By "Radical" Russ Belville on February 26, 2009
Or has he? Do you think there will still be a raid in the future, under the excuse of “stopping criminal traffickers”?
Have we finally entered a new era where marijuana will flourish?
Is this the beginning of the end?
Feel free to discuss in the comments. :smokin:
Posted in LEGISLATION, SCIENCE, SOCIETY | Tagged DEA, DEA Raids, dispensaries, Eric Holder, Virtual Bowl
I am the host of the NORML SHOW LIVE and The NORML Stash Blog. I'm married, live in Portland, Oregon, and I am a registered medical marijuana caregiver in this state. I've worked days as an IT geek and nights as a professional musician. Previously, I have been the host of my own political talk radio show on satellite radio. I've been the High Times "Freedom Fighter of the Month" for my work producing Oregon NORML's TV show, "A Cannabis Community Forum", and for helping to institute Portland's wildly successful medical marijuana cardholders meetings, where we help sick and disabled Oregonians acquire cannabis plant starts, learn gardening, and understand the medical marijuana law. I've dedicated my life to bringing an end to adult marijuana prohibition and re-legalizing cannabis hemp, and I'm honored to be chosen by NORML to be our daily voice.
we will still see a few raids that will be considered necessary for some crazy reason. Until they flat out legalize it like alcohol we’re gonna have problems and it will look worse for us.
This is a good first step but a small one. Remember, MMJ is a position with 70+% popularity in most states in the nation.
I think the Obama administration is doing the least it can do for the pro-freedom constituency which. The politicians are always a bunch of chickens.
hopefully this would open the goverments eyes
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A bit more and let them know there laws and regulations for the past 30 to 60 years hasn’t helped or stop the use of
If we had a legal and regulated market on all drugs, the DEA could still exist and keep their jobs(off topic I know).
Look at the ATF(E), they enforce the existing laws on alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives, and that could be the function of the DEA.
I think the DEA will still find some excuse for more raids. They will exploit every loophole they can so they can hold on to their jobs. It is a lot easier busing peaceful potheads than going after crazy, violent pushers of other drugs.
I hope that the new decrim bill will pass. Maybe there will be some momentum built up before it is introduced. I think the news media will cover the debates on it and I am looking forward to seeing NORMLs coverage.
The police mind set is to enforce the law. They get paid for that. I am afraid anti drug cops will enforce as many laws surrounding the political policy not to bust medicinal cannabis dispensaries, as they can.
Cali dispensaries are already paying their sales taxes and federal taxes. The tax evasion that caught Capone was because he wasn’t paying taxes on the illegal proceeds he got from dealing illegal hard liquid drugs.
I would think so. I don’t see Holder applying that eviction tactic anymore. If you’re not going to smash’n'raid, then it would be bad PR to play the eviction threat game. Holder would be perceived as using paper instead of guns to accomplish the same raids.
Lynch’s case is still ongoing, will report on that when there is new information.
Jim, the politicians will be the last ones to come around on marijuana, we’ve got no illusions about that.
It’s taken from 1996-2009 to finally get an AG who says he’ll leave alone dying people in wheelchairs who smoke pot legally under state law!
Not exactly. HR 5843 was in the last Congress. It will be reintroduced in this Congress, but will get a different number.
Also, it doesn’t “legalize” it “decriminalizes”. It will end any federal penalties on personal possession and non-profit transfer of up to 100g of marijuana, but doesn’t end penalties for possession above that amount, nor end penalties for profit sales, nor end penalties for non-personal cultivation or trafficking.
Additionally, states will still be free to legislate as they choose, so that joint may not get you federal time, but could still get you a couple of decades in Oklahoma.
On the DEA side? I’d guess 1% of them smoke pot regularly, just like the rest of the US population (est. 3M daily tokers in a 300M population)
What about pushing HR 5843? I dont think that keeping this on the back burner is what we should be doing.
For those of you that dont know.
HR 5843 is a bill that will legalize marijuana for responsible adults
On the DEA side, I wonder how many of them smoke pot…
Great job NORML, it’s great to be on a sight where truth comes first,but let’s be realistic. As much as I would love to see the legalization of marijuana, I see more politicians who seem to think their opinions of the MJ & hemp & drug wars,are more important than the scientific facts. The TRUTH, based on FACTS, is shared by only a small number honest politicians. God Bless America
Wouldn’t it be great if they released all the federal convicts from medical marijuana busts. It’s doubtful though. What ever happened with Lynch?
totally agree with that, then no one can bitch at them in those states, where there is no medicinal value…. can’t believe it….
I don’t know, I think Michele Leonhart is gonna be scared to go against something that Eric Holder said to the nation. I think there are gonna be a lot more busts on marijuana operations in states that don’t have medical marijuana.
I’m interested to see if the DEA will stop threatening establishment owners if they don’t evict marijuana dispensaries. Hopefully we get some level headed people running that show.
raids will still happen. now the ‘cover’ will be TAX EVASION…. isn’t that how they got my ol’ good buddy Al. State laws will now be highly scrutinized and and people will have to declare they are a ‘pot’ business and pay their taxes carefully to avoid prosecution
other wise things are great!
We would be nieve to believe that every person in the MMJ world is playing by the rules..there will some dude selling bags on the side,that will draw some attn. We have to be smart not to overreact if not needed
when they start talking retroactive application to “offenders” either incarcerated or on probation there will be change, but this is one hell of a start. Holder smokes, you can see it in his eye-lids.