Jacob Bell
New Member
On Friday, President Obama's Justice Department (DOJ) made clear its motivations to disrupt and undermine California's medical marijuana laws. However, advocates argue that last week's announcement by the state's four U.S. Attorneys, which included threats against property owners, comes after months of aggressive DOJ attacks in several medical marijuana states. SWAT-style raids and threats of criminal prosecution against local and state officials has become emblematic of Obama's policy on medical marijuana, a far cry from his pledge on the campaign trail that he was "not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue."
Yet, just as Obama's confusing war on medical marijuana has reached a fever pitch, condemnation could be heard from several state and federal officials in California. Some state legislators and members of Congress are refusing to be intimidated by this latest round of threats from the federal government. Congressional members Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Sam Farr (D-CA), as well as State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assembly member Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) all decried the recent DOJ announcement in California.
In a statement issued to Americans for Safe Access (ASA), Congressman Rohrabacher called the DOJ effort "a waste of scarce federal resources." In a separate statement issued to ASA, Congressman Farr had this to say:
Medical cannabis continues to be prescribed by physicians to patients suffering from painful and serious illnesses, as a means to minimize their pain and support their recovery. For that reason it is important that patients continue to have safe access to the medication they need. California has adopted clear regulations that allow patients to do just that, it is unfortunate that the Federal Government has decided to target these legal vendors instead of focusing those resources on those who sell illicit drugs.
State Senator Mark Leno told the Los Angeles Times that the DOJ strategy was a waste of precious resources at a time of fiscal crisis:
They're wasting money they don't have. This is not the issue of the day. This doesn't create jobs. This does not keep the security of the nation intact. It doesn't clean the environment. If anything, they should be demonstrating leadership in resolving the conflict between federal and state laws. Until we deal with that, we're going to be going around in circles here.
Assembly member Tom Ammiano had perhaps the strongest words of condemnation in a press release issued shortly after the DOJ press conference on Friday. Ammiano said that the attack on medical marijuana would cost the state "millions in tax revenue and harm countless lives."
I am bitterly disappointed in the Obama Administration for this unwarranted and destructive attack on medical marijuana and patients' rights to medicine. [Friday's] announcement by the Department of Justice means that Obama's medical marijuana policies are worse than Bush and Clinton. It's a tragic return to failed policies that will cost the state millions in tax revenue and harm countless lives. 16 states along with the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws – whatever happened to the promises he made on the campaign trail to not prosecute medical marijuana or the 2009 DOJ memo saying that states with medical marijuana laws would not be prosecuted? Change we can believe in? Instead we get more of the same.
Notably, Congressman Rohrabacher's statement had a prescriptive solution:
[The DOJ announcement] underscores the need for Congress to pass H.R. 1983, the States' Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act.
He's right. People across the country should contact their member of Congress and urge them to pass H.R. 1983, a bill that would reclassify medical marijuana and allow states to develop, implement and enforce their own laws without interference from the federal government.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: americansforsafeaccess.org
Author: Kris Hermes
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Americans for Safe Access
Website: Elected Officials Push Back Against Threats by DOJ Over Medical Marijuana
Yet, just as Obama's confusing war on medical marijuana has reached a fever pitch, condemnation could be heard from several state and federal officials in California. Some state legislators and members of Congress are refusing to be intimidated by this latest round of threats from the federal government. Congressional members Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Sam Farr (D-CA), as well as State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assembly member Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) all decried the recent DOJ announcement in California.
In a statement issued to Americans for Safe Access (ASA), Congressman Rohrabacher called the DOJ effort "a waste of scarce federal resources." In a separate statement issued to ASA, Congressman Farr had this to say:
Medical cannabis continues to be prescribed by physicians to patients suffering from painful and serious illnesses, as a means to minimize their pain and support their recovery. For that reason it is important that patients continue to have safe access to the medication they need. California has adopted clear regulations that allow patients to do just that, it is unfortunate that the Federal Government has decided to target these legal vendors instead of focusing those resources on those who sell illicit drugs.
State Senator Mark Leno told the Los Angeles Times that the DOJ strategy was a waste of precious resources at a time of fiscal crisis:
They're wasting money they don't have. This is not the issue of the day. This doesn't create jobs. This does not keep the security of the nation intact. It doesn't clean the environment. If anything, they should be demonstrating leadership in resolving the conflict between federal and state laws. Until we deal with that, we're going to be going around in circles here.
Assembly member Tom Ammiano had perhaps the strongest words of condemnation in a press release issued shortly after the DOJ press conference on Friday. Ammiano said that the attack on medical marijuana would cost the state "millions in tax revenue and harm countless lives."
I am bitterly disappointed in the Obama Administration for this unwarranted and destructive attack on medical marijuana and patients' rights to medicine. [Friday's] announcement by the Department of Justice means that Obama's medical marijuana policies are worse than Bush and Clinton. It's a tragic return to failed policies that will cost the state millions in tax revenue and harm countless lives. 16 states along with the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws – whatever happened to the promises he made on the campaign trail to not prosecute medical marijuana or the 2009 DOJ memo saying that states with medical marijuana laws would not be prosecuted? Change we can believe in? Instead we get more of the same.
Notably, Congressman Rohrabacher's statement had a prescriptive solution:
[The DOJ announcement] underscores the need for Congress to pass H.R. 1983, the States' Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act.
He's right. People across the country should contact their member of Congress and urge them to pass H.R. 1983, a bill that would reclassify medical marijuana and allow states to develop, implement and enforce their own laws without interference from the federal government.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: americansforsafeaccess.org
Author: Kris Hermes
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Americans for Safe Access
Website: Elected Officials Push Back Against Threats by DOJ Over Medical Marijuana
