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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCongress to Vote on Blocking Funding for DOJ Medical Marijuana Raids
Mods: This is a press release and can be reproduced in full.
Drug Policy Alliance
www.drugpolicy.org
For Immediate Release: Contact: Tony Newman (646)335-5384
May 9, 2012 Bill Piper (202) 669-6430
U.S. House to Vote on Bipartisan Amendment Blocking Funding for Obamas Attack on Medical Marijuana Patients Protected Under State Law
Conflict Coming to a Head as More States Pass and Implement Medical Marijuana Laws While Obama Administration Escalates Assault on Patients and Providers
Drug Policy Alliance: Obama Will Continue to Suffer Politically for Ignoring Public Opinion on Medical Marijuana
The U.S. House is expected to vote soon possibly today on a bipartisan amendment to the Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill that would prohibit the Department of Justice from undermining state medical marijuana laws. The amendment, co-sponsored by Rep. Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rep. Hinchey (D-NY), Rep. McClintock (R-CA) and Rep. Farr (D-CA), is a rebuke of President Obamas aggressive assault on medical marijuana patients and providers.
Both Democrats and Republicans are telling the Obama administration: enough is enough, stop wasting taxpayer money to undermine state medical marijuana laws, said Bill Piper, director of national affairs of the Drug Policy Alliance. President Obama needs to realize his assault on patient access is not just immoral but a serious political miscalculation. For more than a decade, polling has consistently shown that 70 to 80 percent of Americans support medical marijuana.
On the presidential campaign trail in 2008, then-Senator Obama said his administration would not waste resources undermining state medical marijuana laws, especially if people were following their states law. Shortly after Obama was elected president, the Department of Justice issued a memorandum to U.S. Attorneys urging them not to waste taxpayer dollars and law enforcement resources arresting and prosecuting people following their states medical marijuana law. In the last year, however, the administration has reversed course and launched an attack on state medical marijuana laws that is far more aggressive than the Bush Administration's medical marijuana policy.
The DEA is raiding many licensed and regulated medical marijuana providers that are legal under state law. The ATF is discriminating against medical marijuana patients by prohibiting them from owning firearms. The IRS is rejecting standard tax deductions from legitimate medical marijuana businesses operating in full compliance with state law. And federal threats have intimidated banks and landlords into refusing to do business with the medical marijuana industry. Even free speech is under attack at least one federal prosecutor is threatening to target newspapers that accept medical marijuana advertising.
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use. Additionally, the Connecticut and New Hampshire legislatures recently passed medical marijuana bills that are awaiting their governors signature.
History is calling on President Obama to protect terminally ill patients from suffering, and he is dangerously close to falling on the wrong side, said Piper. He will continue to pay a political price as long as his administration continues to waste taxpayer money undermining state law.
Link to Release: http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2012/05/us-house-vote-bipartisan-amendment-blocking-funding-obama%E2%80%99s-attack-medical-marijuana-pa
orwell
(7,778 posts)...the only people such a strategy would appeal to are the Regressives who are not going to vote for him anyway.
They are opening up a self-inflicted wound here.
DJ13
(23,671 posts)Dr Fate
(32,189 posts)Sometimes we just have to co-opt far right positions to get things done.
This is one of those many instances.
LadyHawkAZ
(6,199 posts)the only way to get the rest of the government to come out against it is for him to be for it.
Dr Fate
(32,189 posts)Once they find out that these busts are HELPING cancer and AIDS victims , they will change their tune and actually support his secret plan.
Dr Fate
(32,189 posts)I dont want to hear any stoned liberals complaining about Obama if they fail to get congress to force Obama to keep his promise.
Obama said "Make me (not) do it"- and if voters/congress cant make him (not) do it, then no one should have anything else to complain about.
Webster Green
(13,905 posts)...for federal agents.
There is no good reason for this administration to be ramping up the idiotic war on medicinal cannabis.
That being said, it would be really great to have congress de-fund the DEA thugs. Not holding my breath though.
Dr Fate
(32,189 posts)Obama said "Yes *We* Can"- not yes *I* can.
He also said that we have to "Make him (not) do stuff."
librechik
(30,678 posts)rather, there are other more powerful forces than Obama which took the decision out of his hands and forced it on the people.
I hope I'm right and not a naive little twit.
Dr Fate
(32,189 posts)Anyone who took 8th grade civics knows that Obama cannot set priorities within the executive branch unless congress votes on it and makes him do it first.
If they fail to force him to keep his promise, then he has a great loop hole and should be able to keep on doing this without any more legitimate criticism from the left.