Drug czar: Feds won't support legalized pot [Obama breaks promise - still raids medical marijuana]

Fresno Bee ^ | July 22, 2009 | Marc Benjamin

[grundle]

The federal government is not going to pull back on its efforts to curtail marijuana farming operations, Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, said Wednesday in Fresno.

The nation's drug czar, who viewed a foothill marijuana farm on U.S. Forest Service land with state and local officials earlier Wednesday, said the federal government will not support legalizing marijuana.

"Legalization is not in the president's vocabulary, and it's not in mine," he said.

"Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit," Kerlikowske said in downtown Fresno while discussing Operation SOS -- Save Our Sierra -- a multiagency effort to eradicate marijuana in eastern Fresno County.

Marijuana plants valued at more than $1.26 billion have been confiscated and 82 people arrested over the past 10 days in Fresno County. The operation started last week and is continuing.

By comparison, Tulare County's leading commodity -- milk -- was valued at about $1.8 billion in 2008.

Officials say the marijuana-eradication operation will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the exact amount won't be known until agencies can add up staffing, vehicle and other costs.

In Operation SOS, more than 314,000 plants were uprooted in 70 gardens -- numbers expected to rise as the enforcement action continues. Agents also seized $41,000 in cash, 26 firearms and three vehicles.

[grundle]

Obama made a campaign promise to stop the DEA marijuana raids in the states where medical marijuana is legal. But now he has appointed a new drug czar who will continue the raids, and who claims that marijuana has no medical benefits.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

obama breaking yet another promise? I'm shocked, shocked I say! :-/

About the only promise he seems to be keeping is his full-court-press at turning America into a bankrupt, socialist/fascist nightmare.

[JRandomFreeper]

"Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit,"

Demonstrably false statements.

/johnny

[MrEdd]

ping! get us the Dummy take on this one.

[dtrpscout]

Is there any other kind from this administration?

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Oh, the stinking hippy obots are going to be like...bummed out, man. (inhaling-fhhhhhhhh)

[Moonman62]

The potheads can’t get a break.

[hsmomx3]

All those young people who voted for him thought he would legalize pot and looks like he won’t.

[1ofmanyfree]

Bet all the DU dummies will be deeply saddened. Maybe they will start to see that the hope and change thing isn't working out quite like they thought it would... how can this be? hahahahha

OMG Obama lied, and pot plants died!!!

[MetaThought]

I imagine there are atleast a few FReepers who are disappointed. Unlikely to be surprised, though.

[Uncle Miltie]

Bull Hockey. I was in Seattle after the WTO Riots, and the RIOTERS HOLED UP IN AN ABANDONED BUILDING NEXT TO THE SEATTLE POLICE STATION.

KERLIKOWSKI DID NOTHING FOR MONTHS WHILE THE RIOTOUS SQUATTERS LAUGHED AT HIM.

[Uncle Miltie]

Earning him the nickname: GIRLYKOWSKI

[fr_freak]

"Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit," Kerlikowske said in downtown Fresno while discussing Operation SOS -- Save Our Sierra -- a multiagency effort to eradicate marijuana in eastern Fresno County.

Even if this statement weren't demonstrably false, it is not demonstrably true, either, at least not any more so than other things like alcohol or trans fats. It is highly irresponsible and completely lacking in integrity to make such a sweeping statement when it has not been proven. It is even more irresponsible to base an intrusive law enforcement policy on such made-up "science".

Having said that, I was under the impression that the marijuana farms in the Sierras that were busted the other day were Mexican cartel farms, not medical marijuana plots, in which case, I'd say eradicating those makes sense whether marijuana has medical benefits or not.

[Uncle Miltie]

Hey, GIRLYKOWSKI, if you’re serious, come arrest my neighbors. You can find me.

[USNBandit]

What do you think the government should do when Mexican criminals destroy the National Forest to grow marijuana?

The grows are in the National Forest, not on private property. I don't think too many people want to risk being shot at by Mexican narcoterrorists because they took a nature walk in the wrong part of the forest.

[Michael Barnes]

LEGALIZE!!! YEAH!

Still wont stop the black market. The garbage will still come across the border, only laced for more addiction.

I am a proponent for legalization. And promote it as grown safe in the U.S.A. with no chemicals (when was the last time YOU bought boot-legged WINE or shine???).
The government stands to do nicely on taxes and people by and large will not be turned into criminals. Look, we already have DUI laws on the books. Are the DUI laws legit or not? a matter for another debate. But none the less, DUI laws exist and can be applied equally with marijuana.
Let the private sector hash out who can smoke and who cannot. Put it in hiring contracts and annual reviews. Employers can still say who they want to hire and many do dope tests already.
These crazy laws against a weed simply boggle the mind.
It is Prohibition part Deux with a larger Police state and growers/suppliers making some dank stuff for black market profit.
Legalize already. Those that want to will continue; those that never have will still be the never halves.

Oh and don't bring in coke or anything else..I DO NOT support that "refined" crap...Never have, never will. Can't pick it? don't sell it it.

[grundle]

What do you think the government should do when Mexican criminals destroy the National Forest to grow marijuana?

I think they should make it legal to grow marijuana on private property, which would make people stop growing it on public property.

[SierraWasp]

"These crazy laws against a weed simply boggle the mind."

And, as everybody knows, some minds are SO much more easily boggled, than others!!!

[gman992]

And this is a bad thing...freeking pot-smoking hippies!!

[08bil98z24]

Obama made a campaign promise to stop the DEA marijuana raids in the states where medical marijuana is legal. But now he has appointed a new drug czar who will continue the raids, and who claims that marijuana has no medical benefits.

I kept telling people pot was never gonna be legalized, especially by this President.

The WOD is simply about government control.