U.S. Attorney Said Montana Medical Pot Growers Wouldn't Be Prosecuted -- Now They're Facing Life in

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/us-attorney-said-montana-medical-pot-growers-wouldnt-be-prosecuted-now-theyre-facing-life

U.S. Attorney Said Montana Medical Pot Growers Wouldn't Be Prosecuted -- Now They're Facing Life in Prison


In March of 2011, federal agents in hazmat suits — guns brandished and sirens blaring — raided dozens of marijuana greenhouses and dispensaries in Montana, and arrested citizens who were growing pot in accordance with the state’s medical marijuana law. It all happened without warning — unlike in California and other states where fair notice, and lead time, was given to folks so they could close up shop. The timing of the raids was highly suspicious. They took place on the very day — the very hour, in fact — that the Montana Legislature was holding a much-anticipated hearing on how to tweak the medical marijuana statute, so as to cut down on recreational use and sham prescriptions, and also to clarify several parts of the law that were ambiguous.

The top federal prosecutor in Montana — Mike Cotter, the U.S. attorney appointed by President Obama in 2009 — then charged the growers, their greenhouse workers, their bookkeepers, some of their spouses, and even their landlords who had simply provided buildings to the growers with decades in prison and in some cases virtual life sentences, all under federal drug trafficking statutes.

Now Cotter is breaking his silence and speaking publicly, for the first time, about his two-year crusade to shutter the medical marijuana industry and put its practitioners behind bars, in many cases for life sentences. And he is mincing no words. He says that pot has no medical value at all, for anyone, and that if you think otherwise, you are a sucker who has been duped “by slick Madison Avenue marketing” employed by pot dealers. He says pot is a dangerous drug and growing it is a federal crime that must be punished.

The opposite of what doctors have long believed about the benefits of marijuana for many patients, these comments go a long way in explaining much of what happened in Montana over the last two years.

[Downwinder]

1. Hate to wish a malignancy on anyone. But, perhaps it is

already there.

[byeya]

2. This calls out for jury nullification and solidarity with the medical MJ growers

[n2doc]

3. "Suckers"

Obama to all of those who voted for him, thinking that he would ratchet down the war on drugs.

And I'm sure 2016 will offer no choice in that matter either.

[SammyWinstonJack]

10. Yep. Life in prison for growing a weed. Dangerous drug.......hahahaha.

More like a cash cow for those who benefit from it status as an illegal drug.


Won't give those big bucks up any without a fight.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. They do not treat us as citizens. They demean us as subjects.

[Civilization2]

5. Corporate law enforcement,. Big Pharm, Big Liquor, Big Tobacco, get what they want!

"He says pot is a dangerous drug"

OK, what proof is there for this silly claim?


Demand proof of the claim of "dangerous",. Big Pharm, Big Liquor, Big Tobacco have been PROVEN dangerous and yet,. .

[jsr]

6. Meanwhile: Former Enron CEO Skilling's sentence cut to 14 years

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/21/us-enron-skilling-idUSBRE95K12520130621

[RILib]

7. Simliar to what's happening in RI.

Obama's word, worth, uh, ...

[Dustlawyer]

8. Entrapment! I would like to have a conversation with that guy! Especially while I wait for the

drug cocktail that I take 3 times a day to kick in. It usually makes me throw up in the morning. Pot on the other hand works almost immediately and I feel good instead of nauseated! It's ignorant guys like this that make my blood boil!
Obama, what the fuck are you doing?

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. "Obama, what the fuck are you doing?" Bending to his corporate paymasters.

Wait, does saying that make me a racist?

[Dustlawyer]

15. You said it! I don't think you are a racist.

[dotymed]

9. Once upon on a time

when most Dr.'s made house calls. They carried their "black bags" full of instruments and commonly used medicine.
The bag was a basic kit that they purchased from the medical supply companies.
Among the basic medicines contained in those bags was marijuana. It had various (and still does) medicinal uses and was used frequently.
This was before the minority targeted, "reefer madness" FBI campaign was initiated by Hoover.
Talk about "slick Madison avenue marketing," that was employed by Hoover to convince white folks that marijuana would drive you crazy and make you act "just like the black folks" who used it because it was cheap and could be grown easily. It was just another racist tool used by "the man" to keep racism strong.
Isn't it sickeningly ironic that "our" first black president would promote this trash?
A wolf in sheep's clothing...

[Ford_Prefect]

12. He has been as Ruthless and Relentless as his commentary and violated due process at every point.

He has notably stayed clear of the genuine drug dealers marketing harder and more dangerous substances, and has avoided going after those in the legislature who enable them. In a number of cases he has been used by the hard drug trade to eliminate what they see as competition. They feed him easy prosecutions and he looks the other way on Meth and other much more dangerous substances.

He is a nearly perfect example of misdirected legal authority. The energy and resources he has used to attack grandmothers looking for a legally approved response to glaucoma, cancer and other side effects of age is stunning. If his attitude and methodology were applied against some other well-heeled and defended cause he would have by now been sent to whatever passes for Siberia in the federal legal system.

He has done real harm to everyday people and given Federal Legal Authority in Montana the blackest name since the BIA opened shop.

[sorefeet]

13. The growers who were honest and straight forward

were busted. Now you can't find a legal caregiver here. They have driven it all under ground, you can buy plenty of pot but it is all illegal. We had two legal outlets bombed and guess what, they never found who did it, barely did an investigation. The tea baggers have hooked up with the Mormons here and called the shots with the raids. Cherry Brady, Zabawa, senator Essman were all complicit in the raids. It was a big deal. Brady said pot was so addicting that seventh grade girls were prostituting for marijuana. Essman called the fed raids to coordinate with the legislature. 62% of Montana voted for medical cannabis but Essman decided we didn't know what we wanted so he was going to fix it. Now instead of a safe legal system we got the same under ground we always had. I am ashamed of America, I am ashamed of the politicians. After all none of them have any shame for themselves. Spineless, bought and paid for enemies of the American people is all they are.

[CanonRay]

14. Our whole justice system is out of whack

Used to be that some states were that way, now the Federal system is as bad, or worse, that any state. Glaring economic and environmental crimes go unpunished, while leakers and pot growers face life. Eric Holder is a disaster as AG, as I've said many times here.

[Logical]

16. And Obama laughs off pot questions from reporters. n-t