Anti-drug folks deny marijuana to patients and silence critics

"His marijuana trade and propagandist marijuana magazine have generated nearly $5 million a year in profits that bolstered his trafficking efforts, but those have gone up in smoke today. … Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on." Those were the words of former Drug Enforcement Agency chief Karen Tandy, an appointee of President Bush, the second. Chilling, right?

She seems to exhibit glee with the idea that someone who opposes the war on drugs, will have less money to fund anti-drug war activities. Now, what exactly about this alleged drug trafficker? Well, he is hardly a Mexican drug cartel leader.

What he is is Marc Emery, a Canadian who sold marijuana seeds to help fund marijuana reform laws in the United States and Canada. Now, technically Mr. Emery broke the law, an incredibly stupid and idiotic law, but one that he broke. One that I would not convict him of, because like prosecutors who decide not to bring prosecutions in certain cases, juries have the right to also use their discreation and practice jury nullification of cases.

But isn't it chilling that a government official will take open pleasure in silencing dissent that she doesn't agree with?

In a related case, you might be aware of Angel Raich. She is a woman whose doctors declared her life was at stake if she did not use medical marijuana. The courts have said, essentially, so what. A bill introduced in the Congress would have prohibited the federal government from prosecuting medical marijuana patients. Sadly, but not that surprisinly, it was defeated.

I find it ironic that the religious rightwing (the strongest opponents to medical marijuana) would let a woman die by banning her from marijuana, but also would ban someone's right to die, if they are in great pain. They might find this a family value, but I just find it sick and disgusting. Since many of these people are deeply religious, I hope they will explain to their god, why they believed it was a good thing to let this woman, and others, die in slow agony.