BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot

Subject: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 07:02 AM

DEA to end medical marijuana raids

Holder confirms states to have final say on use of drug for pain control
By Alex Johnson
Reporter
msnbc.com
updated 4:42 p.m. CT, Fri., Feb. 27, 2009

Supporters of programs to provide legal marijuana to patients with painful medical conditions are celebrating Attorney General Eric Holder's statement this week that the Drug Enforcement Administration would end its raids on state-approved marijuana dispensaries.

Federal raids on medical marijuana distributors continued at least into the second week of Barack Obama's presidency, when federal agents shut down at least two dispensaries in California on Feb. 3.

Holder was asked about those raids Wednesday in Santa Ana, Calif., at a news conference that was called to announce the arrests of 755 people in a nationwide crackdown on the U.S. operations of Mexican drug cartels. He said such operations would no longer be conducted.
"What the president said during the campaign ... will be consistent with what we will be doing here in law enforcement," he said. "What (Obama) said during the campaign ... is now American policy."

Obama indicated during the presidential campaign that he supported the controlled use of marijuana for medical purposes, saying he saw no difference between medical marijuana and other pain-control drugs.
"My attitude is if the science and the doctors suggest that the best palliative care and the way to relieve pain and suffering is medical marijuana, then that's something I'm open to," Obama said in November 2007 at a campaign stop in Audubon, Iowa. "There's no difference between that and morphine when it comes to just giving people relief from pain."

White House spokesman Nick Shapiro hinted at the policy shift shortly after the California raids, telling The Washington Times that the dispensaries were legal in California and that the Obama administration's stance was that "federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws."

[end quote - a bit more at the link]

John

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: Greg F.
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 09:11 AM

Now, if they'd just legalize - or at least decriminalize - the stuff, the State and Federal governments could save billions on the failed (and nonsensical) "War on Drugs".

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: Mrrzy
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 10:01 AM

Yes, progress is being made. Obama's also getting rid of the I'm a doctor but I don't approve of you so I won't treat you stuff too.

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 12:02 PM

That is really good and sensible news. I wish they would allow hemp growing, too, for fibers, etc.

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: michaelr
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 12:45 PM

Now, if they'd just legalize - or at least decriminalize - the stuff, the State and Federal governments could save billions on the failed (and nonsensical) "War on Drugs".

And make billions of revenue by taxing it just like alcohol and tobacco. San Francisco supervisor Tom Ammiano has just introduced a bill to do this in California.

I can hear the right-wingers howling already...

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: Bobert
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 12:45 PM

Well, all week we've heard about the drug cartels in Mexico battling with the Mexican police and theer's talk of Mexico as a failed state becuase the cartels are better armed and funded than the Mexican governemnt...

Hmmmmmmmm????

Seems like legalizing pop is a national security issue...

(cough)...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 02:42 PM

But the latest research suggests that smoking pot makes your balls fall off.

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 03:04 PM

And your palms grow red hair and your skin break out in green pustules, especially if you play the blues or a banjo.

(I'm not sure the sample size is large enough to draw any firm conclusions.)

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: Bobert
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 03:50 PM

Well, hail.... If mine fall off I can always put 'um up on the Mudburg auction...

(cough)...

B;~)

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 04:00 PM

Rapaire -

Even the researchers agreed that the sample size was too small, and the results only "suggestive." And unlike all the recent reports on the evils of smoking, the researchers are identified and the report is potentially traceable.

And it's not likely to be something anyone who needs medical maryjane is gonna worry about much.

John

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: M.Ted
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 07:03 PM

I am nearly in tears at this news. It is a vindication for Peter McWilliams, who I got to know because he and I, and about thirty other weirdos were on an informal mailist maintained by the late and great Robert Anton Wilson .

He had AIDS, and used pot to avoid the nausea that his medicine caused. He published a book, which is now somewhat famous, explaining how to grow medical marijuana at home, and he helped others with medical needs obtain the herb. For this, he was tried and convicted. He was not incarcerated, however, and he died a horrible and slow death at home as a result of the effects of his medicine.

Here is a piece, by one of the other weirdos, who so of you might know Paul Krassner article on Peter McWilliams

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: Peace
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:33 PM

Just yooooou and me
Delta 9 THC
Now I've fallen in love with that sweet Sara Leeeeee

I forget the rest of the epic po


em

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: Ron Davies
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:44 PM

"... the right wingers.... "

Beware of stereotyping.

The WSJ has had quite a few columns and articles recently on how the war on drugs south of the border is not only failing, but endangering some of those states, specifically Mexico.

The idea of licensing, regulating,--and taxing--certaIn drugs seems to have a good deal of appeal to some conservatives.

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: gnu
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 06:02 PM

But, the WHOLE deal is predicated on the fact that the government and the booze companies will allow it... those who are addicted to the $$$ that they make off booze... which kills far more people and families.

It's really quite simple. If they leagalize pot, they legalize growing pot for personal use. Just like booze... you are allowed to brew your own wine and beer (not distill liquor, because that is far too complicated and dangerous).

So, if pot is legal, and you can grow yer own, the booze companies and the government don't get to extract money from the poor and uneducated.

Other than "medical pot", I do not advocate smoking pot, unless it saves a life from alcohol... which is an addictive and incidious form of torture advocated and promoted by the government for profit.

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 06:49 PM

M.Ted, thank you for the link. I can understand the tears over this.

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: Ron Davies
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 10:51 PM

"...government and booze companies..."    Oh, joy, another conspiracy theory. This must be Mudcat.

Perhaps the poster can give us more details--including some actual facts--about how this conspiracy works.

Actually there is no danger that the "booze companies" will lose business. Unless you think there is a huge untapped market just dying to try grass.   And when they do they will stop drinking.



Unless of course the whole post in question is a put-on. On Mudcat?   Never.

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: Donuel
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 10:54 PM

pot is now de criminalized in Mass. as long as the amount is less than 2.5 oz.

Basicly its like a parking ticket if the cops want to hassle a smoker.

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 12:28 AM

Decriminalizing is a different matter from legalizing medical uses.

An inset at the first link in the thread lists the 13 states that allow some medical use. Each of the 13 has its own set of rules, and I haven't seen a comparison of what's allowed by each state. I suspect that it wouldn't be too hard to search something out.

The "states rights" argument on medical use has some strong advocates, and aympathy from quite a few people.

Decriminalizing has it's best arguments simply from the very large numbers of people overcrowding the jails for "offenses" that many people consider rather "petty," and from the complete lack of any evidence that penalties on "small fry" have accomplished anything very useful.

Study: 1 in 31 U.S. adults in prison system doesn't mention how many are from "petty drug" busts, but the common perception is that it's in large numbers.

John

Subject: RE: BS: US DEA Will Halt Raids on Medical Pot
From: PoppaGator
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 10:52 AM

40+ years ago, I thought that pot smoking could and should "replace" drinking of alcohol, with the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. ;^)

After decades of moderate and intermittent indulgence in both substances, and observation of many others doing both (very often at the same time), I know better.

Pot is, of course, much less likely than alcohol to induce antisocial behavior, and less addictive as well. I'm all for legalization, but I wouldn't want to see a scenario where only commericially-produced and federally-taxed cannibis were legal. You should be able to grow your own if so inclined.