DEA Chief Administrator Slips Up, Says Medical Pot Should be Between Doctor and Patient

[marmar]

Hypocrite: DEA Chief Administrator Slips Up, Says Medical Pot Should be Between Doctor and Patient


By now hundreds of thousands of people have seen that DEA chief administrator, Michele Leonhart, was grilled by a congressional committee about her stance on marijuana policy earlier this week. She eluded anything controversial that came her way. Something that has been overlooked though was that when she was asked about the efficacy of medical marijuana, Leonhart admitted she believes “that’s between (a patient) and his doctor.”

The DEA has always been at the forefront of raiding medical marijuana dispensaries and arresting and jailing medical marijuana patients and providers. The Obama Administration has already authorized more raids on medical marijuana dispensaries than George Bush had in his entire presidency. But now we know that the head of the organization leading these raids thinks the issue should be left to medical professionals. Her comments scream hypocrisy and have outraged advocates across the country.

National support for medical marijuana has floated between 70-80 percent for years now, and for the first time, a Gallup poll found that 50 percent of the country supports legalizing marijuana for non-medical purposes. It’s not simply a shift in budgetary necessity, but rather a philosophical shift in thinking across the country has led to this rapid increase of support.

A New York State Supreme Court Justice suffering from pancreatic cancer courageously came out about his marijuana use for medicinal purposes recently in a New York Times op-ed and has helped change the debate as well. Even politically savvy Democrats such as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have supported reforming marijuana laws recently. The irony of drug war bureaucrats being paid to lie and giving truthful and personal opinions can get you into hot water is so wrong on its face. The DEA needs to recognize the vast support for medical marijuana and end their crusade against people who are sick and find relief from a medicine recommended by their doctors, just like Michele Leonhart believes. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/990125/hypocrite%3A_dea_chief_administrator_slips_up%2C_says_medical_pot_should_be_between_doctor_and_patient/

[elleng]

1. So she's being called out for the only rational thing she said?

[progressoid]

5. This is another example of our convoluted drug policy and her convoluted testamony.

She can't say if crack is worse than pot, but MMJ is between a Doctor and patient even though she'll probably OK some more raids on legal MMJ dispensaries in a couple weeks.

IT'S FUCKED UP.

[elleng]

7. Exactly.

[cthulu2016]

2. She probably meant the 30 year sentence should be split between the Dr. and the patient

[russspeakeasy]

3. Thanks for the chuckle...

[99th_Monkey]

4. Broken Clock Alert!

This woman's "testimony" consists of an endless string of hims & haws, and
just restating double-talk non-sensical "official" jargon, until the questioning
Congress person's time ran out, and then do it all over again with the next
set of questions she basically flat out refused to answer at all.

The most conspicuous example was when she was being asked to say "yes
or no please", whether Marijuana is less harmful to ones health than say
cocaine or heroin, and she refused to ever answer that question, instead she
blathered on and on about how "schedule 1" drugs are ALL addictive, blah
blah.

THIS is REAL "contempt of Congress" in my Universe.

[RainDog]

6. That was when Cohen was questioning her

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101736073

her statement is at 4:46, but his question to her asks if marijuana is an "efficacious situation" for someone with cancer (at 4:05.)

She has never seen someone use marijuana for cancer treatment.

When she says it's between a patient and his doctor, Cohen asks if it's between the patient and his doctor, why has the DEA taken the position that medical marijuana is wrong and not between him and his doctor, and starts to read the DEA stance...

and then his time expires.

What she did in her testimony, also was this: when Cohen asks her about the harm of a particular SUBSTANCE she talks about TRAFFICKING - and then lumps everything in together.

Please, Democrats, keep after this hypocrisy!!!!

Thank you for this!

[TeamPooka]

8. Prohibition is a failed public polcy

Legalizing cannabis turns a money pool controlled by cartels into a revenue stream of taxes and jobs that benefit all citizens.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Thank you! That is exactly right.

Welcome to DU, TeamPooka!

[musiclawyer]

10. CA supreme court will here an important case next year

It involved a small town, City of Lake Forrest, that wanted to deem all disensarties in town a public nuisance and abate as such. The Court of Appeal this past February, in the best reasoned decision I have read , with full blown legisative history behind it's decision, made very clear that the people and Legslature in CA wanted no enforcment (at all) against any co-op or collective run by and for care-givers and patients as long as sales and distribution were on the SITE of cultivation. That's how I have always read the law here and most other (neutral) lawyers too. The problem with most dispensaries in CA is that they were/are selling in urban areas OFF-SITE from Cutivation. And thus remain at risk. Had the collectives been smart they would have established in-door grows in the urban areas and sold from there. But most did not and have not or cannot. (It takes space and money to cultivate) .............But I indeed think the light at end of tunnel can be seen. I think the Supreme Court will affirm the Court of appeal next year, and the co-ops will have guidance.
(The State law trumps all local zoning law too according to the Lake Forrest case). Coupled with what I think will be successfull push-back measures in COL and WA state, the war on drugs is almost over. It's just a matter of time. The demographic changes alone eventually will suffice.

[hempoilworks]

11. the feds know all about the medicinal use of Cannabis- they have a patent on it

6630507

http://www.google.com/patents/US6630507

They're using this to prevent research

why?

One reason might be that Cannabis (specifically THC) *kills* Cancer Cells.

That is not wishful thinking, it's a fact.

video of cell destruction:

seth research maker of video http://thesethgroup.org/research.php

doctor cures himself and explains what happened:
part one:

part two:

big pharma wants to control this natural medicine.