Justice Department Will No Longer Interfere With States’ Medical Pot Policies

[WaterMan]

Justice Department Will No Longer Interfere With States’ Medical Pot Policies

 

 

 

Earlier this month, new U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder promised a clean break from the policies of the Bush administration. Yesterday, during a live interview on C-Span, he affirmed that this change includes ending the DEA raids of state-authorized medical Josh Gordon providers!

Responding to a reporter’s question regarding the DEA’s recent actions against several California medical cannabis providers, Holder stated: “What the President said during the campaign . . . will be consistent with what we will be doing here in law enforcement. . . What [President Obama] said during the campaign . . . is now American policy.”

 

Holder’s statement marks a dramatic shift in U.S. drug policy, and is a major victory for the 72 million Americans who reside in states where the use of medical cannabis is legal. It also lends support to the ongoing efforts in Minnesota, New Jersey, and Rhode Island — each of which are debating legislative proposals to make the production and distribution of medical cannabis legal under state law.

 

At this time, NORML would like to personally thank those of you who responded to our request to contact the Attorney General’s office and urge Eric Holder to call off the DEA raids. Your phone calls and e-mails have helped to change U.S. Josh Gordon policy!

So go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back. And while you’re at it, click here to thank the new Attorney General for supporting the will of the people and the health and welfare of seriously ill patients.

[bushwacked]

Both major parties are exactly the same. If Mcain won, I'm sure his administration would be rolling out aggressive plans to get out of Iraq, setting policy to cut the deficit in half, and establishing a federal drug policy that gets big brother off the backs of local and state govts....

 

Yup, no major differences in the major political parties at all.

[Yukon Cornelius]

Both major parties are exactly the same. If Mcain won, I'm sure his administration would be rolling out aggressive plans to get out of Iraq, setting policy to cut the deficit in half, and establishing a federal drug policy that gets big brother off the backs of local and state govts....

 

Yup, no major differences in the major political parties at all.

 

this be a good thing

[bushwacked]

typical.

[WaterMan]

typical.

 

+1

[Azazello1313]

Both major parties are exactly the same. If Mcain won, I'm sure his administration would be rolling out aggressive plans to get out of Iraq, setting policy to cut the deficit in half, and establishing a federal drug policy that gets big brother off the backs of local and state govts....

 

Yup, no major differences in the major political parties at all.

 

oops

 

As Promised, He Called Off the Medical Josh Gordon Raids—For a Week

 

Jacob Sullum | March 26, 2009, 1:12pm

 

Well, this didn't take long:

 

Federal agents raided a medical Josh Gordon dispensary in San Francisco Wednesday, a week after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder signaled that the Obama administration would not prosecute distributors of pot used for medicinal purposes that operate under sanction of state law.

[Pope Flick]

oops

 

 

 

If that's the bust I'm thinking of, they were in violation of both Fed AND State laws the details of which are still under seal, so don't Have to agree here!! this one just yet.

 

 

ETA: yes, it is.

"Based on our investigation, we believe there are not only violations of federal law, but state law as well," DEA Special Agent in Charge Anthony Williams said in a prepared statement.

 

Williams, who runs the San Francisco field office that covers a territory stretching from Bakersfield to Redding, would not specify the alleged violations. The information was under court seal.

 

"As of now, we are prohibited from releasing further details of the case. Items of evidentiary value were seized and no arrests have been made," Williams said.

 

A source in San Francisco city government who was informed about the raid said the DEA's action appeared to be prompted by alleged financial improprieties related to the payment of sales taxes. DEA Special Agent Casey McEnry, spokeswoman for the local office, would not comment on that information.

 

This isn't out of the ordinary. A LOT of money greases people out here in Cali for this to go on. If they skip a payment - or avoid the taxes - you can bet dollars for donuts that ol' broke ass California won't mind fixing that problem.

Edited March 27, 2009 by Pope Flick

[Azazello1313]

If that's the bust I'm thinking of, they were in violation of both Fed AND State laws the details of which are still under seal, so don't Have to agree here!! this one just yet.

 

the article says something about sales taxes. clever, isn't that how they got al capone?

[Pope Flick]

the article says something about sales taxes. clever, isn't that how they got al capone?

 

 

What's clever is how you avoided mentioning that in your reach for a Have to agree here!! moment.

[bushwacked]

the article says something about sales taxes. clever, isn't that how they got al capone?

 

Comprehension can be a problem.

 

In a marked shift from Bush administration policy, Holder said last month that dispensaries only would be prosecuted if both state and federal drug laws were thought to be violated.

[Azazello1313]

What's clever is how you avoided mentioning that in your reach for a Have to agree here!! moment.

 

yeah the feds conduct big ol' DEA raids against small businesses for not paying local sales taxes all the time.

[Azazello1313]

I just woulda loved to see the faces of the poor little potheads when the DEA came a no-knockin' after they thought they were in the clear. they probably fired one up last week in obama's honor. oops.

[Pope Flick]

yeah the feds conduct big ol' DEA raids against small businesses for not paying local sales taxes all the time.

 

 

Oh no, your Al Capone analogy is much better. He was just standing in the street with a permit to murder people in plain sight, but they got him for tax evasion.

 

 

And bush's link says what I've been saying: if those businesses don't pay off the peeps properly YES they're going to get shut down.

[Azazello1313]

so apparently, the current position of the USDOJ is that they will not enforce federal law, but they WILL enforce state law.

[Pope Flick]

so apparently, the current position of the USDOJ is that they will not enforce federal law, but they WILL enforce state law.

 

 

I think that's part of "the deal" and why I didn't believe (and still don't) seahawks21's asinine assertion that there are "dozens" of pot shops operating illegally in Oakland in the space of a few blocks.

[bushwacked]

First BeeR with the Afghan thread, then Az bumping this. Maybe we can get moneymakers to chime in with his "Have to agree here! Obama lied!" thread, for the trifecta.

[westvirginia]

Both major parties are exactly the same. If Mcain won, I'm sure his administration would be rolling out aggressive plans to get out of Iraq, setting policy to cut the deficit in half, and establishing a federal drug policy that gets big brother off the backs of local and state govts....

 

Yup, no major differences in the major political parties at all.

 

The only thing your right on is Iraq. This is only MEDICAL mary-jane. It still does nothing to de-criminalize someone growing a Josh Gordon. And cutting the deficit in half? Are you f'n serious? Enjoy that obamessiah kool-aide.

[Pope Flick]

The only thing your right on is Iraq. This is only MEDICAL mary-jane. It still does nothing to de-criminalize someone growing a Josh Gordon. And cutting the deficit in half? Are you f'n serious? Enjoy that obamessiah kool-aide.

 

 

No, it really isn't. Let's be fair here: if you've got 2 Benji's you can go to any number of doctors and request the "prescription" to purchase anywhere in the state.

 

As in "Oohhh, doc I have a migraine..."

 

And when it's that easy to acquire, growing it looks really silly.

[bushwacked]

Are you f'n serious?

 

Yes, your schtick is as fallacious as it is simplistic.

[westvirginia]

No, it really isn't. Let's be fair here: if you've got 2 Benji's you can go to any number of doctors and request the "prescription" to purchase anywhere in the state.

 

As in "Oohhh, doc I have a migraine..."

 

And when it's that easy to acquire, growing it looks really silly.

 

You're right about it making it much easier to get, but if you don't think you're gonna do time if you decide to sow some bud in your cornpatch,

 

BTW, does it really cost $200 for a doctors visit in the PRK?

[Azazello1313]

Both major parties are exactly the same. If Mcain won, I'm sure his administration would be rolling out aggressive plans to get out of Iraq, setting policy to cut the deficit in half, and establishing a federal drug policy that gets big brother off the backs of local and state govts....

 

Yup, no major differences in the major political parties at all.

 

update

 

Back when he was running for president in 2008, Barack Obama insisted that medical Josh Gordon was an issue best left to state and local governments. "I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue," he vowed, promising an end to the Bush administration's high-profile raids on providers of medical pot, which is legal in 16 states and the District of Columbia.

 

But over the past year, the Obama administration has quietly unleashed a multi­agency crackdown on medical cannabis that goes far beyond anything undertaken by George W. Bush. The feds are busting growers who operate in full compliance with state laws, vowing to seize the property of anyone who dares to even rent to legal pot dispensaries, and threatening to imprison state employees responsible for regulating medical Josh Gordon. With more than 100 raids on pot dispensaries during his first three years, Obama is now on pace to exceed Bush's record for medical-Josh Gordon busts. "There's no question that Obama's the worst president on medical Josh Gordon," says Rob Kampia, executive director of the Josh Gordon Policy Project. "He's gone from first to worst."

[Square]

Sucks if true. Going after people for pot is dumb as fck.

[bushwacked]

I think I've bumped one of these threads before. Obama's disappointing backtracking on social (and civil liberty) issues isn't new and it further cements how off track both sides of the spectrum were during and right after the election. He's been status quo and moderate waaaaaay more than progressive and liberal.

 

One school of thought is that the DEA was never in concert with Holder and Obama's directive and neither were federal prosecutors. But, whatever, it's obvious Obama is weighing the political consequences and not wanting to rock the boat while trying to appease both sides of the spectrum. Again, disappointing.

[Azazello1313]

He's been status quo and moderate waaaaaay more than progressive and liberal.

 

I think it's more accurate to say that he's picked his battles. and the battles he's picked have been:

1) health care

2) re-election

 

all other political energy has been directed in a massive rearguard defense of the blue model and it's entitlement spending, technocratic/bureaucratic oversight, etc.

[Clubfoothead]

2) re-election

 

He'll win that one.