Obama Administration to Stop Raids on Medical Marijuana Dispensers (NYT, 2009)

[DisgustipatedinCA]

I know I can't say anything bad about the President, so I'll just let his duplicity speak for itself.

March 2009:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/us/19holder.html
Obama Administration to Stop Raids on Medical Marijuana Dispensers

October 2011:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44806723/ns/today-today_news/t/calif-pot-dispensaries-told-feds-shut-down#.To4eydRCifk
Calif. pot dispensaries told by feds to shut down
U.S. prosecutors send letters even though state law allows

(edited to add the date of the original headline to the subject line)

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Maybe his views have evolved?

Or devolved, actually.

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Everyone should keep this in mind when they're tempted to say

"I think he's finally on the right track now"

Can't believe ANYTHING from him.

Ever.

[Upton]

3. Just one more lying politician..

Gee, I can't wait to vote for him again..:eyes:

[tridim]

4. Who appointed the four U.S. attorneys that initiated this?

If this is a Federal DOJ directive, why is it not happening in other states?

[Uncle Joe]

6. Speculation on this thread by musiclawyer

is that local officials are trying a back-door attempt to overrule the will of the people of California.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=5018219&mesg_id=5018250

[tridim]

13. And a back-door attempt to bash Obama (yet again) from what I'm seeing posted here.

[Uncle Joe]

16. Time will tell whether there is any merit to their criticism or not.

I believe the problem has been too many mixed signals from the feds in regards to cannabis policy combined with the increasingly apparent, long term, counterproductive, draconian, dysfunctional "War Against Drugs" policies particularly in regards to cannabis.

As I posted on the other thread, I believe the people are far ahead of the politicians on this issue.

Watching Ken Burns' Prohibition series on PBS only underscored what I already believed, and I see our insane drug policy as turning Mexico in to Chicago of the 1920s to the tenth power.

[Abq_Sarah]

8. I'm pretty sure the President

Replaced all the US Attorneys in California. They're not some rogue agents, they work for the Justice Department.

[tridim]

14. I'd like some verification.

And again, why aren't the other US Attorneys in other states raiding dispensaries? They work for the DOJ too.

[Upton]

15. They have been raiding in other states..

something I explained to you a couple weeks ago, when I pointed out the DOJ had raided dispensaries in Spokane..

Medical marijuana activists across Washington state decried federal raids on at least two dispensaries in Spokane on Thursday, saying they underscored the need for a dispensary licensing system that the governor has threatened to veto.

The raids came Thursday afternoon, three weeks after the top federal prosecutor in Eastern Washington, Spokane U.S. Attorney Michael Ormsby, warned the 40 dispensaries in the area that they should close up shop or face federal enforcement actions.
----
Recent letters from the Justice Department to officials in several states, including Washington, Colorado, California and Montana, have warned that licensing dispensaries or marijuana grow operations would not necessarily protect them from a federal crackdown because marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/120912454.html

but lets not let the facts get in the way of your continued attempts to justify Obama's betrayal..

[tridim]

19. Why is the state U.S. attorney's office issuing the statements in WA?

I would think the DOJ would be handling federal raid announcements.

Very fishy.

Regardless, both of the raided WA dispensaries are still open for business. :shrug:

[Abq_Sarah]

25. The US attorney

Works for the DOJ.

[Robb]

5. Perhaps the feds have reason to believe these are traffickers, not dispensaries.

I would like to know if that's the case, as it puts legitimate operations in poor company -- "...traffickers who falsely masqueraded as medical dispensaries and “use medical marijuana laws as a shield,” as the first link says.

Time will tell I suppose.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

7. oh well....55 electoral votes isn't that many

I'll be very interested to see what the Stasi says at their press conference tomorrow.

[Abq_Sarah]

10. Since the justice deparment issued directives this summer

Telling states they didn't give a shit about state law and were going to fully enforce federal law, I imagine that will be repeated in the press conference.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[dennis4868]

17. oh shit....

facts mean nothing here.....just the final results....you are in the wrong place if you want to debate on the facts :-(

[theaocp]

20. I hope I'm reading you wrong.

"Perhaps the feds have reason to believe..." is facts?

[dennis4868]

23. people here jumping to conclusions...

there so much shitty HYPERSPECULATION here...gotta wait till the facts to come out to know why Obama did what he did and not presume he is going against something he previously said as the original poster implied.

[robdogbucky]

21. So, Robb, why was my post deleted?

I simply answered your question as to whom they are targeting and told you they first targeted Steve DeAngelo and Harborside:

http://www.harborsidehealthcenter.com/


Are you still concerned?

[virgogal]

9. As a senior who has been for legalizing pot for about 20 years,this

kind of thing drives me nuts.

I knew a hell of a lot more drunks than potheads in my long life. Alcohol destroyed many members of my family.

Madness !

[nichomachus]

11. Why is he all for "states rights" when it comes to same-sex marriage, but not here

Apparently, a man without principles.

[Ignis]

24. Sad but true, in this case.

[theaocp]

18. Maybe he should break out his comfortable bong

and get some fucking perspective. Oh wait, he's powerless. What a fucking waste.

[robdogbucky]

22. Some DUers are more equal than others,

I guess

[indepat]

26. It just seems to get more right-wing, right-winger, and right-wingest

with the passage of time, with intermittent populist pronouncements interspersed to soothe and placate the rattled and bewildered home folk. :patriot: