy organization, sent policy recommendations aimed at harmonizing federal and state law and encouraging research to President Obama and Congress earlier this year.

Shapiro’s statement followed a groundswell of public opposition and critical media following a DEA raid in South Lake Tahoe on January 22 and four simultaneous raids in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday.

ASA members and other medical cannabis advocates responded with thousands of phone calls to the White House and an Internet campaign on the President’s web site, Change.gov, asking the President to fulfill his repeated campaign pledges to not use federal resources to interfere with state medical marijuana laws.

Medical cannabis raids intensified under former President George W. Bush, with more than one hundred paramilitary style raids, new indictments, and letters threatening property owners who rent to medical cannabis facilities with prosecution and civil asset forfeiture. "More than 72 million people live in a state that has enacted laws that authorize the limited use and distribution of cannabis for therapeutic use," Woodson said. "The White House's comments have provided patients and their loved ones a sense of relief, and we hope the President and our Attorney General will keep this pledge in mind when considering appointments to the DEA and Office of National Drug Control Policy."

 

[GOD]

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

Ranked "fairly high"? Wasn't it all the way at the top?
What a disappointing response!

 

[JustinNed]

As far as I know, all Obama has to do is sign an executive order to stop the disgraceful raids.

 

[GOD]

Stoping raids on medical marijuana people is one thing , legaliseing it is another . I think hes being politicaly corect and that it will hapen from what he has already done stoping shops being raided and saying that the state will respect the laws of individual states .

 

[grifter7]

they give more brain altering drugs to women giving birth why the hell is it not legal decades ago?

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

They're discussing Obama's dismissive remarks now on CNN. With a U.S. Marshall killed in Mexico and of course the failing economy, his joking about the question presented by the internet audience is not appreciated by the experts interviewed by CNN.

It's remarkable that today we also had a Dutch politician making a snobbish remark about a not so democratic strategy to do something about the financial crisis. The same Christian party that decided to ban shrooms in the Netherlands conjured up some kind of plan which they announced would be pretty much undebatable. Consequently the Freedom Party walked out of the parliament. Do we still have a democracy in the Netherlands?

 

[McAllister]

They're discussing Obama's dismissive remarks now on CNN. With a U.S. Marshall killed in Mexico and of course the failing economy, his joking about the question presented by the internet audience is not appreciated by the experts interviewed by CNN.

Obama promised to give science it's proper place above politics. It's a shame that this chance he had to put it to the test he chose to deride the internet audience in way that seemed more for politics rather than considering the prospect in a scientific kind of way.

 

[GOD]

The idea has to be alowed to grow naturaly so that the masses are informed about the benefits of it . If he took it up to soon he would scupper it and his other policies . Just by talking about it he introduced the idea and many people will think about it .

 

[Forkbender]

That would be very clever. CNN (I think the most liberal of the major news outlets) is attacking him and now even more people will think that it is wrong to prohibit cannabis.

I just hope this is true.

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

Broken promises...

On Wednesday, March 25, the DEA raided a medical marijuana collective in San Francisco. This action took place a week after AG Eric Holder announced that the Department of Justice would no longer target such facilities if they were operating in accordance with state law.

 

[GOD]

Under what circumstances ? Why was it raided ? Did it break any laws ? Whats going to happen about it ?

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

It appears no rules were broken at all.

Here's a press conference, with a White House spokesman talking about Obama's remarks: White House Spokesperson Questioned About Marijuana

 

[GOD]

Should marijuana be legal?
March 29, 2009
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestof ... .brown.cnn

Medical marijuana
March 28, 2009
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politi ... ijuana.cnn


http://www.unodc.org/unodc/de/press/rel ... 03.04.html