Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said today the Obama administration is officially reversing the federal stance on medical marijuana and ordering authorities not to arrest or charge any users and suppliers who conform to state laws.
In guidelines issued today, Justice Department officials are telling prosecutors and federal drug agents that they have more important things to do than to arrest people who obey state laws that allow some use or sale of medical marijuana.
The move clarifies what some critics had said was an ambiguous position of the Obama administration on the controversial issue, especially in the battleground state of California, where authorities have raided numerous clinics and made arrests over the years. Some of those California raids followed Obama’s inauguration in January, after, as a presidential candidate, he had pledged to stop them.
The new guidelines note that federal law enforcement agencies have limited resources and that they need them for more pressing priorities.
Finally, sick people can get stoned while their country is bankrupted into oblivion. That will lessen the pain. The rest of us will have to experience it while merely drunk. Unless like me you don’t drink; I get to experience national insolvency and hyperinflation while enjoying milk & cookies (if available). I’m used to it though, since the USA was declared bankrupt way back in 2006.
Wow. Let’s follow up with a change to federal law before the Repugs make campaign hay with the hay seeds.
Great. You can kiss away any chances you had of smoking pot legally without a prescription. Now it will forever be considered “medicine.”
The real solution to this mess is full decriminalization. Medical marijuana is not a “stop gap” measure – it’s a short circuit to keeping it illegal.
Adam must be disappointed!
Now if they will just let states decide even more things, instead of trying to institute a federal takeover of health care.
Holder is great.
MJ makes great medicine so you’ll need a prescription. Add a hundred bucks to the price of an ounce. No refills.
And, it’s okay to threaten voters at the poll.
I like this guy.
“ordering authorities not to arrest or charge any users and suppliers who *conform to state laws*.”
Just would to highlight that they were apparently arresting people who *conformed to the law*. Sounds like a highlight.
“Obama administration is officially reversing the federal stance on medical marijuana and ordering authorities not to arrest or charge any users and suppliers who conform to state laws.”
To be reversed when the next president, a Republican, takes office in 2013. I say this because Obama will take the blame when the economy does not recover fully by 2012. In fact, it will probably be worse then than it is now.
Some day a bright graduate student will find and splice the genes that generate cannabinoid compounds into food crops. When that happens the DEA is frakked.
#1 for the win
“Finally, sick people can get stoned while their country is bankrupted into oblivion. That will lessen the pain.”
It doesn’t matter what you all thing this is about. It’s not that at all. This is about turning a desirable commodity, that anyone could produce, into something that only a major agro-biz will be allowed to produce and profit from. Just as with tobacco, wine, booze, most herbal products. Everything medical, or recreational, has to regulated. Which is to say, in the long run, only made by a huge monopoly. Mom and Pop MJ growers would be snapped up by outfits like ADM. Or their output channeled only thru licensed and approved distributors. All adding their overhead fees and charges to the sales. What the Fed has been coming down on, so far, are all those unapproved sources. Because they are (or will be) competing with an officially produced product. When it becomes available.
Frankly, I have mixed feeling about legalized MJ. It probably wouldn’t to much harm. But it would be adding one more thing to abuse, to the lifestyle of the irresponsible consumer. We already have enough problems with drunk drivers. Now let’s add totally stoned out drivers, to that lethal mix. And who needs another smoking product fouling the air? Take it to it’s logical conclusion, and reduce MJ to either a subscription Patch or Gum. As Nicotine is administered to tobacco addicts.
And most importantly! There shouldn’t be allowed any major profits to be made from all this MJ legalizing. Not even for any big agro-biz or Pharma. Only enough profit to barely offset costs. And the rest ought to go to anti-substance abuse recovery and education programs. Otherwise big profits will runaway and create a self-sustaining monster, as the Tobacco biz has become.
California would love to grow this, and tax it…so they can waste even more money on loon programs that don’t work…and funnel money to projects that generate generous kickbacks.
Does anyone know where the camp is they send federal agents to become overbearing, threatening, power crazed SOB’s. A lot of real working cops on the street would like to know this also.
I don’t know about you but I find just regular cops to be overbearing, threatening, power crazed SOB’s. So, I guess, they are born assholes, not made assholes.
Medical Marijuana is a trojan horse. It will continue the war on drugs and we will see no change.
Drug Lords will still be in power, and big pharma will have their niche “Official Marijuana Dealer”
Obama continues at least 3 wars and the United States is not going to win any of them.
War On Drugs
War in Afghanistan
War in Iraq
Thousands of lives wasted, and billions down the drain.
Legalize grow sell spend. Taxes are for suckers.
The Repugs will frown on not having the Federal government interfere with state laws.
Why are Republicans so pro-police state?
Just another example of Change Republicans Hate to Admit Just Happened.
I wonder if this is all prep to legalizing it so it can be taxed (heavily) and pay for the health care bill?
The reason they repealed Prohibition was for the the taxes so you may have something there H&P. I would be willing to smoke one for the team if called upon. (smirk)
Maybe they’ll outlaw tobacco next? After all, it’s a addictive deadly narcotic.