Obama Explains Increasing Medical Marijuana Crackdowns... 'Rolling Stone' Interview

[Julie Gardener]

Amid an increased crackdown on medical marijuana producers across the nation, including a recent high-profile raid on a California training school, President Barack Obama faced questions in a new interview with Rolling Stone about the seeming disconnect between his 2008 campaign rhetoric and his administration's actions since he took office.

"I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws [on medical marijuana]," Obama promised in 2008, according to an earlier Rolling Stone report. But Attorney General Eric Holder announced in 2010 that federal authorities would continue to prosecute individuals for marijuana possession, despite its legalized status in some states.

The Huffington Post's Lucia Graves reported recently on subsequent enforcement activity:

Since then, the administration has unleashed an interagency cannabis crackdown that goes beyond anything seen under the Bush administration, with more than 100 raids, primarily on California pot dispensaries, many of them operating in full compliance with state laws. Since October 2009, the Justice Department has conducted more than 170 aggressive SWAT-style raids in 9 medical marijuana states, resulting in at least 61 federal indictments, according to data compiled by Americans for Safe Access, an advocacy group.

Speaking with Rolling Stone, the president tried to explain his original comments, claiming that the recent pressure on dispensaries and providers was in line with his intent.

"What I specifically said was that we were not going to prioritize prosecutions of persons who are using medical marijuana," Obama said. "I never made a commitment that somehow we were going to give carte blanche to large-scale producers and operators of marijuana -- and the reason is, because it's against federal law."

The president continued: "I can't nullify congressional law. I can't ask the Justice Department to say, 'Ignore completely a federal law that's on the books.' What I can say is, 'Use your prosecutorial discretion and properly prioritize your resources to go after things that are really doing folks damage.' As a consequence, there haven't been prosecutions of users of marijuana for medical purposes."

Obama then shifted gears away from marijuana, saying that a "broader debate" on drug laws was warranted.

While the president appears to believe that his administration's actions against medical cannabis don't conflict with his earlier statements on the issue, some lawmakers around the country disagree.

Lawmakers in five states that have legalized medical marijuana recently wrote a letter to Obama criticizing him for a supposed "contradiction" on the matter and calling on the federal government "not to interfere with our ability to control and regulate how medical marijuana is grown and distributed."

Read the entire Rolling Stone interview here.

Source: Obama Explains Increasing Medical Marijuana Crackdowns, Raids In 'Rolling Stone' Interview

 

[Jd4]

Re: Obama Explains Increasing Medical Marijuana Crackdowns... 'Rolling Stone' Intervi

What I can say is, 'Use your prosecutorial discretion and properly prioritize your resources to go after things that are really doing folks damage.' As a consequence, there haven't been prosecutions of users of marijuana for medical purposes."

" As a consequence, there haven't been prosecutions of users of marijuana for medical purposes"

Are you kidding me? Thats exactly what they are aiming at! To MMJ dispensaries and those who use it for medical purposes...
I dont understand how a person can say something like that without shame of knowing they are lying and instead they are doing the opposite of their promises and ignore it, as we cant tell whats going on...

This country is built on lies and not run by the people, and people are still blind on many things that this country does and we support it without knowing it, and worse we accept it without doing anything about it...

 

[Kash Krop]

Re: Obama Explains Increasing Medical Marijuana Crackdowns... 'Rolling Stone' Intervi

A politician only has two priorities;
1 Get Elected
2 Get Re-elected

 

[1lluminated1]

Re: Obama Explains Increasing Medical Marijuana Crackdowns... 'Rolling Stone' Intervi

Obummer is a joke. Congress is a joke. The senate is a joke. 99% of politicians work for the NWO order and will bring about the soon demise of the US.

It's time we stoners and patients grow as much meds as we can and bury the excess because the future is bleak. Use those excess meds and barter them for guns, beans, ammo and silver.

 

[MyndMy]

Re: Obama Explains Increasing Medical Marijuana Crackdowns... 'Rolling Stone' Intervi

Obummer is a joke. Congress is a joke. The senate is a joke. 99% of politicians work for the NWO order and will bring about the soon demise of the US.

It's time we stoners and patients grow as much meds as we can and bury the excess because the future is bleak. Use those excess meds and barter them for guns, beans, ammo and silver.

Now that sounds like a plan

 

[09Giants420]

Re: Obama Explains Increasing Medical Marijuana Crackdowns... 'Rolling Stone' Intervi

This is why I live the life I WANT TO LIVE. I do not follow political "law" because thats what it is, politics. One of the most corrupt things in the world. I mean come on look at the president side stepping these issues and recounting what he said. Hes a joke as are 99 percent of politicians like was previously stated. These guys along with the big business men of America are supposed to be EXAMPLES of what is GOOD with this country, yet they are the complete opposite!!!!! Look at all the recent corruption cases going on with the secret service, john edwards, eric holder, wtf is going on with our tax dollars?!?!?! You think I am going to listen to any of these "leaders" for more than a milisecond to get a good laugh?! No I am going to live the life that I believe is the best for me. If that includes smoking a damn joint than by god am I going to smoke that joint and be as happy as I can be. They all need to wake up and look at our country that is beginning to fall into ruins. Imagine when oil supplies run out.... I can not even imagine what these guys are going to come up with. 20 dollars a gallon perhaps?! Man this stuff frustrates me beyond believe we need someone with spirit and devotion to AMERICA and its PEOPLE to get into office and change things.

 

[Goshawk]

Re: Obama Explains Increasing Medical Marijuana Crackdowns... 'Rolling Stone' Intervi

What I do not understand is why the police and prosecutors allowed marijuana dispensaries to operate in the first place here in Washington State. No where in Washington State Cannabis Law Chapter 69.51a RCW have I found where it says it is legal to sell marijuana. When I got my recommendation from my doctor he informed me it was illegal to buy or sell marijuana and the only legal way to obtain it was to grow it. Also I do not get how these dispensaries say they are non profit organizations and yet single dispensaries have netted over 20 million dollars in one year. Although I believe medical marijuana is helpful to many people it has become a scam here in Washington. All you have to do is go to a doctor you have never seen before and in that one visit if you tell him/her that you get migraine headaches you will get a medical marijuana recommendation. I made some calls and was told that if I do not receive a recommendation the day of my visit that there will be no charge. At the very least a patient should have a minimum relationship with a doctor of at least five visits for there to be any credibility at all with medical marijuana recommendations. Also when I ask my friend's kids ages 17 to 21 where they and their friends get their marijuana they say from the medical marijuana dispensaries. So here in Washington there is no street weed. Street weed is medical marijuana.