First Medical Marijuana Raid by DEA Under Obama Administration

According to marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided a medical marijuana dispensary Thursday in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. It was only the second full day of Barack Obama's term in office.

"Even though President Barack Obama had made repeated promises during his election campaign to end federal raids in medical marijuana states, many high-ranking Bush Administration officials have yet to leave office," ASA said in a statement.

For example, still at the helm of the DEA is acting Administrator Michele Leonhart. Neither Eric Holder, President Obama's pick for U.S. Attorney General, nor a new DEA Administrator, have taken office yet.

"Whether or not this unconscionable raid on a medical marijuana provider is the fault of federal officials from the previous administration, President Obama has an opportunity to change this harmful and outdated policy," said Caren Woodson, Director of Government Affairs for ASA. "We are hopeful that these are the last remnants of the Bush regime and that President Obama will quickly develop a more compassionate policy toward our most vulnerable citizens."

ASA says medical marijuana and an unknown amount of cash was seized during the raid from Holistic Solutions, but no arrests were made. According to ASA, this first DEA raid under the new Obama Administration is another example of more than 100 raids on medical marijuana providers that have occurred in California over the past two years.

While the greatest federal enforcement has occurred in California, the advocacy group says the DEA has been active in other states as well. Federal agents raided the Washington State offices of a medical marijuana advocacy group that was supplying starter plants to hundreds of authorized patients.

In Oregon, a federal grand jury was used by the DEA to obtain the medical records of several patients, an effort that was later rejected by a federal court. The DEA also went as far as to threaten New Mexico officials for planning to implement that states medical marijuana distribution program.

"I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users," Senator Obama said in an August 2007 statement. "It's not a good use of our resources," he continued. This statement was followed up by Obama in other public events in the run up to the election.

"President Obama must rise to the occasion by quickly correcting this problem and by keeping the promise he made to the voters of this country," said Woodson.

ASA has been working with the new Administration on changing federal law around medical marijuana, which has included providing a comprehensive set of policy recommendations.

hxxp://tinyurl.com/c9dbzp

"I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users, It's not a good use of our resources,"

Is NOT:

"I don't believe medical marijuana users should not be prosecuted."

Neither is it: "We will stop prosecuting marijuana users"

The difference is as wide as a galaxy.

The expression "You bought it, now you live with your purchase" comes to mind.

Another politician.

No more, no less.

this is seriously an outrage and very frustrating...not the fact that obama "needs" to do something or bush "did" this in his day but the fact that people are being openly abused by the government when they chose different.i feel like a revolution...might be a little radical in some MP users minds and every day citizens.but is it not radical that the government craps all over everyones face right out in public like its no thing?

Stuff like that really pisses me off u just can't win in the "land of the free" and to think their getting paychecks to harrass innocent people.

yeah there getting paychecks for harassing innocent people as well as getting paychecks from the people there harassing...ironic it is.

noneedforalarm said:

yeah there getting paychecks for harassing innocent people as well as getting paychecks from the people there harassing...ironic it is.

Click to expand...

damn double negative i have to draw unemployment and still pay taxes knowing majority of my tax dollars is going to waste.

"Often double negatives are considered incorrect grammatical usages; however, dialects which utilize double negatives do so consistently and follow a different set of descriptive linguistic rules." i believe its turned into a positive.i slept through english
EDIT: sorry i dont feel like posting the link...to tired to even type...why am i even here?

Aint nothin changed ev ry day-quote

its all about $$$-fact
80% of the people in prison r nonviolent offenders-fact
Isnt locking someone in a cage last resort-rhetorical question
not today-answer

Noneedforalarm said, ".i feel like a revolution." Yeah, I know what you mean, noneedforalram, but as my aunt used to say many years ago, "You and whose army?" I believe that most Americans are too complacent to do what it takes to make the needed changes. I'm no exception to this. I'm too cynical and tired of all the nonsense to really care anymore.

On the other hand, concerning marijuana, I believe that it might some day be decriminalized in this country, but don't count on it. As we all know, there's been big progress in that arena on the state level in many states. So, who knows, it might happen on the federal level too.

Basically, I'm saying that I no longer let myself get angry over it. Let's just wait and see what happens.

Alistair Young said:

Noneedforalarm said, ".i feel like a revolution." Yeah, I know what you mean, noneedforalram, but as my aunt used to say many years ago, "You and whose army?" I believe that most Americans are too complacent to do what it takes to make the needed changes. I'm no exception to this.

Click to expand...

A perfect example of this is that hard copy letters that give a specific, well worded, clear, protest to the current marijuana laws drift into the offices of the various senators and congress representatives in small, uncoordinated batches. Most are form letters that are ignored the moment they're opened. The sender doesn't even have the initiative to write an original document. They're too lazy to anything but sign the bottom of a form.

IF a coordinated effort to send ORIGIONAL hand printed documents that clearly state a dislike for the current marijuana laws and a desire to have it LEGALIZED were to take place, and MILLIONS of letters directed at the office of the PRESIDENT where they would be counted and processed, then something might actually get done. The people would have had their say as a type of vote.

The press would get hold of the MILLIONS of letters fact, widely propagate the news and a real notice would take place that has a chance of changing the law by Executive Order.

This would have to be set up as much as a year ahead. The "pre-news" would start filtering to both the legal side and the side of the people with a FIRM DATE OF MAILING noted. That would do many things. It would enable people to talk among themselves so that many "fence-sitters" may decide to do it, and it would progressively bring it to the attention of the legal system that a change was inevitable.

SET THE DATE, SPREAD THE WORD NATIONALLY, PRESS EVERYONE TO SEND AN ORIGIONAL LETTER, NO PRE-PRINTED FORMS. USE THE "KISS" PRINCIPLE. NO 50 PAGE LETTERS. ONE PAGE, CLEAR, PRECISE.

On that date, the massive, MILLIONS of letters would tie the system into knots for many days. They would arrive in D.C. for a couple of weeks to be counted and read for a vote count. The news would broadcast the vote-by-letter. It would be an event, instead of a half-azzed try.

THAT is why it hasn't happened yet. It's illegal still because obviously not enough people give a rats behind enough to coordinate an effort.

The first series of letters would be talked down by the anti-marijuana people. They would probably cause it to be finally ignored. HOWEVER, that is when the second, and if necessary, a third and fourth series of letters are sent on prescribed days following the first, IF THE LAWS ARE NOT CHANGED BY EXECTUTIVE ORDER. It's that simple. FORCE the President to stop marijuana prosecution until the senate and the congress can vote on the law and over-turn it.

If this is done, marijuana would be legal to use within a month.

Will it ever take place?

I, like Alistair, don't think so. People talk a good game, but when it's time to get off their collective azzes and do something like write a half page letter with original thoughts, they won't do it. "I don't know what to say", "I don't have time", "They'll put me on a list and harass me"....the excuses will fly.

It comes down to:

PUT UP OR SHUT UP, BUT PUT UP ON THE SAME DAY NEXT JANUARY 20th. That's the President's first anniversary as the Man.

I'm going to start a Poll for who will write this letter on January 20th, 2010.

If you are going to write a letter, then just vote yes. No Bull-Puckey. Don't say yes unless YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE THE LETTER to the President.

Others in other countries than the USA, please feel free to do the same in your own country. A world-wide effort would be quite the news.

i agree with potus on the issue of people willing to make a beef,but when it comes to doing something as simple as penning a letter,they renege.we all need each other as a collective on this issue.if not nothing will ever change.let the ones that are truly adamant about this case step up.vote with your heart and soul.not for being popular with the statistics of this vote.be honest and do the right thing.jmo