| DAY 5 | of NO MENTION by the Obama Administration of DEA RAID on Medical Marijuana provider Patient to Patient Collective in Tahoe, California.
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Call President Obama at (202) 456-1111 and call for an end to federal interference in state medical cannabis laws like he promised. Yes, we know, there’s a financial crisis, two wars, global warming, and all sorts of big fish to fry. That’s why this so tragic, because unlike those issues, this problem is very easy to solve. President Obama doesn’t have to lobby Congress, pass a bill, create a new agency, or start some new policy, he just has to stop doing something. Just a simple Executive Order banning use of DEA funds for medical marijuana raids is all that is required. A five-minute signature is all it takes to hold to his promise. More resources after the break…
President Obama’s own words on DEA raids:
Contact President Obama:
Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Address
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Internet
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Sample “cut-and-paste” comment (fits within the 500 character limit)
The DEA raided a medical cannabis dispensary in Tahoe, California, on 1/22/09. It was raided despite President Obama saying he would end federal interference with state medical cannabis laws. I’m upset about outgoing DEA officials undermining these state laws and aggressively threatening patients. I’m also concerned about DEA taking action that is an affront to President Obama’s position. I demand that you please suspend all federal funds used to subvert state medical cannabis laws immediately.
Background
Oakland, CA — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raided a medical marijuana dispensary today in South Lake Tahoe, California, in the first days of the new Obama Administration. Even though President Barack Obama had made repeated promises during his election campaign to end federal raids in medical marijuana states, many high-ranking Bush Administration officials have yet to leave office. For example, still at the helm of the DEA is acting Administrator Michele Leonhart, who has been responsible for numerous federal raids in California, following in the footsteps of her predecessor Karen Tandy. Neither Eric Holder, President Obama’s pick for U.S. Attorney General, nor a new DEA Administrator, have taken office yet.
“Whether or not this unconscionable raid on a medical marijuana provider is the fault of federal officials from the previous administration, President Obama has an opportunity to change this harmful and outdated policy,” said Caren Woodson, Director of Government Affairs for Americans for Safe Access (ASA). “We are hopeful that these are the last remnants of the Bush regime and that President Obama will quickly develop a more compassionate policy toward our most vulnerable citizens.”
Medical marijuana and an unknown amount of cash was seized during the raid today from Holistic Solutions, but no arrests were made. This first DEA raid under the new Obama Administration is another example of more than 100 raids on medical marijuana providers that have occurred in California over the past two years. While the greatest federal enforcement has occurred in California, the DEA has been active in other states as well. Federal agents raided the Washington State offices of a medical marijuana advocacy group that was supplying starter plants to hundreds of authorized patients. In Oregon, a federal grand jury was used by the DEA to obtain the medical records of several patients, an effort that was later rejected by a federal court. The DEA also went as far as to threaten New Mexico officials for planning to implement that states medical marijuana distribution program.
“I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users,” Senator Obama said in an August 2007 statement. “It’s not a good use of our resources,” he continued. This statement was followed up by Obama in other public events in the run up to the election. “President Obama must rise to the occasion by quickly correcting this problem and by keeping the promise he made to the voters of this country,” said Woodson. ASA has been working with the new Administration on changing federal law around medical marijuana, which has included providing a comprehensive set of policy recommendations.
I guess Obama just put one over on us like he did everyone else.
Obama and the Democrats aren’t going to do anything.
And, if we can’t get this passed with the most liberal Congress, and the most liberal President, in history, we may just all have to quit smoking weed. Let’s see how they like that!
The DEA are just flat out crooks, they just take things of value (Marijuana and cash, and patients records and files) and harass the workers in the clinics as well as the patients whose files they’ve stolen. Its outrageous
I called it. 3 times, and I will call everyday until they give us what they promised.
I read yesterday that the email and technology systems in the whitehouse are woefully inadequate.
There’s a chance that Obama’s team simply aren’t able to view the messages sent in right now.
So we should submit a plethora of messages to them so when they are able to view them they’re overwhelmed by the amount of public support for legalization.
The federal marijuana prohibition is just another example of “rigid ideology overruling sound science”.
..thanks for the words, President Obama, now please fix the problem!
Russ who crashed your sites man? was it the DEA? FBI? CIA? or a combo of all threee?
Why should we plead with our government to do the right thing. This bunch supposedly is elected by us to represent us. I sey Pres. Obama, do the job you were hired to do, dont be a sociopathic liar like the rest of the politicians. We voted you in for change get on Man!!!!!
I DID NOT get the vote out for more of the same.I VOTED for change , were is it. Pres. Obama you can stop this insanity.
So why does he not do it .Is he leaning to the right so he can move hard left.I am starting to wonder.I am NOT happy with most of his appointments so far. His staff is saying he is not in favor of legalization . He did say he would not use fedral mony to go after Medical pot.SO Pres. Obama NOW IS THE TIME to make the right move on pot and send this country in the right direction. Down the road to real freedom.Were all adults can make there own choice.Not the mans choice of Whiskey and beer.We can put more farms to good use buy growing hemp.So please Pres. Obama Do your part and we will do ours to keep pot out of the hands of children and prove to the country we can grow hemp , we can grow medical pot , we can do it in a responsable way YES WE CAN ! Bosco3d
This federal interference must stop! The Founding Fathers wrote the 9th and 10th Amendments for a reason!
Don’t Tread On Me!