In March of 2009, advocates of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes were encouraged by the announcement of Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the federal law prohibiting the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Although 12 states have legalized the use of medicinal marijuana, federal law passed in 2005 overrode those states' decision.
Federal raids continued. In a New York Times interview, Don Duncan, a Los Angeles medical marijuana salesman states, "I got a call and found out they smashed through our window and pried open the back door." The "they" he refers to are federal authorities; as a result of the raid, he has chosen to open only one of his dispensaries.
Ethan Nadelmann, the executive director of the liberal Drug Policy Alliance, told the Times that Holder's statements mean that "federal law doesn't trump state laws on this."
Tell that to Charles Lynch. One of his dispensaries was raided the same day that Mr. Duncan's was; a judge ordered that he will serve a year and a day sentence. According to US attorney Thom Mrozek, Lynch broke both state and federal laws. Others disagree with this accusation, saying that Lynch is aligned more with the yoga and herbal medicine set than the criminal dealer segments of society.
Regardless of which side of the fence individuals find themselves on, one can't help but wonder how much "pull" some of the pharmaceutical companies have in some of these decisions. After all, a 1996 study by the renowned Institute of Medicine maintained that marijuana is "moderately well suited for chemo induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting (New York Times)."
Despite this pronouncement from a group of well respected researchers, the FDA contradicted the 1999 study in 2006; many believe this was a result of pressure from the DEA. One researcher stated that the federal government "loves to ignore our report."
Should the Obama administration stick to its plan of staying out of the debate in those states' that have legalized cannabis, the cost of treatment would be considerably less for those who choose it over traditional drugs.
Don Duncan believes that Charles Lynch will be the last marijuana dispenser to serve time in a federal prison. Only time will tell if he is right.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: FoodConsumer.org
Author: Rachel Stockton
Contact: FoodConsumer.org
Copyright: 2009 FoodConsumer.org
Website: Judge Orders Cannabis Dispenser to Prison
Federal raids continued. In a New York Times interview, Don Duncan, a Los Angeles medical marijuana salesman states, "I got a call and found out they smashed through our window and pried open the back door." The "they" he refers to are federal authorities; as a result of the raid, he has chosen to open only one of his dispensaries.
Ethan Nadelmann, the executive director of the liberal Drug Policy Alliance, told the Times that Holder's statements mean that "federal law doesn't trump state laws on this."
Tell that to Charles Lynch. One of his dispensaries was raided the same day that Mr. Duncan's was; a judge ordered that he will serve a year and a day sentence. According to US attorney Thom Mrozek, Lynch broke both state and federal laws. Others disagree with this accusation, saying that Lynch is aligned more with the yoga and herbal medicine set than the criminal dealer segments of society.
Regardless of which side of the fence individuals find themselves on, one can't help but wonder how much "pull" some of the pharmaceutical companies have in some of these decisions. After all, a 1996 study by the renowned Institute of Medicine maintained that marijuana is "moderately well suited for chemo induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting (New York Times)."
Despite this pronouncement from a group of well respected researchers, the FDA contradicted the 1999 study in 2006; many believe this was a result of pressure from the DEA. One researcher stated that the federal government "loves to ignore our report."
Should the Obama administration stick to its plan of staying out of the debate in those states' that have legalized cannabis, the cost of treatment would be considerably less for those who choose it over traditional drugs.
Don Duncan believes that Charles Lynch will be the last marijuana dispenser to serve time in a federal prison. Only time will tell if he is right.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: FoodConsumer.org
Author: Rachel Stockton
Contact: FoodConsumer.org
Copyright: 2009 FoodConsumer.org
Website: Judge Orders Cannabis Dispenser to Prison
