Attorney general signals shift in marijuana policy

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Attorney general signals shift in marijuana policy

DEVLIN BARRETT
AP Features

Mar 18, 2009 15:42 EST

Attorney General Eric Holder signaled a change on medical marijuana policy Wednesday, saying federal agents will target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state law.

That would be a departure from the Bush administration, which targeted medical marijuana dispensaries in California even if they complied with that state's law.

"The policy is to go after those people who violate both federal and state law," Holder said in a question-and-answer session with reporters at the Justice Department.

California law permits the sale of marijuana for medical purposes, though it still is against federal law.

Read more: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/03/attorney_general_signals_shift_in_marijuana_policy.php?ref=fp3

[nikto]

1. later, when asked about his statement...

Holder replied,

"What statement?"
















(This is a good sign)

[reggie the dog]

2. if the bill passes in California

they will allow sale to any adult, not just medical, and the attorney general will allow that. I may move back to the USA soon!

[silverojo]

10. You left the USA just to smoke dope?

I've heard a lot of reasons before, but that's a new one. :rofl:

[reggie the dog]

11. no, I left because I met a French woman

then discovered that there is no war on drugs mentality in most of Europe. It is decriminalized in France. There is national health insurance. The universities cost between 5 euros and 400 euros per year depending on income. Our cars burn twice as less fuel. We go on strike, as I am today, I am about to go protest.

Legal cannabis and national health care would pull me towards the USA again though. In the states I had a cop hold a gun to my head and say he should shoot me because people like me were ruining the USA. Here in France the cops do not even care about my long hair or the fact that I sort of look like a "green". Also the cops do not shoot people here like in the states. So many reasons to leave the USA, so few to stay. Plus France DID NOT GO TO IRAQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Peace Patriot]

3. Hallelujah! At least SOME sanity returns to nutos federal gummint "drug" policy!

It was just crazy having the Feds raiding Mom & Pop medical marijuana dispensaries who had complied with California law--no easy thing, either--and done all their homework, and paid all their fees, and invested their own and other peoples' money, and secured retail space, and spent months and years planning, and on and on--all the difficulties of setting up a small business--only to have the Feds suddenly swoop down and kill your business, and arrest you, and confiscate your computers, and all the harassment they could possibly do.

It is great to have the COMMON SENSE and SANITY of the federal government not doing this. It is a welcome, but still only a small step, toward what really needs to be done with the corrupt, failed, murderous, and hugely and totally wastefully expensive "war on drugs" monster.

[caseymoz]

6. Yes, that's the good news.

The bad news is that it takes nothing less that a major economic crisis rivaling the Great Depression for the government to start to reconsider the War on Drugs. At least pot is becoming legal to help us deal with it, and anti-depressants are available to.

[Zhade]

9. There IS good news, though. When this proven-beneficial herb is legal, more will try it.

The more try it, the more people wake up. The more they wake up, the more they care about doing what's right in this life.

The more we mellow, the fewer conservatives we'll have.

[Ian David]

4. States Rights, dude. Far out. n/t

[jody]

5. Why doesn't Obama join the 10th Amendment movement, that's what Holder's statement means? n/t

[burning rain]

7. Looks like smart incrementalism to me.

This is one where the conservative demagogues probably won't get much traction.

[Politicalboi]

8. This is good but

He should keep the DEA out of pot shops. Let the local police handle it and give fines for violations like they do with bars. Don't bust them and take everything away for some possible stupid mistake. They will be looked at under a microscope and they should be leary of DEA plants. Hopefully it will be legal at least here in Ca soon. I hope it goes nationwide but Ca can be the experiment. Gimmme! Gimmme! Gimmme!

[buckrogers1965]

12. 10th Amendment.

Unless otherwise stated in the constitution, inside the area of a state, that states laws override the federal government. Now interstate trade is entirely under the jurisdiction of the federal government, but where they ever thought they could override a state law permitting medical use of a plant is beyond comprehension.

It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit alcohol. Why is no similar amendment needed to prohibit other drugs?

[Peace Patriot]

13. I hadn't ever thought of it that way, but you are right--the "war on drugs" is unconstitutional

on its face. I had thought of freedom from search and seizure, etc. But not the 10th amendment. Thanks for the heads up!

[jmowreader]

14. This is certainly a way to back-door legalize marijuana

If the state writes its law to allow "stress" and "anxiety" as conditions warranting marijuana prescriptions, pretty much anyone who doesn't have some sort of federally-regulated license that prohibits its holder from smoking weed, such as a pilot's certificate or a commercial driver's license, could get a marijuana prescription. In this economy, everyone has stress and anxiety. If the state is regulating the marijuana clubs, and the feds aren't raiding them, pot is essentially legal in any state with the courage to pass a medical marijuana law.

I remember when I was a kid that doctors would prescribe Valium for just about anything. Tell the doctor you were "nervous" and he'd fix you up. Pot has GOT to be better for you than Valium.

[Zhade]

15. Well, for one, valium doesn't shrink cancerous tumors.

But medical research has proven beyond doubt that marijuana does.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[420Freedom.org]

16. 420Freedom.org/legalization of marijuana

Hi Friends, I'm Tim, CEO of 420Freedom.org. We're a new organization Dedicated to the Legalization of Marijuana. This statement by the Attourney General is just more evidence that the movement to legalize marijuana is moving faster than ever. If you're a supporter of the movement, visit our site. Let's let the government know that we're to be taken seriously.

[smellycats99]

18. look at this attorney general

look at this attorney general

http://trevortitman.com/blog/2009/03/bong-hits-4-ashcroft/