In December I blogged about rumors that the Obama Justice Department was finalizing plans to expand its recent crackdown on medical cannabis producers and providers to include state-licensed facilities in Colorado. Today, the federal government made good on its threats.
According to numerous media reports, federal authorities today issued warning letters to 23 state-licensed dispensaries in Colorado stating that “action will be taken to seize and forfeit their property” if they continue operating within 1,000 feet of a school. The letters, sent by U.S. Attorney John Walsh, say that the dispensaries have 45 days from today to close shop or face federal sanction.
It states, in part:
“Federal law prohibits the manufacture, distribution, and possession of marijuana. … (This) dispensary is operating in violation of federal law, and the department of Justice has the authority to enforce federal law even when such activities may be permitted under state law. Persons … who operate or facilitate the operation of such dispensaries are subject to criminal prosecution and civil enforcement actions under federal law. Moreover, because the dispensary is operating within 1,000 feet of a school, enhanced federal penalties apply.
… This letter … constitutes formal notice that action will be taken to seize and forfeit (your) property if you do not cause the sale and/or distribution of marijuana and marijuana-infused substances at (this) location to be discontinued.”
While the federal government in recent months has utilized similar tactics to close down cannabis providers in California and has also coordinated DEA-led raids of dispensaries in other states, most notably in Washington and Montana, today’s efforts mark the first time that the federal authorities have specifically targeted facilities that are operating explicitly under a state license. (To date, only officials in the states of Colorado, Maine, and New Mexico have formally issued licenses to authorized cannabis providers.) It is estimated that that some 700 state licensed dispensaries are presently operating in Colorado.
Once again, the federal government’s actions belie the administration’s claim that it only intends to target those medical cannabis operators that “use marijuana in a way that’s not consistent with the state statute.” In this case, the operations in question were grandfathered in under local or state regulations. They are acting in compliance with state law and explicitly with the state’s permission.
Nonetheless, the imprimatur of the state apparently carries little if any weight with the Obama administration, whose first priority in Colorado appears to be matters of zoning enforcement.
Legislating medical marijuana operations and prosecuting those who act in a manner that is inconsistent with state law and voters’ sentiment should be a responsibility left to the state and local officials, not the federal government. It is time for this administration to fulfill the assurances it gave to the medical cannabis community and to respect the decisions of voters and lawmakers in states that recognize its therapeutic efficacy.
John Walsh, just another fool.
Colorado’s sheriffs should exercise their tenth amendment right to arrest any federal agents who attempt to enforce this. Please call your local sheriff and inform them of their rights and ask them to resist this unlawful federal intrusion.
As President Ron Paul will make text books made from HEMP.
Dearest Dr.Ron Paul,May God bless you richly in this life.Please consider your son as Vice
President!!
Are they closing the pharmacy shops that have been god – fathered- in? By law shouldn’t this letters be given to local state sheriffs in area also? These businesses have proper state licensing and pay taxes right? We the people voted for this right? So where is our state law enforcement with our Colorado governor? Saying No! We respect the Rights of our people and the Constitution? Right? Where are the Marijuana Activists, Normal, Lawyers, We wanna know?
[Paul Armentano responds: NORML filed suit against the Justice Department in November over this behavior. See: http://norml.org/legal/constitutional-challenges.%5D
Do they have a copy of The U.S. Constitution in D.C.?
[Paul Armentano responds: For the record, the federal statute that the US Attorney cites in these letters encompasses far more than just ‘schools’, even though that is how this story is being reported. 21 USC Sec. 860 states “the real property comprising a public or private elementary, vocational, or secondary school or a public or private college, junior college, or university, or a playground, or housing facility owned by a public housing authority, or within 100 feet of a public or private youth center, public swimming pool, or video arcade facility.”]
The easiest solution is in the same legislation to remove cannabis from the schedule system altogether such as alcoholic beverages and tobacco are excluded and simultaneously exempt states with their own laws regarding regulation. That would leave the non-MMJ states still subject to federal crackdowns.
That would allow some transition time for the Feds to reallocate mission focus to keep their employment somehow.
Barring that, my recommendation is to keep running the economy into the ground. I guess that has to mean that Obama gets re-elected so that the purse strings of the wealthy keep the money from flowing into the economy. If Obama doesn’t get re-elected and the wealthy want to open up the valve to get the cash flowing to rev up the economy again, or no matter who is running the federal government and the rich want to rev up the economy, then the euro needs to plummet to keep the U.S. economy in the tank.
Hell, why wait?! Just tank the euro already. They’ll want the U.S. to pump cash into the International Monetary Fund to prop up the euro. The Germans and their Big Pharma will have to agree to the legalization of cannabis as a condition. It’s a nice peace dividend on the savings and peacemaker and job maker in the Islamic part of the world. It’s a reason for NGOs and covert operations to establish intelligence operations and support the improvement of the human condition of everyday people there and around the world. Mexico, too.
Nazi America.
This is just sad on the part of the Feds, that they keep wasting money on this kind of shit.
Unfortunately, the only way the Feds will legalize cannabis is if they have no choice.
If the economy keeps getting worse and becomes even more of a shambles, the need for the cash from cannabis will override the specious arguments of the prohibitionists.
Keep running the economy into the ground until cannabis is legalized.
Error not found? Will try later TY so how do I get in the circle of trust ?
SOPHISTICATED ORGANIC WAR REALITIES
DRACONIAN LAW IN AN AQUARIAN AGE
What is required for people to come together consciously for their own benefit. Ano Ano: The Seed–The Classic Trilogy by Kristin Zambucka enlightens the audience to the core wisdoms of Hawaiian Spiritual Traditions. The title is quite fitting for the circumstance of present and the forum for the discussion as the consequence of a citizens incarceration for providing the greatest wisdom for increasing joy and comfort during the passage of birth old age sickness and death will be embraced within an appropriate consequence in time.
Hence a great consideration to understand our collective situation is of the highest priority. Marc Scott Emery brings the wisdom of the seed. Jesse Ventura provides the clarity of the unlawful biological war used against North America in the Plum Island Conspiracy via TRUtv along with the Independent movie “Under Our Skin” showing the horrors and criminal results of this very sophisticated organic weapon empowered by the Marijuana prohibition.
Thus the question of personal self respect and positions of response are forced upon collective society who choose to fight for any intelligent right to life.
How ironic and necessary is it that the Cannabis Culture Crew is thurst into the position to play Citizen Cop to fix the greatest crime in our living history.
In Western society we use money to reflect values — where is the money supporting intelligent living citizens prosecuting left over Hitler assassin doctors working for a captured administration?
WHAT ABOUT DAMAGES FOR UNLAWFUL USE OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE?
HERMENEUTICS SCIENCE OF INTERPRETATION
HISTORIC CLASS ACTION DAMAGE CLAIM
FEDERAL TORT CLAIMS ACT FOR MARIJUANA WHITE COLLAR CRIME
AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE ON MARIJUANA WHITE COLLAR CRIME!
WEED LYME CANCER CRIME/DAMAGE LITIGATION NEEDED NOW
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/07/medical-marijuana-becoming-blockbuster-drug.aspx
The Illegal Herb that Fights Cancer
Posted By Dr. Mercola | May 07 2011 | 420,850 views
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/26/obama-war-on-weed.aspx?e_cid=20111126_DNL_art_1
The Medical Miracle You’ll Get Arrested for Using
Posted By Dr. Mercola | November 26 2011 | 255,598 views
http://blog.norml.org/2011/12/23/drug-education-should-reflect-reality-not-deny-it/
http://safeaccessnow.org/blog/?p=2135&cpage=1#comment-24112
By Virginia T. Sherr 7-31-05
Lyme borreliosis is a brain disease as well as a multisystemic disease caused by spirochetal bacteria.* Quite frankly, it is an infection that has been burdened with a thousand inaccurate medical diagnoses. The manner in which the current pandemic of tertiary Lyme disease, neuroborreliosis, has usually been handled— either angrily dismissed or strangely misdiagnosed–throughout the 30 years following its “discovery,” has blemished the historic excellence of modern American Medicine.
Special to AOL News
(May 28) — We’re in the midst of a terrifying epidemic, although you wouldn’t know it to talk to most doctors and health specialists.
The disease is growing at a rate faster than AIDS. From 2006 to 2008 alone, the number of cases jumped a whopping 77 percent. In 2008 alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed 28,921 “confirmed” and 6,277 “probable” cases of the disease, but there could be as many as 420,000 because of underreporting.
Prominent victims include Parker Posey, Richard Gere, President George W. Bush, Alice Walker and Christie Brinkley.
If any other disease had stricken so many people, the medical community would be scurrying for knowledge, scrambling for cures or rushing to warn patients (think swine flu).But more important is the need for public health community to treat this disease like the epidemic it is, and start putting real resources into educating the public and the medical profession about how to identify it, treat it, and prevent it.
KEY BACKGROUND:
http://www.thehumansideoflyme.net/
http://www.underourskin.com/
I wonder if liquor stores are under the same constraints ?
And… yes were is the state government and law enforcement when their citizens need protection.
Paul,
Since pharmaceuticals & liquor cause ( by far ) more suicides, murders & health related deaths than marijuana can you tell us if Pharmacies & liquor stores are also banned from operating within 1,000 feet of schools ?
” Pharmacies in Berkeley,Ca. like elsewhere, also sell groceries, stationery supplies, and household goods in addition to medicine. Many also sell alcohol, which is another reason, Mayor Tom Bates is interested in limiting their locations “. http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/04/18/will-pharmacy-war-lead-to-new-restrictions-in-berkeley/
Mayor, Bates has got the right idea but no mention of schools for limiting their locations .
They say pot is really good for PTSD and getting back to normal or NORML life. If the DEA do this then they will violate the VA’s position on allowing medical pot for vets and if the DEA does this, then this is a non-violent form of domestic terrorism since the terrorists would love nothing than to have our vets be unhappy and in distress for the rest of our lives, something random pot use could help out with.
Mayor’s Letter Calls For Hearings of DEA :
In a move reflecting the city’s supportive stance as a sanctuary for medical marijuana, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates wrote a letter last Thursday urging the federal government to stop the Drug Enforcement Administration from intervening with the work of dispensaries.
Bates wrote the letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers calling for congressional hearings about letters the agency sent that threatened landlords renting to medical marijuana dispensaries.
The landlords of dispensaries, three of which are in Berkeley, were threatened with property forfeiture or criminal prosecution.
“This is really a back-door way to try to eliminate access to medical marijuana,” said Julie Sinai, chief of staff to Bates. “We want Congressman Conyers to call for hearings to get the (agency) to focus on issues of hard drug use and serious drug offenses instead of targeting medical marijuana dispensaries.”
Kris Hermes, spokesperson for Americans for Safe Access, said the agency has raided upwards of 100 dispensaries across California with more than 50 occurring-forcing many to close.
The agency’s threatening letters led the City Council to pass a resolution on Jan. 29 declaring Berkeley a sanctuary for medical marijuana patients and dispensaries.
“Medical marijuana is a proven medication that helps alleviate a number of chronic diseases,” Sinai said. “The city of Berkeley feels that residents should be able to get the medications that they need with the supervision of (doctors).”
“Twelve years after (the act) passed, we are still living in fear (of raids),” said Becky DeKeuster, community liaison for the dispensary, Berkeley Patients Group. “(The) situation is unjust and we welcome congressional oversight into what’s happening here, so we are very grateful to the mayor for taking a stand.”
Officials at Berkeley dispensaries said they were targeted although they were operating legally under state law.
“They focused in areas like Berkeley … where dispensaries have shown that they can be positive members of the community,” DeKeuster said.
Bates’ letter is the fifth in a string of requests already sent to Conyers by the mayors of San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz and West Hollywood.
“It’s good to see that local and regional leadership is all on the same page on this issue,” said Michael Hunt, spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums. “It’s the responsibility of the state and local governments to uphold the will of voters and adopt sensible guidelines to regulate the provision of medical cannabis in our communities.”
Unfortunately, the Medical marijuana movement has no one but themselves to blame for the Fed’s actions. The movements inablity to self regulate and provide medicine to those patients that where infact sick and not the droves of young fradulent patients that used the states bill to acquire legal cannibus that was designated for the sick and or dieing.
The outcome was truly shamefull and those fraudulent patients standing inline with truly sick and terminally ill patients should bow their heads.
Now partly do to such selfish actions those in need will have to go without and instead ingest the posion that the big Pharm companies spew out so readly.
Legalize it and be done with it – the MM movement is NOT SUSTAINABLE. A NORML was this is why I stopped donating one and a half years ago – PAUL your smater than this.
Even after Fast and Furious. When they’ve been found guilty of aiding known drug cartels in getting guns, and being aware of money laundering cartel money.
They now have the gall to attack American citizens, that have been approved by their phycician to take cannabis to alleviate their pain and suffering, by systematicly eliminating their source of medicine. With the fact that their state system is so well registered and regulated that it doesn’t make any reasonable sense for them to expend all the money and people to start, what can only be considered terrorist attacks on the citizens of Colorado, who seam to be doing just fine on their own. The polls have shown that a medical marijuana/cannabis system such as Coloarado’s, is exceptable to a majority of Americans.
For them to continue this farce, there most be some under lying profit motive that is very well hidden from the general public.
I feel the best approach would be to stand strognly united, and except No plea bargains. Every single person demands their day in court. The huge burden on the prosecutor, the courts, manpower and the Huge cost of prosecution will be hard to justify.
This is a very heavy burden for the people of Colorado to bare on their own. But, if they can do this. The national attention this will get, will put a very bright spot light on this travesty of justice. That, ironicly, is being done by the Dept. of Justice.
I believe that in time, President Obama will become considered the least compassionate President to have held office. A complete 180 degree turn from his position during his bid for the Presidency. I am still not quite sure why this has come about, but I do know it has to end imediately.
At this time the only person who has put it on the line, that he will start the end of the drug war, especially marijuna/cannabis prohibition.
Of coures I am talking about DR. Ron Paul.
By seconding H.R.2306, he has proven his desire to end cannabis prohibition. Where Obama used words, Paul has used action.
I was always told, your actions speak so loud, I can’t hear a thing your saying.
Don’t look to Ron Paul for the answer. Just because a candidate make some noise in support of our cause doesn’t make them a savior. A Paul admin would be as bad or worse than Bush.
Our best hope is to occupy the Justice Dept. Call out Obama and his lackey Attn Gen for their lies. We need a progressive govt, not another right wing cadre of criminals
It’s time for states to stand up to this federal bulling and put the federal government on notice . What could Obama do if the governor of Colorado says no and arrests federal agents . Send his killer drones to attack the citizens of Colorado . All these states have to do is say HELL NO ! and Obama could do nothing .
End the war on the American people/drugs .
There is still time to consider the violence done to the effort petitioning at the crack of dawn to redress, peaceably this grievance. Mr. US Atty. the voters are not know nothings on this issue!
You know 4 years ago I was here begging you guys not to believe the Obama supported medical Marijuana lies. I posted links to the video that supposedly showed Obama supported Medical weed so you could see he really did not.
Now Obama’s running for president again only he doesn’t need to please us anymore. He knows Damn well we’re not going to vote for hairdo. so he’s busting all the dispensaries because it will help him in November when he’s running against Romney.
Don’t wait until all you have is a choice between a Hairdo and a TelePrompter Zombie.
Support Ron Paul! He was with us in 2008, hell he was with us in 1978. PLEASE this time around don’t throw your vote away. Vote for Ron Paul, support him like he’s been supporting you.
What a bunch of idiots to choose from & Obama is seeming like a dictator-Im for RON PAUL. The media & establisjment is sure scared of him. I called a radio show to tell them about hemp & oil & right away they got into “you’re for Ron Paul, blah blH” & i WAS PLANNING ON A REPUBLICAN AT THE TIME.
What happened to Attorney General Holder’s assurance that enforcing medical cannabis laws is a low DOJ priority?
http://blog.norml.org/2011/12/08/congressman-polis-grills-attorney-general-holder-about-feds-medical-marijuana-policies/
At least it’s an election year…..
Well isn’t that the state’s law? Why don’t the establishments follow the state law?
It’s just a crying shame that the Colorado Department of Revenue just filed a formal notice to the DEA that Colorado is unsure if marijuana is actually medicine under the federal Controlled Substances Act. How can the people of Colorado stand by a let state officials commit treason this way? Colorado officials cannot ask a federal agency to decide if marijuana is medicine in Colorado. The Colorado Constitution says it is medicine and that’s the end all be all of the story.
Constitution is meaningless since the passage of the Americans With No constitutional Protections Act of 2012(NDAA)
PERFECT CRITICISM BY THE IGNORANT SUFFERING DAMAGE CONTROL REQUIRED
Jan 12
MUST RESOLVE FOR HEALTH IN LIFE
SOPHISTICATED ORGANIC WAR REALITIES
DRACONIAN LAW IN AN AQUARIAN AGE
What is required for people to come together consciously for their own benefit. Ano Ano: The Seed–The Classic Trilogy by Kristin Zambucka enlightens the audience to the core wisdoms of Hawaiian Spiritual Traditions. The title is quite fitting for the circumstance of present and the forum for the discussion as the consequence of a citizens incarceration for providing the greatest wisdom for increasing joy and comfort during the passage of birth old age sickness and death will be embraced within an appropriate consequence in time.
Hence a great consideration to understand our collective situation is of the highest priority. Marc Scott Emery brings the wisdom of the seed. Jesse Ventura provides the clarity of the unlawful biological war used against North America in the Plum Island Conspiracy via TRUtv along with the Independent movie “Under Our Skin” showing the horrors and criminal results of this very sophisticated organic weapon empowered by the Marijuana prohibition.
Thus the question of personal self respect and positions of response are forced upon collective society who choose to fight for any intelligent right to life.
How ironic and necessary is it that the Cannabis Culture Crew is thurst into the position to play Citizen Cop to fix the greatest crime in our living history.
In Western society we use money to reflect values — where is the money supporting intelligent living citizens prosecuting left over Hitler assassin doctors working for a captured administration?
WHAT ABOUT DAMAGES FOR UNLAWFUL USE OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE?
HERMENEUTICS SCIENCE OF INTERPRETATION
HISTORIC CLASS ACTION DAMAGE CLAIM
FEDERAL TORT CLAIMS ACT FOR MARIJUANA WHITE COLLAR CRIME
AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE ON MARIJUANA WHITE COLLAR CRIME!
WEED LYME CANCER CRIME/DAMAGE LITIGATION NEEDED NOW
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/07/medical-marijuana-becoming-blockbuster-drug.aspx
The Illegal Herb that Fights Cancer
Posted By Dr. Mercola | May 07 2011 | 420,850 views
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/26/obama-war-on-weed.aspx?e_cid=20111126_DNL_art_1
The Medical Miracle You’ll Get Arrested for Using
Posted By Dr. Mercola | November 26 2011 | 255,598 views
http://blog.norml.org/2011/12/23/drug-education-should-reflect-reality-not-deny-it/
http://safeaccessnow.org/blog/?p=2135&cpage=1#comment-24112
By Virginia T. Sherr 7-31-05
Lyme borreliosis is a brain disease as well as a multisystemic disease caused by spirochetal bacteria.* Quite frankly, it is an infection that has been burdened with a thousand inaccurate medical diagnoses. The manner in which the current pandemic of tertiary Lyme disease, neuroborreliosis, has usually been handled— either angrily dismissed or strangely misdiagnosed–throughout the 30 years following its “discovery,” has blemished the historic excellence of modern American Medicine.
Special to AOL News
(May 28) — We’re in the midst of a terrifying epidemic, although you wouldn’t know it to talk to most doctors and health specialists.
The disease is growing at a rate faster than AIDS. From 2006 to 2008 alone, the number of cases jumped a whopping 77 percent. In 2008 alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed 28,921 “confirmed” and 6,277 “probable” cases of the disease, but there could be as many as 420,000 because of underreporting.
Prominent victims include Parker Posey, Richard Gere, President George W. Bush, Alice Walker and Christie Brinkley.
If any other disease had stricken so many people, the medical community would be scurrying for knowledge, scrambling for cures or rushing to warn patients (think swine flu).But more important is the need for public health community to treat this disease like the epidemic it is, and start putting real resources into educating the public and the medical profession about how to identify it, treat it, and prevent it.
KEY BACKGROUND:
http://www.thehumansideoflyme.net/
http://www.underourskin.com/
Submitted by ROBERT BERTRAND GRIFFITH () on Thu, 01/12/2012 – 00:27.
Jan 12
Its Official
Just reading the above spaceman manifesto drives home the cold reality that the entire pot law reform and liberation movement is now completely full of mental cases, kooks, spooks, conspiracy wackos and sketchy goofs to the point that drug law reform is now officially invalid. It is nothing but a freak show now that does nothing except explore delusional concepts by Absurdicons. Even when marc gets out of prison the legalization bus that we can see has driven off the road into the ditch will have completely sunk out of site into the mud of stupidness. the mods here remove any questions or comments that do not fit into the North Korean style of hollow praise for the pot martyrs, real and imagined and worse, they cherish the babble of doped up psychotic idiots going on and on about who the fuck knows what. No wonder the marijuana legalization movement is losing ground at a regular rate and the DEA are winning points every day.
Submitted by Tokin Terry () on Thu, 01/12/2012 – 08:41.
THE COLLECTIVE HERO
The articulation of the psychological pain in reflection of our circumstance is a step in digestion of the facts as anger towards clarity is quite sensible.
We the people have the tools and intelligence to use the seeds of wisdom consistantly provided as the process has already been initiated via many actions growing in time.
Hence the prophecy of the collective hero regaining lost joy and comfort is upon fulfillment one way or another.
Submitted by ROBERT BERTRAND GRIFFITH () on Thu, 01/12/2012 – 10:23.
Collective Call for Bob
Heros have to do heroic things that other people value or theyre just regualt jerks with brightly coloured ideas that never get off the couch. This is spaced out babble for entertainment purposes only, as it aint ever gonna make any progress in any upcoming legislative battles. Klatu Bob, Klautu
Submitted by Tokin Terry () on Thu, 01/12/2012 – 10:53.
Jan 12
IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS SOME HELP PROVIDED BY JOSEPH
A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.
Joseph Campbell
Heil to Her Obama
Looks like history deja vu
Need a new PC word for Nazi
Doesn’t he have more important things to do
Like losin the election.
“Colorado’s sheriffs should exercise their tenth amendment right to arrest any federal agents who attempt to enforce this. Please call your local sheriff and inform them of their rights and ask them to resist this unlawful federal intrusion.”
can we take any legitimacy from this statement, Mr. Armentano?
In my town there is a tobacco shop just past an elementary school-about 200ft. away. Tobacco is the deadliest drug+among the most addictive. When is the federal government going to protect the children of my town from this deadly; addictive drug? When will they step in to raid this purveyor of a deadly, addictive substance with no medical utility whatsoever. Oh, what they won’t? Because the government sees that REGULATING a plant that is a drug-tobacco-keeps it under control much more effectively than Marijuana prohibition “controls” Marijuana use. It’s about time the government treats marijuana like tobacco-or stops their hypocracy+treat tobacco like marijuana+further erode what speck of civil liberty we once held. Stand together-vote out all prohibitionist’s in 2012. THEY will ruin your childeren’s lives, not the topics of their rhetorical spin speeches.
Name and symbols – The party’s founding members chose the name “Republican Party” in the mid-1850s as homage to the values of republicanism promoted by Thomas Jefferson’s Republican party. The idea for the name came from an editorial by the party’s leading publicist Horace Greeley, who called for, “some simple name like ‘Republican’ [that] would more fitly designate those who had united to restore the Union to its true mission of champion and promulgator of Liberty rather than propagandist of slavery. The name reflects the 1776 republican values of civic virtue and opposition to aristocracy and corruption. ********** We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
If Colorado’s Governor cares, he will deploy the National Guard. 10 guardsman in each shop with orders to prevent federal agents from entering should do the trick.
In a congressional hearing Eric Holder was asked by a Colorado politician if the feds were going to go after CO dispensaries like they have in California and the AG said no. What a liar. You can’t trust the federal government at all.
Wow. I thought Obama needed to carry Colorado for a win in November. Not a smart move Mr.President.
Hey, no problem! Re-open outside the 1’000 foot mark of schools, but make a deal with the Fed’s that the same needs done with your local bar’s if that’s not already being done. The state of Colorado would have to run the effort!
My friend told me a good political joke. “Obama’s the best moderate Republican president this country ever had!”
So much for hope and change. If you folks respect the Constitution and cherish liberty (what a radical idea!), then register in the GOP so you can vote for Ron Paul in the primaries. The Demos and the other Republicans offer our cause no hope.
Physician Paul Plants Perpetual Passionate
Prosperity
Ron and Rand Paul 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get more and more excited as I learn more.ProLife.
ProHEMP.
This has all started when president Obama appointed Michele Leonhart to become the head administrator of the DEA.
The U.S. Attorneys are acting like sleeper cell terrorist waiting for orders to attack state policies and citizens who follows them.
The U.S. Attorneys John Walsh received his orders.
NORML, please tell people about Gary Johnson running as an Independent. We need a Johnson/Paul bid for President as Independents. This is the ONLY real electable pair of candidates out of ALL Republicans and Democrats. Johnson will take the gay rights votes from Obama. He will take the pot votes from Obama (if any one would still vote like that) and at the same time, Paul as VP would ensure Republican votes. We need this Norml. Please let the word out, and tell us over and over again.
The main focus during a recession is to create jobs, not destroy them! The Obama administration had the opportunity to help fuel a brand new industry in America. He had the opportunity to create thousands and thousands of ‘real’ new jobs. The economic impact of a dispensary is far beyond its walls; legal medical marijuana had helped local landlords in a commercial rental slump. Landscaping/Grow shops have also done well and flourished in a legal medical marijuana market. Magazine and newspaper advertisers had a bunch of strong NEW clients. Banks benefited, credit card companies benefited from legal medical marijuana. This list goes on and on how much business is created by allowing this brand new industry.
When the Federal government shuts down a dispensary, they are not only shutting down one business but hurting an entire economic region, no matter how micro. The government is not only not doing anything to solve our current economic problems, they are actually helping to fuel it on! I can’t believe our leaders could be so fucking stupid or corrupt.
I’m from the south. Blast their ass.
Haha, remember when Obama pretended to believe in compassionate health care? Hope and change!
Joel, the other Joel, has this right. If Obama gets rid of her and appoints his own guy who is friendly to medical cannabis, all this shit can go away over night. Just find some dirt on Leonhart to use as grounds to get her to resign. Make her life a living hell! And by that, I don’t mean violence or breaking the law. There are civil and legal ways to accomplish it. Get started! I want her gone by Easter!
I’m not sure Michele will be gone by Easter, but she works for Holder and he could tell her that states have the right to determine what is accepted for medical use in that state and to remove marijuana from the current federal classification that says it has no accepted medical use in the United States. If such a miracle should happen, I doubt it will happen until after the election in 2012, because God wants to see who get’s elected first.
Why do I get the feeling that the only reason they ever claimed they would more or less leave those acting fully in accordance with state law alone was so that they’d look less like they’re completely disregarding what voters want, and so that people would go “oh, ok, that’s alright I guess”, figure that was the end of the issue and start paying attention to something else so that the DEA could go back to harassing whoever they liked without as many people noticing?
It’s sad, but I regularly lose sight of the fact that that the real original point of our system, ever so long ago, was supposed to be that those in office were meant to directly reflect, and ensure the execution of, the will of the citizens of the U.S….While I don’t know where exactly the rift between “them” and “us” began, I sure as hell do know that regardless anyone’s political standing, or religion, or race, or even their feelings about our little “war on drugs” (I can’t stress enough just how sarcastic I meant ‘little’ to be), no citizen in the United States should ever, EVER be comfortable with a politician openly ignoring the will of voters.
I mean, the idea that they can do that in this country is just astounding, and frankly kind of scary to me…the fact that they aren’t even pretending like they’re trying to work in accordance with state law. When did voters stop being the last word? When I think about it my head spins; I thought the point ever since the formation of this country was supposed to be that that sort of ultimate power belonged to no one. It’s disgusting that there are those, especially in government, who are willing to talk about our country and what it’s supposed to stand for and about the sacrifices of our founding fathers and those who fought for independence, while the very thing they fought for: personal rights and freedom, a voice for all, a government that directly represents the people, equality regardless of social standing or position, no person or group having absolute power, are all thrown by the wayside as those in office sit there and watch, or actively participate in the butchering of the ideals we’re supposed to run on.
Sure, to some it probably doesn’t seem like that important an issue…but everyone knows the old saying about how if you give em a little they’ll keep taking, and it would be laughable and utterly delusional to think that the people who are responsible would say “Ok, we got away with ignoring what the general populace wants here, but it’s wrong so I guess we should do what’s right and stop now.”…those who covet power don’t operate that way. As I always say, they’re like organized crime; their goal is to gain as much power as possible through whatever means are necessary. They’ll take the easiest route to what the want, and if that involves running people over in the process, so be it. I think we’ve already seen tha groups such as the DEA are perfectly willing to use lies, intimidation, bribery, force and violence to get their way. I’m sure there are still those out there ignorant enough, judgmental enough, and so blinded by what amounts to government propaganda that they’d say “Well they’re drug users. If they just didn’t do drugs they wouldn’t be in trouble.”…if the government managed to make people turn their back on one group, they can do it again with another that they think poses a threat to them or their interests. The laws passed by voters in these states were one of those threats, and so in their usual criminal fashion they’ve started with intimidation; if those in their sights don’t buckle, then the DEA and federal government will just have to ‘get their hands dirty’, as criminals sometimes do. Unfortunately, freedom in general is also a threat to their interests, and goodness knows they’ll chip away at it til’ it’s gone.
Hell, for years and even right now our status as free people and our right to have a voice is under attack and slowly slipping away from us, and the absolute most heartbreaking part about it is that we’re all so occupied with our paranoia, intolerance, and general hatred towards each other that many of us don’t even see it happening, and probably prefer it that way since pointing fingers is far easier than striving to be tolerant, accepting our differences and working towards a solution…and anyone who knows history knows that those looking to snatch as much power as possible from right under our noses want nothing more than to cultivate a climate of fear and persecution, and to alienate us from each other; that way they face so much less resistance as they pull the rug out from right under us.
So if anyone would happen to read this for whatever reason, I guess I only ask one thing; please don’t forget that what’s happening right now isn’t just about Cannabis, or the war on drugs, or our freedom. It’s also about the fact that in this day and age despite the fact that the world is, through technology, “growing smaller” as they sometimes say, we still remain awfully far apart, a fact which seems to not bother many of us.
To me that’s the root of the problem; if we made a concerted effort to remember that we all aren’t so different from each other, and that no matter what a person is like or what they believe or how disagreeable they may seem, that ultimately they’re just human and that they deserve understanding, if for no other reason than because they are human and have thoughts and feelings and feel pain and struggle and are the way they are because of what they’ve experienced and how they’re formed, then we might get somewhere as a society and as a race. That even goes for these government bullies; I wish them no ill, and I don’t hate them, the fact is just that they’re people acting like people sometimes do when they’re left to their own devices, to act out some of their darker, more base emotions and instincts. I think that if we just practiced more understand, tolerance, and made a point of caring about what others are struggling with too, that these sorts of issues that we’re in would work themselves out.
After all, again, paranoia, hatred, and intolerance are what got us here in the first place, so just heaping even more on top won’t improve a damn thing, and not just in relation to the war on drugs.
The problem is that the voters think voting is all they have to do. Now, the voters need to sue their states for failure to take this to the next step, the federal government. Unfortunately, the voters have just gone dormant and left the state officials to commit treason. We now have four states, Washington, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Colorado, that have notified the federal government that they don’t think marijuana has accepted medical use in the United States unless the DEA says so. That is treason folks. The voters did not authorize state officials to misrepresent them at the federal level this way. The voters (some states did it by legislation, but its still state law either way) said marijuana is medicine, period. The voters did not say it’s medicine only if the DEA agrees. This is a total breakdown of our constitutional system known as “federalism.”
@Carl Olsen
That would be a thought, but U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder wimped out and surrender his allegiance that he has sworn to and made a promise to the nine FORMER drug czars and head DEA administers.
Michele Leonhart is making sure that Eric Holder is keeping his promise to those nine former members who no longer work for the federal government.
The DEA makes their own crime to enforce and they do all they can to make the cannabis policies fail.
Are they doing this because they don’t spend enough taxpayer money on unnecessary things? They need to get their priorities straight and make the streets safe from murderers, rapist, muggers violent gangs and corrupt government officials.
Watch guns and weed the road to freedom!
This is flat earth if u are not reg to vote than u believe in flat earth. I know a lot of pot head. The d.e.a know u are to stupid to go reg and vote so they know it will never be allow
@Joel: the other Joel
What does Holder wimping out to nine former drug czars have to do with states suing him for failure to recognize accepted medical use of marijuana in the United States? If someone isn’t doing their job in that office, you have to sue them, not cry in your soup about it.
Many of our people can’t register to vote because they have a felony on their record I know a lot of people like that. Pretty soon there will be more people that can’t vote than can and then it will only be the super straight sheep voting just what our government wants they will be able to elect whoever they want by using religious affiliation and news which they already do.
@Carl Olsen
I’m referring to this on your second reply to this topic:
[“I’m not sure Michele will be gone by Easter, but she works for Holder and he could tell her that states have the right to determine what is accepted for medical use in that state and to remove marijuana from the current federal classification that says it has no accepted medical use in the United States.”]
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The big question:
What changed Attorney General Eric Holder’s mind?
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I don’t think Eric Holder has any control over the DEA or doesn’t want to cause any trouble with them.
But don’t you know, if it wasn’t for marijuana, there wouldn’t be any crimes. No one would steal or rape or abuse their power if weren’t for the kids smoking pot out back.
Maybe we ought start killing black cat again, its just about as effective at “crime prevention” as marijuana prohibition. It’s really is time to face this scourge threatening our nation and kill off the black cats once and for all! If it wasn’t for those dang cats, no one would worship satan and become a criminal.
time for full out legalization, I use to be in favor for just medical use. But if this is how they are going to treat us, I want a constitutional amendment protecting me, if government is going to bigots. Apparently, they all want us growing in our houses, but they want to know who they are. They are not going to stop anything by disrupting collective operations, it only bolsters the illegal activity, because guess what they demand is not going to go down. I don’t understand, I find the situation now to be a more public health issue, its just really sad when I have to buy medicine from street again.
The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) told ProCon.org in a Jan. 2, 2002 email:
“Among marijuana’s most harmful consequences is its potential role in leading to the use of other illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin. Long-term studies of high school students and their patterns of drug use show that very few young people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana.
“”””””””””While not all people who use marijuana go on to use other drugs, using marijuana puts children and teens in contact with people who are users and sellers of other drugs, so there is more of a risk that a marijuana user will be exposed to and urged to try more dangerous drugs.”””””””””
A recent study by Columbia University’s Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found a pronounced difference in future drug use between kids who used marijuana and those who did not. It revealed that teens who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than those who do not. This means the odds of using other drugs increases with the increased frequency of marijuana smoking.”
The super quotes explain it all. Then why don’t they regulate it. I need to leave before I get really upset
@Joel: the other Joel
Nothing changed Holder’s mind. He never had any intention of telling the DEA to remove marijuana from schedule I. Do you have any evidence saying otherwise? And, yes, of course he’s not going to cause trouble with DEA. If the states don’t sue Holder, nothing will happen. I had to sue the Iowa Board of Pharmacy before they made a unanimous ruling that marijuana should be removed from schedule I in Iowa. They will not do it voluntarily. After I sued them and won, they paid for 4 public hearings and six months of taking evidence out of their own operating budget. You won’t find any government servant willing to do that without a court order. That is what is missing here. The states are not suing Holder. That needs to be done right now. Don’t wait another day. And, if you live in one of those states that accepts medical marijuana you should be suing that state for failure to sue Holder. Your state will not do this voluntarily. I’m in the Iowa Supreme Court right now. Olsen v. State, No. 11-1744.
Oathbreakers and death dealers cloaked in a veil of lies. The Federal government is so sinister and evil the devil has made an altar and an idol and worships them for doing his deeds.
The ignorance of the Federal Government is a horrible joke and makes me embarrassed to be an American.
The Federal Government really is looking for ways to blow our money to no mans land!! Ugh it is frustrating.
There are young adults with no money to buy food or the education they need but we can spend $50,000 on a raid that will result in compromising a nickel bag!
This is disgusting. Ask the women who got raped for the first time last night by a pimp that could have been taken off the streets days/weeks/months/years ago and stopped in his treads.
Let that girl be the federal governments wife. Raped and emotionally torn apart. Oooh wait I forgot the Federal Government refers to this as “Collateral Damage”
Piece of “S” states of hypocracy!
I saw 90% of Americans disapprove of what Congress does, and yet they continue to only do what the 10% want. How absolutely embarrassing as an American.
Fuck!!!!
Prohibition is a public health threat. The more people who get that, the faster it will change. The data has been available for decades, but each year we’re discovering more ways it helps the body. We have documentation of its efficacy on some types of cancer and certain strains are magnificent on Alzheimer’s Disease. These are our two biggest public health threats. To the extent that we get the word out, people who fill out ballots will shift their thoughts on it, and eventually, their votes. It’s challenging because people have been so effectively brain washed, but it is not impossible. The tide is beginning to shift. Remember, this war started centuries ago. The twentieth-century rendition is just a new chapter out of the Burning Times.
All they need to do to stop this is for the governors of those states is to order the arrests of the federal agents carrying out the raids . The federal governments only recourse would be to invade a sovereign state with US troops which is unconstitutional . That would end this stupid war on Americans who do drugs .
Maybe this is just the catalyst we need to take this country back again. The federal “government” if you even want to call it that, is the biggest purveyor of lawlessness on the planet. They continue to meddle not only in the affairs of other countries around the world, but in the internal affairs of the individual states as well, in total violation of the 9th and 10th Amendments of the Constitution. Of course, they’ve gotta protect their buddies in the Mexican drug cartels, can’t have competition, you know. They have become largely illegitimate, they are not even a government, but a group of Nazi-like thugs. The purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of the people, which have already been defined by the Almighty Himself, not to grant rights or define them to whatever suits their agenda at any given moment. God put plants on this earth for man to use freely, nobody can claim property rights to something that is natural, except for the ones they choose to grow in their own garden with their own labor. To try and outlaw a plant is an insult to Go Himself. The government is not God, and sooner or later they’ll have to learn that the hard way when we the people have had enough of their garbage and decide to teach them a lesson.If we have to use the 2nd Amendment to do it, then so be it. Woe unto those who side with evildoers!
As an American living here all my life this makes me really sad and angry. My government is betraying my people, our people cold blooded. It makes me sick, and it seems the only thing that makes more American wake up is more crisis. The ignorance is on a national scale.. this war is hurting us, causing gangs to fight in the streets. It must end soon. There are some countries where it’s literally a war, and if you are caught with illegal drugs they will line you up and shoot you. This is not right. America must set the example now, not encourage war.
Has anyone entertained the thought that the federal government has a monetary investment in cannabis prohibition? Either that or as a measure of thought control. Both revolve around power and this it what it seems the fed’s actions are for — the retention of some sort of power. This is directly analogous to Britain’s efforts to retain power over the colonies. It comes in waves.
“They first rejected the authority of the Parliament of Great Britain to govern them from overseas without representation, and then expelled all royal officials. By 1774, each colony had established a Provincial Congress, or an equivalent governmental institution, to govern itself, but still within the empire. The British responded by sending combat troops to re-impose direct rule. Through representatives sent in 1775 to the Second Continental Congress, the states joined together at first to defend their respective self-governance and manage the armed conflict against the British known as the American Revolutionary War (1775–83, also American War of Independence). Ultimately, the states collectively determined that the British monarchy, by acts of tyranny, could no longer legitimately claim their allegiance. They then severed ties with the British Empire in July 1776, when the Congress issued the United States Declaration of Independence, rejecting the monarchy on behalf of the new sovereign nation separate and external to the British Empire. The war ended with effective American victory in October 1781, followed by formal British abandonment of any claims to the United States with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.”
Threats and susequent actions on dispensaries by the Federal Government are useless and a colossal waste of tax dollars. Weed consumption for whatever reason, health or otherwise, is not going away now or ever. These kinds of actions by the Feds only increase the resolve by those of us who actually have common sense.
This plant could cure and help us so much!We need to use are brains jobs,MED-help! Last but not least we can pay this money we owe!Biggest cash crop in U.S? Sometimes I just figure if u and I see it they have too?Hope we are not just (DOOMED)Obama YOU SAID CHANGE!I AGREED GAVE YOU THE CHANCE! Please be a man of your word!
Here in washington we had raids about 2 months ago. There are shops all around seattle and tacoma.
I can not say that more people are or are not using pot, but the sky is not falling.
Every neighbor of a pot store I have seen or read in newspaper articles says they are or were good neighbors.
So I say to you gov’t, the public is on our side.
So I say to you Mr. Pres. in a land of 5% of the world population and 25% of the world inmates. Are we truly the land of the free.
In the late 90’s we voted here in seattle to noit build sports stadiums with public monies. Our gov. still paid for them and Seahawks and mariners suck!
We voted for medical marijuana and our local gov. is still trying to figure this out 14 years later. Those that voted for their own right to use and procure canabis legally… well they are probably dead.
So Obama where is the CHANGE? The only change I got was from the actual bills I had earned.