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Didn't he do that months ago, with mixed results?

I still remember "LOL internet stoners next question".

AP has more info and some more clarity today:

The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal antipot laws regardless of state codes.

Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

California is unique for the presence of dispensaries - businesses that sell marijuana and even advertise their services.

Attorney General Eric Holder said in March that he wanted federal law enforcement officials to pursue those who violate both federal and state law, but it has not been clear how that goal would be put into practice.

A 3-page memo spelling out the policy is expected to be sent today to federal prosecutors in the 14 states, and also to top officials at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The memo, the officials said, emphasizes that prosecutors have wide discretion in choosing which cases to pursue, and says it is not a good use of federal manpower to prosecute those who are without a doubt in compliance with state law.

DEA agents will be needed to enforce patient compliance with the Psychotropic Drugs Act of 2011. This announcement will free up the necessary manpower.

Last edited by jerwin (2009-10-19 6:46 pm)

Tallgeese wrote:

Pariah wrote:

Tallgeese wrote:

Also, isn't the DoJ supposed to have a lot of independence in choosing cases to prosecute? Wasn't the Bush administration criticized for telling the DoJ who to prosecute?

While the DoJ has a fair degree of independence it is lead by political appointees who take their lead from the President.
For example the Fed returned to prosecuting obscenity cases against the  mainstream porn producers. Something that hadn't been done much in 20 years. Bush's close ties to the religious right brought that back to the priority list.

Just saying that Obama can't actually order them to avoid these cases. He can appoint people who he thinks will go with the memo, but if they don't he can't fire them or control them.

Why not?
He is from Chicago.

Obama's order can work because it lets them off the hook to prosecute those cases. The Feds were in opposition to state and local law enforcement on that matter and that was a bad situation.

Last edited by user (2009-10-20 10:06 am)

Has anyone heard how Mexico's decriminalization has been going?

[Tycho?] wrote:

This is good, but a very minor improvement really. It just takes marijuana laws back to normal levels of stupidness, rather than the beyond-crazy levels they reached under Bush. Long way to go though.

Baby steps.
The anti-drug propaganda onslaught of the last thirty years has made changing course a difficult one, no matter how much sense it makes.

Last edited by Pariah (2009-10-20 4:24 pm)

Before we all get excited, lets remember that the local cops are still encouraged to bust people, regardless of their legality.

http://www.startribune.com/nation/64720 … :UiacyKUUr (an AP story)

LOS ANGELES - Clay Tepel knew there were risks to setting up a medical marijuana shop: it could lose money, be robbed or be raided by authorities.

Still, he wasn't expecting the phone call one August day when a voice said the police were outside and he needed to open up or they would bust down the door. His first thought that it was a joke turned to terror when he opened the door.

Heavily armed officers in helmets, bulletproof vests and, oddly enough, Bermuda shorts stormed his store, handcuffed him, disabled security cameras and seized his drugs before taking him to jail. When he asked why his shop was invaded, an officer responded, "We're closing them all down."

Those words could prove prescient after Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said last week he wants to shutter clinics that sell pot for profit. Cooley's plan is the latest salvo in a prolonged conflict in California over whether medical marijuana is truly having its intended effect or is being abused by the larger population.

This guy was apparently following all the rules, had the permits; and still got raided.

radarman wrote:

D'Eyncourt wrote:

Pariah wrote:

Baby steps.
The anti-drug propaganda onslaught of the last thirty years has made changing course a difficult one, no matter how much sense it makes.

True. There are some police departments who fund themselves--sometimes very, very well--through confiscation and subsequent sale of "drug-related" materials (which sometimes included the house in which the drugs were found).

This, unfortunately, is true. The worst part is, even if you aren't convicted, you still lose your stuff. I know my home town seized several sports cars, had them painted black and white, and turned them into cop cars.

I'm still amazed that the drug seizure laws have been upheld as constitutional, especially since property can be seized and held even without a resulting conviction.

The advent of the Civil forfeiture procedure was the greatest single loss of liberty we have suffered and yet when it happened there was barely a whimper out of anyone but the ACLU.
Drug War fever.

Pariah wrote:

The advent of the Civil forfeiture procedure was the greatest single loss of liberty we have suffered and yet when it happened there was barely a whimper out of anyone but the ACLU.
Drug War fever.

Cato, but liberals tend to shy away from them and Republicans only care about them when they publish something to support big business.

D'Eyncourt wrote:

radarman wrote:

D'Eyncourt wrote:

True. There are some police departments who fund themselves--sometimes very, very well--through confiscation and subsequent sale of "drug-related" materials (which sometimes included the house in which the drugs were found).

This, unfortunately, is true. The worst part is, even if you aren't convicted, you still lose your stuff. I know my home town seized several sports cars, had them painted black and white, and turned them into cop cars.
[snip]

Someone at your home town's police department should be fired. SELLING some of those sports cars likely would have bought several Crown Vics (police edition).

Like I said, small town. Complete with small town cops. I have to admit, the Corvette was pretty cool. For a while, they had that, a Camero, and a couple of Mustangs. Apparently, they busted some guys growing pot in the woods near the high school. Some of them were students, but they all lost their cars in the bust.