Holder Vows To End Raids On Medical Marijuana Clubs

[kpete]

Source: Huffington Post

Holder Vows To End Raids On Medical Marijuana Clubs

February 26, 2009 09:53 AM

Attorney General Eric Holder said at a press conference Wednesday that the Justice Department will no longer raid medical marijuana clubs that are established legally under state law. His declaration is a fulfillment of a campaign promise by President Barack Obama, and marks a major shift from the previous administration.

After the inauguration, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) continued to carry out such raids, despite Obama's promise. Holder was asked if those raids represented American policy going forward.

"No," he said. "What the president said during the campaign, you'll be surprised to know, will be consistent with what we'll be doing in law enforcement. He was my boss during the campaign. He is formally and technically and by law my boss now. What he said during the campaign is now American policy."

The exchange takes place at about the 25:00 mark here.
http://www.c-span.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-A-158...

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/26/holder-vows-to...

[lies and propaganda]

1. Victory in our court!

Hell yeah AG Holder!

[Wizard777]

26. We The People win our first victory in the paramilitary War on Drugs!

We must erase that line in the sands our government has drawn between we the people forcing us to figh each other for the governments Political gain, financial gain, and amusement. I'm believing Obama can unite this country more than ever before. God bless him and Mr. Holder.

[shadowknows69]

2. Good start but it needs to be taken further

Allow the states to make up their mind about medical marijuana and leave the DEA to get the shit off the streets that is actually killing people.

[defendandprotect]

20. Right . . .!!

[Webster Green]

52. The DEA are nothing but a bunch of thugs..

Totally corrupt fucking assholes. Lock those mutherfuckers up, IMO!

[sagetea]

3. Thank You!!!

I just got through with a relapse, I thought I could do it with out my medicine. It was pure hell.

Unfortunately, I live in a state that does not recognize medical mj, so for me it does not matter, I will go to jail anyway. Why can't they just leave us alone and let us choose our meds.? The prescription meds, will affect my kidneys, liver and heart, I fight just one battle now, why do they want us to fight more battles?

Funny thing, I stopped smoking for recreation when I was twenty, drug testing just came out, 20 yrs. later I use it for medication, I thought when I quit, I would quit for good.Didn't happen!!

[sofa king]

4. Yay!

It always ticked me off to see and hear about the DEA raiding clinics in California when we all know that there is a never-ending parade of heroin rolling up I-5, supplying the entire West Coast (so that the CIA can better sell the heroin it produces in Afghanistan (("Southwest Asia," in the link)) to the Asians and Europeans, but that part is just my opinion).

[otohara]

5. I Need To Pinch Myself

again - change really has come to America

[defendandprotect]

21. Cheers for sane policy by Obama and Holder!!

[SpiralHawk]

6. "Hey, stop the raids on oxycontin clinics, too. Smirk." - Rush 'DraftDodger' Limbaught (R)

"The principles of Republicon Family Values state that you must treat hypocrites like, um, whatever. Just get me my meds..."

- Rush 'DraftDodger' Limbaugh (R-Overpaid Propagandist)

[onehandle]

7. This is great. Marijuana will never ever ever ever be legalized, but this is good news.

Those who suffer must be aided.

[MajorChode]

23. Effectively he did legalize it, or at least make it a state issue

By not enforcing the federal laws, he is effectively respecting states rights on this issue.

It was actually very difficult for the federal government to make marijuana illegal originally because there was no authorization in the constitution to make it a federal crime. Nixon had to jump through a lot of hoops in order to do it.

[RaleighNCDUer]

31. In a half-assed way, maybe.

This applies only to medical marijuana - they'll still be busting growers, and anybody who is holding who is not a member of a medical marijuana club.

[Warren DeMontague]

27. "Marijuana will never ever ever ever be legalized"... "A black man will never be president"

"A Man will never walk on the moon"

"You'll never fit a computer in a walk-in closet"

It's the 21st Century. Well past time to re-configure our sense of the possible, if you ask me.

[onehandle]

32. Ha ha ha ha!

Comparing the legalization of pot with the election of a black man and a man walking on the moon.

What else is up there in the stratosphere of greatness to you. The return of lawn darts? Cockfighting? New Coke?

DU cracks me up.

[Warren DeMontague]

33. We piss away $40 Billion a year on the drug war, most of it aimed at pot smoking.

That's not including the costs of incarceration.

The Apollo Project topped out at about $20B, total, if I'm not mistaken. Of course, that was 1960s dollars, but that was for the entire thing--- and by any yardstick, 40 Billion a year is a big nut.

So there's a comparison on many levels. Beyond that, you said "it would never ever ever happen". My point is, a lot of people have thought a lot of things would never ever happen. If you ask me, that's a failure of the imagination- particularly if it implies we're going to continue pissing away $40 Billion a year to try to stop people from smoking pot from now until the end of time.

[onehandle]

34. I agree that the drug war, length and cost of sentences are out of whack.

Aim your effort there. I'd start with ending the raids on medical marijuana clubs...

Hey, looky there.

Beyond medical marijuana, recreational usage will Never Be Legal in the United States.

Ok, maybe if society falls and apes rise to fill the void. They know how to party so I'll give you that.

[Warren DeMontague]

35. I disagree. I think the absurdity of criminalizing a relatively benign plant that 60 Million

otherwise law-abiding Americans use recreationally-- I think such an endeavor is doomed to fall by the wayside eventually, as are efforts to keep Gays or other minorities second class citizens. New generations replace the old ones, and the old assumptions, demons and bugaboos gradually fade away as well.

You may be right- or, I may be right. I do think, in my lifetime, I will see marijuana legalized, taxed, regulated and available for consenting adults to enjoy in this country. I hope so. Hell, I don't even smoke it anymore, but the inanity of criminalization and government trying to tell consenting adults what they can or cannot do with their own bodies, particularly when it comes to something as innocuous (as drugs go) as pot; it pisses me off more than ever.

I also think I'll see a human being walk on Mars in my lifetime. I hope so.

[Zhade]

38. Your gleeful arrogance is so charming.

Almost as charming as your ignorance about marijuana.

[krabigirl]

56. I disagree with you completely.

[Name removed]

57. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rpannier]

50. This is one of those issues that should be left to the states (IMO)

The legalization of marijuana should be a state issue, much the way alcohol and cigarettes are.

[jmj217]

55. Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and..

Firearms should all be state controlled issues.

[rpannier]

59. Agreed

On all counts

[Zhade]

37. I can't WAIT to rub it in your anti-pot face when it is.

It might take a while, but it WILL be RE-legalized.

[bread_and_roses]

8. Good! It's a start! (n/t)

[Rebubula]

9. Good start

Let's keep going, Mr. Holder

[TheCoxwain]

10. Yippeee !!!

I am not a pot head .. but I think if you want to protect tobacco smokers then you should protect pot smokers too ..


Legalize pot! NOW!!!

[Jefferson23]

11. Thank goodness!

[grantcart]

12. sanity is returning to federal government

[montanto]

13. Yay and its about f'ing time too.

I know a guy who runs a legit co-op here in L.A. and the D.E.A. comes and tosses his shop up on a regular basis. He's been there three years, always passes, always law abiding, but they go through all his stuff regularly. Ball-busting bunch of bastards that they are. Very good news here.

[closeupready]

14. Good.

n/t

[iamthebandfanman]

15. hooray! decriminalize now! n/t

[sakabatou]

16. Pretty much better directions all the time from this government

[droidamus2]

17. The thing is...

If enough states okay medical marijuana and enough studies are done on it to show conclusively that it has medicinal value then the DEA will be forced to take Marijuana off Schedule 1. Once this is done then it can become legal on both a state and federal level for doctors to prescribe marijuana. As more and more people become exposed to marijuana and the medicinal users they will realize the propaganda coming from the government about pot is just that, propaganda. This could conceivably lead to at a minimum nationwide decriminalization and maybe even legalization.

[Zhade]

39. "and enough studies are done on it to show conclusively that it has medicinal value" -- there have.

Just not here.

[happygoluckytoyou]

18. Vanna, Before-and-After----> R _ _ _ O _ Y C O N T _ _ M _ R _ N

Thats right.... you are the winner.... it is Rush Oxy-Contin-Moron

[Bette Noir]

19. Huzzah!

[JerseygirlCT]

22. Sensible - even if only on a fiscal basis...

why in the world should the feds be wasting time and money on that?

[scytherius]

24. Small steps forward. Awesome. n/t

nt

[groovedaddy]

25. Another step in the right direction - now time for FDA to reschedule. n.t

[IDFbunny]

44. Let's reschedule anabolic steroids as well

There is a lot of misinformation regarding anabolic steroids. Let's restart research on this class of drugs. "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" is a pretty good documentary on the subject.

[Warren DeMontague]

28. EXCELLENT.

ABOUT TIME.

[slay]

29. Woo-hoo! This is truly GREAT news!!!!

Even though I live in a state with NO medical marijuana clubs, it's a huge step in the right direction. (Our state's #1 cash crop is marijuana, even above tobacco - and I live in North Carolina! That's how popular marijuana is.)

[Deep13]

30. Enough with these pro-reality policies!

Is it me or does it seem like all the President cares about is doing the right thing?!

[Zhade]

36. WOW. Holder the drug warrior? AWESOME!

Hell yeah - it's time to end the war on this proven-beneficial herb!

[valerief]

40. Gotta love the real compassionate pols--Liberals, not Conservatives! nt

[glitch]

41. K & R for some compassion returning to federal government. nt

[IDFbunny]

42. A sad day for the cartels

[Grinchie]

58. /Agree -- CIA will lose a lot of funding.

[Gamey]

43. Get it in writing...

Call me cynical, but States' rights were abrogated long ago. And nothing at the federal level stops Deputy nor AG Cletus Jethro (my apologies to anyone named Cletus Jethro) from thinking they are doing their job of making it hell for others in the name of job justification.

[NM Independent]

45. Now, THAT is change I can believe in.

Hells yeah

[Fluffdaddy]

46. Smoke-em if you got them

[Deep13]

48. Unless you live in one of the 48 states where possession is a crime. nt

[Myrina]

47. And herein lies the solution to the budget deficit ...

... end the "war on drugs" ... legalize and regulate and in some cases, make available Over The Counter.

1. decrease in jail/prison/parole populations and overloaded court dockets
2. decrease in violence, in the States and along the Mexican border
3. increase in tax revenue from the companies that will be trademarking/distributing the products
4. increase in tax revenue from the people buying the products
5. probably a jump in job creation for farmers, developers, chemists, etc.
6. (and this is my own theory) many who can't control their habits will likely OD - decreasing the "addictive" population and leaving just the 'casual user' ("everything in moderation"), thereby positively affecting the social outcomes.

[ms liberty]

49. It's about time! K&R n/t

[eridani]

51. Given his original stance, this is really substantial progress n/t

[Hekate]

53. This is what--the 5th week of the Obama presidency? Progress every day, it seems to me.

Amazing.

Hekate

[w4rma]

54. Extremely good. (nt)

[The Wizard]

60. Keeping it illegal

provides political hacks with high paying jobs with benefits. Think of all the useless slugs who will have to turn to crime without the income they derive from agencies with the sole purpose of suppressing the will of the people. Their choices will be to either be paid a salary commensurate with their true value in the work force or become criminals.
Sitting in a cubicle playing computer solitaire isn't high on the demand list.

[riverdeep]

61. This is great news, and surprising, coming from Holder.

But I'll take. It still doesn't mean jack squat to most people as they either have no legitimate medical usage or don't live in a medical marijuana state, but it's a ray of light. Shine on.