Monday, October 19, 2009
Drugs Obama's Justice Department to Stop Pursuit of Medical Marijuana "Patients"
Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 12:37 PM
"Nothing about this on Slog yet?" asks Slog tipper Chris.
People who use marijuana for medical purposes and those who distribute it should not face federal prosecution, provided they act according to state law, the Justice Department said on Monday in a directive with political and legal implications.In a memorandum to federal prosecutors in the 14 states that allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes, the department said it was committed to the “efficient and rational use” of its resources and that going after individuals who were in “clear and unambiguous compliance” with state laws did not meet that standard.
It was at the top of Morning News, actually, but it probably deserves more comment. This is good news, of course. The feds backing away, even slightly, from the full enforcement of our nation's draconian, idiotic, and wholly ineffectual laws against marijuana use—medical or recreational—is always welcome. But it should be pointed out that this action is being taken by the same Justice Department that argues that it had no choice but to aggressively defend DOMA in federal court. Because, you know, DOMA is a federal law and everything. Just like, you know, all those federal laws against the medical use of marijuana.
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2
Oh, watching Dan Savage play lawyer is like watching a retarded child try to play tee-ball. Try again, you aging moron. At least the retarded kids have an excuse. What's yours?
3
Hmmm Nope nothing yet Dan. Except my post this AM in the "Morning News" pointing it out to your staffers
(They lost focus and got all excited about some news about R71 going to SCOTUS... so forgive their temporary loss of focus)
(They lost focus and got all excited about some news about R71 going to SCOTUS... so forgive their temporary loss of focus)
4
edit:
I meant to say nope not until I commented on it in the Mallahan/McGinn thread, and posted about it prior to "The Morning News" coming out at @ 8:15
You (or your staff) need to read your comments section of the last posts of the day from the prior day, before taking their first morning bong hit.
Just sayin'
I meant to say nope not until I commented on it in the Mallahan/McGinn thread, and posted about it prior to "The Morning News" coming out at @ 8:15
You (or your staff) need to read your comments section of the last posts of the day from the prior day, before taking their first morning bong hit.
Just sayin'
5
@4 - nobody reads what you say, Reality Check.
Heck, if I did, I'd be trapped in a balloon with the President of the Chamber of Commerce.
Heck, if I did, I'd be trapped in a balloon with the President of the Chamber of Commerce.
7
Funny how the president can find the time to halt prosecutions, when there's so much on his plate.
10
I could have my "greencard" if it were worth it. Un.like CA. you gotta grow it yourself here. I'm far too lazy and don't have the space for an indoor garden. You must be able to buy it at a store for this law to be effective.
11
The "Medical Marijuana" movement is ruining our chances to legalize pot completely. They're a bunch of self-serving morons who just want to get high but can't admit it so they make dumb loopholes to get their weed and basically get blowaback to the point where Los Angeles is considering making pot clubs basically illegal.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. We should be focusing on complete decriminalization. The more people who get fake doctors notes the more shady the whole thing looks and the more the anti-pot crowd (read fascists) can point to the shadiness and say "look, drug people are shady!".
Stupid, stupid, stupid. We should be focusing on complete decriminalization. The more people who get fake doctors notes the more shady the whole thing looks and the more the anti-pot crowd (read fascists) can point to the shadiness and say "look, drug people are shady!".
12
Dan, you're continuing to be a stupid fucking credulous hack. There's a difference between exercising prosecutorial discretion and defending laws against constitutional challenge, but I suppose we shouldn't expect someone whose primary qualification in making legal commentary is a sex advice column to be able to grasp these distinctions.
13
Actually pffft a friend of mine was a poster girl for medical marijuana after she got run over by a motorbike in a San Francisco crosswalk in 2002. One spiral tib-fib fracture and a titanium rod later, Vicodin wasn't enough, Percocet made her ghastly ill, as did morphine and Dilaudid, all of which squelched her appetite when she was supposed to be packing 3000 calories a day (at least).
Toking was the only option that continuously worked. No insurance covered it, and the DEA's actions were so unpredictable at the time that her doctor had to give her an anonymous okay to get her greencard, but it made tolerable during some pretty hard times. Pharmaceutical THC, incidentally, only made her dizzy.
So, some folks who use medical marijuana actually use it for medical reasons. I know at least one for sure. I can't account for her friends, including the 'nam vet who stayed high to keep from gunning for the neighborhood, but I'm pretty sure not all of them were there for recreation.
Toking was the only option that continuously worked. No insurance covered it, and the DEA's actions were so unpredictable at the time that her doctor had to give her an anonymous okay to get her greencard, but it made tolerable during some pretty hard times. Pharmaceutical THC, incidentally, only made her dizzy.
So, some folks who use medical marijuana actually use it for medical reasons. I know at least one for sure. I can't account for her friends, including the 'nam vet who stayed high to keep from gunning for the neighborhood, but I'm pretty sure not all of them were there for recreation.
14
@8
It is entirely appropriate in this case. You girls should lay off Dan, he does well considering what he has to work with. He was just really lucky to wind up here at the journalistic equivalent of the Special Olympics aka slog.
It is entirely appropriate in this case. You girls should lay off Dan, he does well considering what he has to work with. He was just really lucky to wind up here at the journalistic equivalent of the Special Olympics aka slog.
15
Uriel-238 @ 13
I don't doubt it. I'm not saying that there aren't people who really benefit from medical marijuana and I'm all for it. I'm actually pro-legalization -- not just for medical but for anyone.
But I just don't like the general legalization movement is SO OBVIOUSLY using medical marijuana as a cover. It makes the whole thing look shady and disingenous at best.
If you took the medical marijuana movement at face value -- the numbers, the fake claims -- you'd think marijuana is a wonder drug. It's a big joke and it makes serious arguments for legalization HARDER.
I don't doubt it. I'm not saying that there aren't people who really benefit from medical marijuana and I'm all for it. I'm actually pro-legalization -- not just for medical but for anyone.
But I just don't like the general legalization movement is SO OBVIOUSLY using medical marijuana as a cover. It makes the whole thing look shady and disingenous at best.
If you took the medical marijuana movement at face value -- the numbers, the fake claims -- you'd think marijuana is a wonder drug. It's a big joke and it makes serious arguments for legalization HARDER.
16
@15: Pffft, what do you think would qualify it as a wonder drug? Cures minor headaches and menstrual cramps, reduces and helps people deal with chronic pain, stimulates appetite, alleviates nausea, lowers interocular pressure, reduces anxiety, aids sleep? Reduces growth of lung cancer tumors? Prevents Alzheimer's disease? Side-effects sometimes include slight drowsiness and forgetting what you were talking about a minute ago? No lasting side-effects? No interactions with other drugs to worry about? No lethal dose? Nearly free, because it grows like a weed? Safe and effective straight off the plant with no preparation required?
I think I understand your point about the numbers of fake claims exaggerating the utility of this plant, but surely you can see that if there ever was a wonder drug, the combination of various cannabinoids in the cannabis plant is it. Pot isn't a miracle cure for all health problems, but it solves or improves several of them, and it does so with minimal risk, at minimal expense. Can any other substance do this?
I think I understand your point about the numbers of fake claims exaggerating the utility of this plant, but surely you can see that if there ever was a wonder drug, the combination of various cannabinoids in the cannabis plant is it. Pot isn't a miracle cure for all health problems, but it solves or improves several of them, and it does so with minimal risk, at minimal expense. Can any other substance do this?
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