ACLU Urges Obama Administration to Back Off Tough Talk on California's Prop. 19

[pokerfan]

Allowing adults to grow a plant? In America? Preposterous! :sarcasm:

Today, the ACLU sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske urging them to reconsider their approach towards federal drug law enforcement if California's Proposition 19 passes in this year's election.

Prop. 19 is an initiative that would allow adults age 21 and over to possess and grow small amounts of their own marijuana for personal use, and would allow cities and counties to regulate and tax commercial sales. Prop. 19 has been widely endorsed by former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, labor unions, law enforcement officials, faith leaders, and civil rights organizations including the ACLU's three California affiliates.

But despite this widespread support, earlier this month, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to nine former chiefs of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) telling them the DOJ will “vigorously enforce” federal laws against marijuana in California, even if Prop. 19 passes. Holder's letter was in response to a letter those same chiefs had sent urging him to challenge Prop. 19 in court (PDF) if it passes. News reports from last week indicated the Obama administration has not ruled this out, despite the fact that the chiefs' request relies upon a wrongly held belief that it would violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Full letter is in the link: http://www.aclu.org/blog/drug-law-reform/aclu-urges-obama-administration-back-tough-talk-californias-prop-19