The U.S. Justice Department has officially instructed federal prosecutors around the country to stop going after medical marijuana users who are complying with state laws. A total of 14 states now have some provisions for medical marijuana use.
A memo from Deputy Attorney General David Ogden said it was “unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources” to prosecute “individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen” [The Wall Street Journal]. The memo emphasized, however, that prosecutors should continue to target drug traffickers and distributors who use state laws as a cover for illegal activity.
Supporters of the policy change say it represents a new emphasis on violent crime and the sale of illicit drugs to children…. But some local police and Republican lawmakers criticized the change, saying it could exacerbate the flow of drug money to Mexican cartels, whose violence has spilled over the Southwestern border [Washington Post].
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Image: flickr / Neeta Lind
October 21st, 2009 at 11:21 am
http://gooooglenews.blogspot.com/
Off Medical Marijuana
October 21st, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I’m happy to see some rationality at the federal level. It is ridiculous to keep enforcing laws that punish marijuana users (who are not endangering anybody).
October 21st, 2009 at 1:10 pm
We’ll see how the DEA handles this. They seem to be a power unto themselves.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 am
instead of cartels making money on pot let our farmers grow and sell pot. The fed should issue permits to farmers for so much acreage for smoking pot and so many acres for hemp to be used for industry.
Lets stop the WASTE millions of man hours and tens of thousands of officers who use thier time digging up country fields of pot plants- instead of trying to get the meth and crack off our streets-which by the way causes much more damage to our country and our kids-a bill that will be with us for many years to come-somebody will have to pay for medicare and medicaid for these damaged users of meth and crack,and the children of these familys that need care and counseling are comeing out of your state bugets,many states have already been broken by this menace-lets stop wasteing our officers time raiding pot fields and put them on the street to curb this scourge.
Did you know that half the people in federal prison are there for pot violations?legalizeing pot will save our country trillions over the next five years-dont believe it do the math!!!!
To add another point,if pot were legal,taxes could be leavied and collected on the sale of pot.
Manufactureing jobs could be added by the hundreds of thousands for many years to come.
Legal pot stops the money fron going out of our country and instead into our economy,a true hundred billion product(over the next ten years)could be added to our economy,instead of billions being thrown down the toilet by the fed.
Research into the painkillers found in this plant could counter our dependance of opium from afganistan,a real national security issue,you dont think we are there just to get osama do you?No sir its for the benefit of the major drug companys-trillons of dollars a year are made by these companys selling opium based drugs to the world,in case of a major war our legal opium supplys would be cut off,leaveing us in crisis for painkillers FOR OUR POPULATON OF LEGAL ADDICTS.THANK YOU TO THE KNUCKLEHEADS IN CHARGE FOR ASSININE POLICYS AND WASTEING TRILLIONS OF MY TAX DOLLARS ON STUPID POLICYS THAT DONT WORK AND A WAR ON BEHALF OF THE MAJOR DRUG COMPANYS THAT IS TAKEING THE LIVES OF MY FELLOW AMERICANS.
THANKS FOR READING,W.M.-FORT WORTH TX
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:52 am
To William Mason:
Amen Brother!
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
The new policy might not be all it’s cracked up to be, according to this
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Why in the world would we punish groups who are helping sick people to feel better??? I wasn’t a pot smoker before I got sick, but there has been nothing that has helped me quell my heinous nausea as much as medical marijuana. I’m fine with more regulation because I could have used some direction…I was a very inept cannabis queen when I first got started. :)
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