Obama’s drug czar: White House is ‘interested’ in medical marijuana

[DreamSmoker]

Gil Kerlikowske, President Barack Obama’s drug czar, claimed this week that the White House is “interested in the potential marijuana may have” in medicine – but in an odd feint, he also insisted that the drug war’s Nixon-era prohibition policies are “based on science and research, not ideology or politics.”

Responding to a petition on the White House’s website that asked for a rule change to let disabled veterans use medical marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Kerlikowske said that soldiers should not be allowed to use the drug. The White House responded to the petition even though it only had 8,258 signatures. Others have typically required 25,000 signatures or more before officials will reply.

And while the Obama administration has been more adamant about busting and prosecuting medical marijuana dispensaries than even the George W. Bush administration, Kerlikowske’s admission may indicate that Obama’s drug warriors are finally be feeling the pull of not just science, but money and politics too.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/19/ob...ical-marijuana/

[The River]

1. Too Little Too Late

For the hundreds of thousands arrested, jailed and otherwise had their lives ruined
for smoking an herbal medicine whose efficacy has been proven to help so many
medical problems.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Yeah, old Eric Holder looked around recently and noted that he'd alienated many supporters

he might have liked to run to his defense when Congress held him in contempt. The administration's right wing marijuana policy gets them no friends, gets them no support from those who agree with their actions and it costs them support and passion from their actual base.

[Jamaal510]

6. Makes me wonder what they were thinking

by adapting such an aggressive MMJ policy. The Obama administration had to be blind to not know it was bad politics all around, and that much of his base supports legalization.

[mitchtv]

3. interested?

what bullshit! get your federal DEA thugs out of California

[malcolmkyle]

4. Kerlikowske is a Dangerous Criminal!

Parasitic Prohibitionists dance hand in hand with every possible type of criminal one can imagine.

An unholy alliance of ignorance, greed and hate which works to destroy all our hard fought freedoms, wealth and security.

We will always have adults who are too immature to responsibly deal with tobacco alcohol, heroin amphetamines, cocaine, various prescription drugs and even food. Our answer to them should always be: "Get a Nanny, and stop turning the government into one for the rest of us!"

Many of use want to see an end to prohibition, but not necessarily because we want to use drugs (they are already available to us 24/7 on practically every street corner). No, we wish to see proper legalized regulation because we are witnessing, on a daily basis, the dangers and futility of prohibition. 'Legalized Regulation' won't be the complete answer to all our drug problems, but it'll greatly ameliorate the crime and violence on our streets, and only then can we provide effective education and treatment.

The whole nonsense of 'a disaster will happen if we end prohibition' sentiment sums up the delusional 'chicken little' stance of those who foolishly insist on continuing down this blind alley. As if a disaster isn’t already happening? As if prohibition has ever worked?

To support prohibition is such a strange mind-set. In fact, It's outrageous insanity! --Literally not one prohibitionist argument survives scrutiny. Not one!

[DreamSmoker]

5. Yes I agree...

My God.. How conservative..
What a concept....

[MrMickeysMom]

7. Money trumps all... so maybe...

I guess anything is possible when the shit hits the fan economically, as it surely seems to be doing in slow train wreck fashion.