Health

Obama Responds to DEA Raids on Medical Cannabis Dispensaries

by Brinna | February 5, 2009 at 11:21 pm

833 views | 15 Recommendations | 4 comments

It may have taken a front page story in the Washington Times, but the White House has finally responded to protests over recent DEA raids on medical cannabis providers in states where cannabis is a legal medicine.

President Obama had stated repeatedly on the campaign trail, that he felt raids on legitimate dispensaries were a misuse of Federal resources, so it had been hoped by medical cannabis activists that Obama's inauguration would signal an end to these raids. Unfortunately, for those that use cannabis as a medicine, this was not the case. Exactly two days after the inauguration, three raids were staged in California and Colorado. An additional four raids took place on February 3rd of this year, in the Los Angeles area.

Reports said that no arrests were made, but DEA officials smashed security cameras, and business computers, then confiscated cash, business records and cannabis medicine.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, an organization which advocates a rethinking of our nation's drug policy, over 10,000 emails were sent to the White House to protest the continuing raids. White House aids, answering the White House phone lines were also kept busy by the protests.

So what was President Obama's response? The Washington Times article quotes White House spokesman Nick Shapiro: “The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind.”

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lefty_liberated

at 01:22 on February 6th, 2009

Whooohoo!!!!!!!!!!

louis zizza (not verified)

at 21:50 on February 13th, 2009

These raids were to show President Obama that while the leadership of the D.E.A continue's to be the same Bush people. They feel they don't have to listen to president Obama. That was what a D.E.A agent told me. The D.E.A smashed camera, business computers on these raid's. Why? What was the reason to smash security cameras and instead of taking the business computers they smash them also. Why? And what of the cash? Was it really only ten thousand? By the way what happens to that money? Does the D.E.A keep any of it? No these raids were a direct disregard of the president request. To let him know that the D.E.A will do what they want. Just like Hoover and the F.B.I did. I don't think President Obama will do anything about it. He should have changed the D.E.A leadership right after the first raid they pulled two day's after he became president. No he won't do anything about it. They are promises he won't keep. I am absolutely sure of that.

Jonathan Garcia (not verified)

at 07:48 on February 18th, 2009

Louis Zizza, it is my hope that you are incorrect and that President Obama is simply prioritizing with the economy fist. I also hope that Obama is a man of his word and given the amount of protest given to these occurances he will take action not only in removing Bush's minions but in the decriminalization of cannabis. However it is my beleif that cannabis must also become a taxed good like alcohol and tabacco not just decriminalized. Doing so will not only bring in aditional revenue for the country but provide regulated cannabis that will hopefully be free of harmful substances to the user.

Legalize Now (not verified)

at 20:51 on July 13th, 2009

The DEA is a roving band of gun toting, marijuana stealing pirates. Although they may not keep the marijuana that occurs from their raids, they most certainly do keep the money. We all know that dispensaries are profitable businesses; because quality marijuana is not cheap. I think its obvious who the true criminal element is here. They plan raids, I prefer to call them robberies, because that's what they really are. They break in (1st. crime), steal private property (2nd. crime), they destroy private property (3rd. crime), they impart physical and emotional stress on people who simply want to run a lawful private business (4th. crime); lastly, They use the stolen money to fund their future operations (5th. crime)... The DEA is a regular criminal enterprise of sorts. They are heavily armed and do not work alone. Can they be trusted? I think not. I call them like I see them. These bastards are downright evil in my opinion.... Who is the better for what they are doing in California and other places? Where is the benefit, the improvement in the qaulity of life, that should occur when real crimes are prevented? There is none. Plainly its a front for a criminal enterprise operating under the security and protection of law, made possible by the law. Now I consider myself an activist from the oldschool although I am not oldschool ( I am only 30). I feel that you fight fire with fire. When passive resistance has proven futile, you take up whatever defense you have and you go at them head on, not taking any names.