Don’t expect DEA raids on N.M. medical marijuana dispensaries

[ensho]

http://newmexicoindependent.com/28991/dont-expect-dea-raids-on-nm-medical-marijuana-dispensaries


The nation’s top cop said Friday that marijuana dispensaries participating in New Mexico’s fledgling medical marijuana program shouldn’t fear Drug Enforcement Agency raids, a staple of the Bush administration.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, speaking in Albuquerque during a meeting focused on border issues, including drug trafficking, said his department is focused “on large traffickers,” not on growers who have a state’s imprimatur to dispense marijuana for medical reasons.

“For those organizations that are doing so sanctioned by state law, and doing it in a way that is consistent with state law, and given the limited resources that we have, that will not be an emphasis for this administration,” Holder said.

Friday was not the first time that Holder has said state-sanctioned marijuana dispensaries shouldn’t worry about DEA raids that occurred under the Bush administration, especially as several states passed laws that legalizing medical marijuana.
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'DEA focused on large traffickers'

maybe their focus should be on saving teens from meth addiction which will and can kill them.

mary jane is just the opposite of meth.

wish the Dems in Congress wouldn't be so cowardly on the subject of mary jane.

[Ghost in the Machine]

1. Bernie Ellis, DU's own 'Fly by Night', is working with NM authorities

to get their MMJ system set up. Here's an email I got from Bernie friday:

Good morning, all you anonymous Enchanted Land folks (and those who wish you were):

This week, the Santa Fe Reporter ran another article on the (sad) state of the New Mexico medical marijuana program. It seems the program has ground to a halt while Melissa Milam is on maternity leave. No surprise there -- if anyone expects Steve Jemison to actually do any real work, they don't know him. (Here's the link to the SFR article.)

http://www.sfreporter.com/stories/pot_plans/4695/ ("Pot Plans")

As part of an expanded on-line coverage of the issue, the Reporter also published an extensive interview with me. (Here's that link). http://www.sfreeper.com/2009/06/03/medical-marijuana-martyr-grinds-new-mexicos-program/#more-3577

As usual, I am stirring the New Mexico medical marijuana merde-pot. But hey, someone has to do it. If you have a minute after reading the on-line interview with me, please post a comment there. Much appreciated.

Peace,

Ghost

[votingupstart]

2. glad to see this - nt

[Ghost in the Machine]

3. monday kick

[Annces]

4. this seems to be a positive story

why take the meth angle. If they are letting the medical marijuana be grown, this is good news.

[Fly by night]

5. Thanks, Ghost. I am very happy at the sea-change in federal attitude toward medical marijuana

I just hope that New Mexico can get their "merde" together and implement a program that could (as a result of their expansive authorizing legislation) be a model for the rest of the country.

Sadly, right now, NM's mmj program is just one more bureaucratic "dime-bag".

[Ghost in the Machine]

6. Any time, my friend... the Feds are sounding promising on this, I'll agree...

Now if we can just get other states to follow along... that's the trick, imho.

I've been trying to find some info on why Tennessee's MMJ program shut down after 9 years but I haven't had any luck so far.... do you know of any links where I can research some?

Keep stirring the merde, Bernie...


Peace,

Ghost

[Fly by night]

7. Tennessee's mmj program operated from 1984-92.

Like a handful of other states, its med pot was provided by the Ole Miss grow op (which grew very bad pot, BTW). However, when thousands of AIDS patients began filing applications in the early 90s to enter the program in Tennessee and those other states, Bush I closed the program.

As you know, we are making progress in re-establishing Tennessee's program. If we succeed with the model I am working on, we will break the mold and be in a position to serve 150,000+ patients here with organically-grown, high quality $60/ounce med pot.

Stay tuned.

[Ghost in the Machine]

8. Thanks for the information...

I've been kicking around the idea of how to get city, county & state governments, in states with MMJ laws, to use seized marijuana to supply dispensaries. The government could make money off of all the pot they seize instead of just incinerating it. It would be even better if we could get the Feds and all states involved in this. Billions of dollars of marijuana get incinerated every year when it could be sold thru state sponsored MMJ clinics.

Does what I'm saying make any sense?


If there's anything I can do to help the effort here in Tennessee, just let me know...


Peace,

Ghost