Reject Obama's Nomination of Michele Leonhart For DEA Director

[Jim Finnel]

President Barack Obama recently nominated Michele Leonhart to direct the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. NORML is asking you to contact your Senator today and urge him or her to reject this nomination.

As interim director, Ms. Leonhart has obstructed efforts to end the destructive conflict between federal and state medical marijuana laws while overseeing federal raids and arrests in disregard of state law - contrary to the present policy of this administration.

Furthermore, Ms. Leonhart has blocked scientific research on medical marijuana, in disregard of this administration's pledge to let science, rather than ideology, guide public policy.

In particular, Ms. Leonhart has neglected to reply to an eight-year old petition to reschedule marijuana for medical use, which was supported by NORML and was called for by the AMA and a growing number of states and federal judges.

She has further denied the application of the University of Massachusetts to establish a research facility for FDA development of marijuana, overruling the recommendation of the DEA's own administrative law judge that this was not in the public interest.

Ms. Leonhart has incomprehensibly called the rising death toll civilians attributable to the U.S./Mexican drug war "a signpost of the success" of her agency's policies.

Ms. Leonhart's actions and ambitions are incompatible with common sense marijuana law reform and the stated policies of this administration. Please urge Congress to reject this nomination. For your convenience, a prewritten letter will be e-mailed to your member of the U.S. Senate when you enter your contact information HERE.

Thank you for assisting NORML's federal law reform efforts.



News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: NORML
Copyright: 2008 NORML
Contact: Contact Us - NORML
Website: Contact Officials - NORML

 

[GanjaAL2]

This was the response I was given:

Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to the nomination of Michele M. Leonhart to be Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). I welcome this opportunity to respond.



In 2004, Ms. Leonhart was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to serve as DEA Deputy Administrator. She was the DEA's first female Special Agent in Charge (SAC) and later became the SAC for the Los Angeles Field Division, which is its third largest Field Division. She has been the Acting Administrator since 2007.



I understand you have concerns about medical marijuana and Ms. Leonhart's record on enforcing drug laws. As you may be aware, last fall, the Justice Department issued new guidelines clarifying its position on medical marijuana and how federal prosecutors should handle cases where state and federal laws conflict. This directive sets parameters for use of federal resources for prosecutors in marijuana cases stating that ".priorities should not focus federal resources in your states on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana."



Ms. Leonhart's nomination is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member. At this time, however, her nomination has not been taken up for consideration. As a member of this Committee, I take my role in reviewing nominees very seriously, and I appreciate hearing your opposition to Ms. Leonhart. Please know I will keep your concerns in mind should her nomination come before the Committee or the full Senate.



Again, thank you for contacting me. I hope you will continue to keep informed on matters of interest to you. Best regards.





Sincerely yours,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator