Medical Marijuana Crackdown In California By Feds Blasted By Golden State Lawmakers

[Jacob Bell]

A pair of California lawmakers is pushing back against a federal crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries in the Golden State.

Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano today lashed out against the pronouncement by Department of Justice officials that dispensaries are against the law on a federal level and will be targeted despite medical pot's legal status in California.

Ammiano:
With national polls showing support for marijuana at an all-time high, it defies common sense that the Department of Justice would return to the failed policies of the past. Instead of supporting state efforts to effectively regulate medical marijuana in accordance with Prop 215, the Obama administration seems committed to re-criminalizing it. This destructive attack on medical marijuana patients is a waste of limited law enforcement resources and will cost the state millions in tax revenue and harm countless lives. I urge President Obama to reconsider this bad policy decision and respect California's right to provide medicine to its residents.

There was some conjecture, our own thoughts included, that this federal action was a pre-election move by the Obama administration to appear tough on crime.

However, the Huffington Post reported this week that the decision to declare California's dispensaries illegal happened at DOJ offices in California.

Marijuana remains a top outlaw drug on a federal level.

Leno:
I urge the federal government to stand down in its massive attack on medical marijuana dispensaries, which will have devastating impacts for the state of California. At a time when resources are precious and few, federal officials have chosen to waste time and money in an ambush that will harm countless patients who will no longer be able to safely access doctor-prescribed treatments. Our federal dollars, especially during a down economy, would be better spent on activities and programs that save jobs and help people in need. Instead, this ill-timed offensive would have no positive impacts on our state and would only force more Californians into unemployment.

Godspeed, lawmakers.

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Website: Medical Marijuana Crackdown in California by Feds Blasted by Golden State Lawmakers Leno, Ammiano

 

[ilynnboy]

Re: Medical Marijuana Crackdown In California By Feds Blasted By Golden State Lawmake

Now what they need to do is co-write an oppositional letter.
Send it to Da Prez, federal attorneys and the Dea.

Then they might get some action. Or at least an answer.

 

[RaysDad]

Re: Medical Marijuana Crackdown In California By Feds Blasted By Golden State Lawmake

All talk but no results. We in CA. know who our supporters are but they need to get together on a united front instead of working apart and just maybe the Feds would listen a bit. RD

 

[Bonehead]

Re: Medical Marijuana Crackdown In California By Feds Blasted By Golden State Lawmake

The Fed Gov't does not have to (won't) listen to State Senators.

 

[Irish]

Re: Medical Marijuana Crackdown In California By Feds Blasted By Golden State Lawmake

This will be the death knell for Obama's re-election. I don't think he understands how many constituents he's losing because of this kind of action. He may be gaining corporate approval with this stance, but he's kicking the American people in the face with these jack-boot tactics against the people and governments of the states that have laws supporting the rights of their citizens to use and distribute cannabis for their healing and well-being. And if it's true that the DEA is acting alone without his approval, then it is high time that the DEA be dissolved so that the money supporting the department can be better utilized somewhere else--like health care and education--instead of continuing this insane unwinnable war against drugs, which in essence is an act of war and terror against the free will of the American people and the citizens of the World.