Obama breaks promises on medical marijuana laws

http://www.desertdispatch.com/articles/washington-10882-marijuana-medical.html

Two weeks ago, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire vetoed a bill that would have clarified the rules for supplying medical marijuana in her state. She cited an April 14 letter in which Jenny Durkan and Michael Ormsby, the U.S. attorneys for Washington, threatened to prosecute not only growers and providers but also “others who knowingly facilitate” their actions, including landlords, financiers, and even state employees who license and regulate medical marijuana suppliers.

U.S. attorneys in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Rhode Island and Vermont have sent similar letters in recent months, discouraging some jurisdictions from proceeding with plans to establish licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. These threats, which are backed by the Justice Department, kill any lingering hopes that President Obama would keep his campaign promise to respect the medical marijuana laws that have been enacted in 15 states and the District of Columbia.

***

Yet the DEA’s medical marijuana raids not only have continued but are more frequent under Obama than they were under George W. Bush. Americans for Safe Access (ASA), which argues that patients who can benefit from marijuana should be able to obtain it legally, counts well over 100 raids in the two years and four months since Obama’s inauguration, compared to about 200 during Bush’s eight years in office. “The Obama administration really is being more aggressive than the administration of his predecessor,” says ASA spokesman Kris Hermes.

***

The problem, of course, is that most of the “sick individuals” the Obama administration claims to be sparing are not up to the task of growing their own marijuana. When DEA raids or threats to landlords shut down dispensaries, Hermes notes, “patients wake up the next morning wondering where they’re going to find their medication.” Obama’s position is that patients can have marijuana — they just can’t get it anywhere.



extra emphasis on that last sentence.

Is that an effective use of tax dollars? Fuck No.

They are also responsible for regulating physicians who prescribe controlled substances.

serves only to make it difficult for those who are truly in need, and those who try to help..

Those least likely to be able to fight back --

but I will say this -- when you think about it --

they know that this is KEY to unlocking our right to plants --

and they sure as hell don't want to do that!!

I don't trust the President. It's a different kind of mistrust than what I had for Bush. I didn't trust Bush at all and if I did trust him, it was to always fuck everything up the worst. With Obama, this medical marijuana thing is typical of the kind of behavior he exhibits which I don't like and which really bugs me: Sometimes he says things and he means them. Sometimes he says things and it's pretty obvious through his actions that he has no intention of backing those things up with action.

After 10 years of Bush, I need someone I can trust. If MM were the only thing, man, I don't think I'd have much of a problem looking the other way, to be honest. But the problem, for me, is that President Obama just throws a little too much bullshit around for my tastes. The whole "change we can believe in" was nice, but President Obama is not about change. So this burned-out supporter is left wondering when he's going to stick to his guns and when he never had the intention of following through in the first place.

All too often, when he does follow-through on some Left-leaning action, I'm left just as surprised as if he'd gone the other way.

I like Bill Clinton quite a bit when he was president. As I got older, though, not so much. And maybe it's a case of hindsight being 20/20, maybe me just being older and wiser, politically. But during Clinton's presidency I was a lot happier with his performance than Obama's. While Clinton wasn't the most liberal person in the world, at this point I think I'd still take a third term of Bill Clinton than how this first term of Obama's has played out. I find it sad to actually hear myself say that...

PB

that I can disagree with.

about a Clinton third term. I really wish Democratic voters would stop supporting DLC New Dems as they are as much to blame for the state of the nation as the GOP.

radically pro corporate right wing legislation than BushCo ever could. Who would expect truly anti-worker acts from a mixed race guy with humble roots who made his way into the National spotlight through his wits and education and who was a community organizer, for Pete's sake? Surely he'll identify with the common citizen, unlike those white male trust fund kids. So the Left wants to believe that every radically pro corporate right wing action that he takes MUST be a secret take down of the elite, while the Right thinks that he's the most radically uber liberal who ever sat in office. They urge him to go ever further to the Right and he offers to do so before the Tea Partiers so much as list their demands. Only Obama could expand the wars, increase the military budget, allow the Gulf to die and make us all slaves to Big Insurance corporations and Big Pharm after eight years of BushCo.

we DESPERATELY need someone to challenge him from the left - if for no other reason than to make him explain his actions in the primary debates, but Sanders and Kucinich have both said no. :(

i figured out about a year ago he was either a republican or a tool - he's probably both.

not lies about his sex life, but lies that greatly impact the American People in a most adverse manner.

After 30+ years of this Constitution raping, draconian, racist, dysfunctional and unjust insanity known as the "War on Drugs" one would think that by now the federal government would get a clue, but they want to keep pushing that boulder up the hill forever, no matter how many people it rolls over on the way back down.

This asinine fight against cannabis will have no end and will continue to sap precious resources, energy, blood and treasure while families are being wrecked and the malignant for profit prison industry grows in corruption and strength.

I'm disgusted with the current administration's cowardly, shortsighted policy, at least Cheney/Bush had an excuse, they were illegitimate and fucking evil.

I no longer trust him either..

GOP prez we've had. OBL...pants on fire.

There was so much potential for real Change to bring this country back from the bring of right-wing rule.

i will not be voting for Obama in 2012. that said, i think he'll win. but he will do it without MY vote. fuckin liar he's turned out to be.

Marijuana should be a garden herb and not even regulated.

Marijuana laws and policy scapegoat individuals and have enabled a regressive strand of law enforcement for far too long.

Have the people targeted by the DEA been complying with state law?

I think state and local officials are using the pretense of federal crackdown, while really trying to appease local law enforcement interests, as an excuse to shitcan initiatives that make marijuana laws more sensible.

there are exceptions to be found im sure. but for the most its state registered, completely transparent and legitimant providers being destoyed. here in montana.

and like the article addresses.

It does not go into any detail about those raids, or whether the victims of the raids were violated state laws or not. I think state officials are only going along with medical marijuana laws because they have been forced to, and they are looking for any excuse to thart any further efforts in that direction, excuses the federal government are more than willing to provide.

i can definetly say that 90 percent of the raids were as i stated above.. and i dont really care if you choose to believe me or not since you obviously have your mind made up anyways.

But I have seen to much disinformation regarding the Obama administration, from both left and right wings, to trust any claims without much research or evidence.

It certainly wouldn't surprise me if the DEA were conducting raids as stated in the article.

The (very few) raids were all state initiated, usually because of tax issues or plant limits. For the most part the feds left us alone, as Obama promised. I guess the article doesn't really apply to CO?

That said, I would expect a deep red state like Montana to be assholes about MMJ, which is apparently exactly what is happening there. Consider it a miracle that you even have MMJ at all.

the only chance they had at beating it was the senate bill. then both partys turned against us not sure what to do about that...

completely legal shops. And as far as the states go, well, the states are enjoying lots of new tax revenue if they are going along with the Feds it's probably because the Feds are holding something over them. Like money.

who are in pain and suffering the right to use a virtually non-toxic plant to control their conditions is, in my not so humble opinion, just plain evil. I don't care who it is or what the warped reasoning for it is, it's evil.

I have lost all respect for the DEA.

if the House disagrees? Can he sign a paper to legalise pot ... curious minds want to know?

You folks are blaming this President for no reason! Did you all ask George Bush to legalise Pot?

A piece of federal legislation exempting operations lawfully conducted in a state.

That way, the red state reps can at least say they saved their own against the scourge of reefer and left "those socialist states to suffer on their own".

... administrative law judge decisions (made after exhaustive study) to reclassify cannabis from Schedule 1 (no medical benefit, highly addictive, highly toxic) to a more appropriate category in the Controlled Substances Act (I would recommend Schedule 4). That would immediately remove any role for the DEA in suppressing cannabis use and allow researchers, patients, health professionals and states to pursue safe access strategies to make this medicine more available without interference.

For such a politically savvy administration, they are truly tone-deaf on this issue. With 70-80% of Americans supporting medical cannabis, I believe Obama would get a bump in the polls comparable to the assassination of OBL if he were to take this action.

Having said that, I will keep holding my breath ... and waiting to exhale.

He takes an agency and sharpens it to where it sometimes works too well. The laws should be changed so enforcement of them makes more sense. Elect those local and national representatives who will make the decisions you would make.

nobody is asking obama to "legalise pot." we're asking him to honor a promise he made to get people to vote for him. if he can't even do that, than how the fuck can i trust him this time around?

n/t

big Pharma will

I live in a very conservative county and area. I can count the Obama supporters around here on one hand. Now, the same folks myself and my SO argued with talked up Obama to in 2008, are now giving us the old "I told you so" and "you've been had" routines.. It's all in a good natured way, they're our friends and neighbors after all...and you know what?..They're right.

I live in a very conservative area, talked up Obama in 2008 and now I'm getting the "I told you so" routine.

What really smarts is that I talked up Obama against my better judgement, it was due to being utterly sick of Bush and the Republicans.

it was against my better judgement too..there was always a little voice in my head reminding me that you can't trust the promises made by any politician, regardless of what letter they may have after their name. Much like you though, being so sick of Bush, I chose to ignore it..

I knew I would have to compromise some with Obama. No candidate could completely reflect my views and get elected in modern day America. However, these raids on the dispensaries have caught me completely off guard. I don't even see the advantage in it politically. It's one thing I would have never thought I would have to worry about with Obama.

This issue affects me directly...and living in Washington state, I'm now getting screwed over by both Obama and Gregoire, two people who I voted for and donated to their campaigns. The whole thing is extremely disillusioning, but it's been a wakeup call too..from now on I'm voting my principles and my conscience with the realization that neither major party has my best interests at heart..

Indeed I'm pretty sure I have posts up here before the 2008 election pointing out Obama's hypocrisy on "drugs"..

It seems to me that Obama tries to please the "DC Village" and there is nothing more pleasing to the Village than hippie punching and nothing says hippie punching better than cracking down on "drugs".

Ev'ry time I hear the crack of the whip
My blood runs cold
I remember on the slave ship
How they brutalised our very souls
Today they say that we are free
Only to be chained in poverty
Good god, I think it's all illiteracy
It's only a machine that make money

http://youtu.be/JlTFBHHF3IQ

This issue is the way it is by design..
Fact is it will take a act of Congress to change the Game... All of Congress knows this too..
So no real fight there for things to change.. Just like everything else Congress does...
Another fact is the DEA is so huge and powerful.. The U.S. has offices set up in dozens of Countries to extend its power global..
Canada just a couple of years ago just realized this as the DEA had setup in several Provinces secretly...
Now just look at how Canada has the same Politics on Cannabis as us.. It did not start that way at all.. Canada was ten years ahead of any Country on this. NO more thanks to U.S. Influence..
No other Department ignores the President of the United States.. Only the DEA....
Why do you think they get away with this.. Its by design..
That way the President can say one thing and the DEA does another...
80% of the DEA is about the eradication of Cannabis. It is as large and powerful as the IRS...

Keep this fact in mind always... Cannabis is a Plant and not a drug..
Patent laws can only apply to man made compounds...
The Cannabis Plant is the only Plant listed in the DEA list of illegal drugs and is in the schedule 1 category along with Heroine..
Nixon had the DEA invent Marrinol to keep the plant on the top of this list...
Nixon and Reagan both used this to put the opposition in jail instead of protesting or voting in a election..

Bottom line is this issue is about Power to control globally and the huge money to be made...
Recent media pointed out the FDA is in with the Drug Companies as they both try to find a way to give the first Company a go ahead on Sativex..
you all have heard of Bayer...

Now the Local Governments in all of California have done everything imaginable to outlaw Cannabis and eliminate its access..
I believe this is occurring in every State that has made MMJ legal...
All have the very same excuses and fears as why they oppose.. Not one has been valid... Not one...

So until our Congress gets their heads out of their own self serving ASSeS....
States and the Feds are going to play games and make us advocates spin round and round. The DEA and local Governments keep arresting Americans, confiscating their Property, and putting them in Prisons...
All without the due Process of Law that all Americans are entitled to..
Oh and don't forget those Lawyers fees....

Our fraud of a governor STILL hasn't implemented the Compassionate Use Act that was signed into law 16 months ago!

I slept about three hours last night. That's about the amount of sleep I get on an average night. I fall asleep only to be awakened by pain so intense I can't sleep or even lay down. I try sleeping in a recliner and it helps a bit but try sleeping in one position all night and see how long you last. I woke up last night with pains in my stomach and chest so bad I couldn't swallow, barely could breathe. My arms go numb from my shoulders to my fingertips. I have migraine headaches so bad I can't see. There is much more. I'm a cancer survivor. I have glaucoma. I have bowel disease. This sucks.

My doctors will prescribe all the pain medication I want for but I refuse it. The side effects are too horrible. They range from severe constipation all the way up to and including death.

A friend offered me relief and it worked but I refuse to risk getting more. So I suffer. I'm no fun to be around most of the time and it's taking a huge toll on my relationships and my life.

Thank you President Obama for breaking yet another promise and allowing me and millions of others to continue to suffer. You're no better than Chris Christie and that's really bad. You suck.

Is a DLC center right politician who cares nothing for you or your medication. You will not find an answer in DC. Educate yourselves and OVERGROW the government. I have severe obstructive sleep apnea and Cannabis allows me a decent nights sleep. I'm lucky I live in Cali. Even here we have lots of evil people trying to re-criminalize it. Cannabis prohibition is all about the money and its just EVIL!!!:smoke:

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Here is a explanation of Cannabis and the memory..
You can get the Idea of how Cannabis is very useful for treating PTSD and Pain in the Mind...

http://youtu.be/QeCra-sn0dI

Fascinating, beautifully shot.....I usually flip channels insanely, but didn't budge til I finally had to hit the hay during the potato segment

thanks for the reminder!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1421383/

The Botany of Desire is a well made PBS documentary adaptation of Michael Pollan's book discussing humanity's interactions with four different plants-the apple, the potato, the tulip, and marijuana-over the ages. It is both highly informative and thought-provoking.

The film itself is a useful introduction to Michael Pollan's ideas, particularly the idea of evolutionary deals between plants and humanity, in which a species of plant provides humans with benefits in exchange for human cultivation, which ensures survival. This concept is particularly useful for understanding Pollan's work, and figures in his other books such as The Omnivore's Dilemma.

The ending of the film is especially essential viewing, as it discusses the problems raised by industrial agriculture and the issue of monocultures-the tendency to grow identical breeds of a plant, which could all be vulnerable to the same disease. This fits with his broader critique of industrial farming in The Omnivore's Dilemma, and is important for anyone concerned with the future of American food.

Complete waste of time.

something is not adding up here...

goes against common sense...and stated policy positions and values... don't get it.

http://www.furiousseasons.com/archives/2008/05/obama_first_in_big_pharma_contributions.html

''CNBC.com reports that Obama is numero uno among presidential candidates, current and former, in contributions received from pharmaceutical companies and health care companies at $636,000 through the end of April. Sen. Hillary Clinton is second at $568,000. Sen. John McCain has taken in $173,000.''

calling on him and the justice dept. to clarify the policy and allow states to proceed without interference from the feds....and the suspicions that big pharma is a factor..