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Obama's War on Weed Represents a Strange About-Face on Medical Marijuana
Broward-Palm Beach New Times ^ | October 27, 2011 | Ray Stern

Posted on 10/26/2011 5:48:16 PM PDT by PJ-Comix

The new federal crackdown on medical marijuana announced October 7 by the four California U.S. Attorneys sent chills throughout the industry. It was a stunning reversal by the Obama administration.

Only two years ago, Deputy U.S. Attorney General David Ogden wrote his infamous "Ogden Memo," announcing that the feds wouldn't bother businesses in compliance with their own state laws.

It proved a dose of Miracle-Gro to California, where pot-selling stores have multiplied since voters approved the state's 1996 medical marijuana law. By late last year, California reportedly had more dispensaries than Starbucks outlets.

(Excerpt) Read more at browardpalmbeach.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: barackobama; california; davidogden; libertarians; marijuana; medicalmarijuana; ogdenmemo; wod; wodlist; wosd
The first sign of Obama's subterfuge came in late 2010, as California prepared to vote on a ballot proposition that would have legalized growing and possessing small amounts of marijuana for anyone over 21. Under pressure from teetotalers — nine former Drug Enforcement Agency chiefs begged Obama to oppose the measure — Attorney General Eric Holder said it didn't matter what Californians thought. The feds would continue to bust people regardless of the election.

...On October 5, the IRS ruled that one of the largest California dispensaries, Harborside Health Center, owed $2.5 million in taxes because federal law precluded standard deductions for businesses engaging in illegal activity.

In other words, Obama was not only blowing off state laws. He was declaring that legal businesses were now nothing more than criminal rackets. And he was carving away every tool they needed to function.

Why the reversal by Obama on medical marijuana? He indulged in it heavily when younger so why the crackdown now?

1 posted on 10/26/2011 5:48:17 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
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To: PJ-Comix

Because he’s a complete tool and giant flaming hypocrite, perhaps?


2 posted on 10/26/2011 5:50:43 PM PDT by dinodino
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To: dinodino

That’s my take on it.


3 posted on 10/26/2011 5:52:24 PM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: dinodino
There has to be more to it than that. I wonder if Fast & Furious plays into this. Perhaps he promised that if the law enforcement agencies played ball with him on walking guns into Mexico, then he would allow a crackdown on Marijuana. Of course, now he might be scared that those agencies will reveal much more about Fast & Furious so he is leaning backwards to accommodate them on pot.

Anyway, that's my theory.

4 posted on 10/26/2011 5:54:07 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (Free Depends for OWS Protesters)
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To: PJ-Comix
Why the reversal by Obama on medical marijuana? He indulged in it heavily when younger so why the crackdown now?

Why do you think it is Obama who makes any of these decisions?

5 posted on 10/26/2011 5:58:50 PM PDT by Talisker (History will show the Illuminati won the ultimate Darwin Award.)
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To: PJ-Comix
Why the reversal by Obama on medical marijuana? He indulged in it heavily when younger so why the crackdown now?

No surprise there. The left has advocated drug use for years in order to foment revolution and alter and change the moral fiber of America. Now that the goal of communism is almost here he needs to clamp down so he can better control the populace.

6 posted on 10/26/2011 6:03:19 PM PDT by DouglasKC
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To: PJ-Comix

Aren’t these dispensaries supplied by domestic farms? I thought that was the case in California. If they were getting weed off the Mexican narco market, I could see landing on this with both feet. But as it is, even if all of this weed ended up going to recreational users with lame excuses, it represents a lot of weed that would not be bought from Mexico.

In the meantime, it looks like American tolerance for the idea of legal marijuana has gotten to the 50% point according to one poll. I would not “recommend” marijuana (unless for a specific medical use that could be documented) any more than I would “recommend” tobacco or “recommend” getting habitually drunk on alcohol, but certain things may not be worth banning given that the unintended consequences of doing so are worse than the consequences of the habit.


7 posted on 10/26/2011 6:05:50 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (There's gonna be a Redneck Revolution! (See my freep page) [rednecks come in many colors])
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To: DouglasKC

Cynical, but probably right.


8 posted on 10/26/2011 6:06:14 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (There's gonna be a Redneck Revolution! (See my freep page) [rednecks come in many colors])
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To: PJ-Comix

He probably noticed that politicians “hard on drugs” get re-elected, and politicians who want to change the drug laws don’t, pretty much ever.

Drug warriors get votes, that’s why we have the laws we do.


9 posted on 10/26/2011 6:08:25 PM PDT by DBrow
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To: PJ-Comix

The doper fools think it’s o.k. if the feds go after those who smoke tobacco, as long as one of their number is Prez.

The truth is a government that is able to take prohibit one thing that’s considered to be a vice is able to prohibit any other thing that’s considered to be a vice.

Eventually that government will prohibit all things that have been determined to be bad and require all things that have been determined to be good.


10 posted on 10/26/2011 6:16:53 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: dinodino

This is a total waste of money by the FEDS.

I am not a drug user, but the WOD is a complete disaster.


11 posted on 10/26/2011 6:18:25 PM PDT by GlockThe Vote (The Obama Adminstration: 2nd wave of attacks on America after 9/11)
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To: PJ-Comix
By late last year, California reportedly had more dispensaries than Starbucks outlets.

That's a lot of sick people.

12 posted on 10/26/2011 6:21:28 PM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck; PJ-Comix
Aren’t these dispensaries supplied by domestic farms?

Yep, these people can buy starter plants for cheap, all grown in the CA/U.S.

My neighbor has cancer and got two starter plants a year ago, so she has no need to buy it from anyone.

13 posted on 10/26/2011 6:26:12 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: PJ-Comix
He's doing it to agitate the millions of pot smokers in California and elsewhere, to get them to join OWS and other types of protests. Just like the Bailouts, Obama supported it, the OWS people claim to be against it, but they will all vote for Obama anyway. Ultimately, Obama wants to destroy the country more than he wants to get reelected, but this wont hurt his chances of reelection anyway.
14 posted on 10/26/2011 6:44:35 PM PDT by Husker24
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15 posted on 10/26/2011 7:26:20 PM PDT by RedMDer (Forward With Confidence!)
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To: PJ-Comix

He swore an oath to the Constitution, which permits the federal government no role in intrastrate commerce. If Californians are growing for their own consumption, then California law — not federal law — determines its legality.


16 posted on 10/26/2011 10:14:41 PM PDT by AZLiberty (No tag today.)
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To: AZLiberty

Notice Eric Holder’s role in this story.


17 posted on 10/27/2011 5:07:13 AM PDT by PJ-Comix (Free Depends for OWS Protesters)
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To: Moonman62
By late last year, California reportedly had more dispensaries than Starbucks outlets.

That's a lot of sick people.

Pain is a widespread affliction, and marijuana has medically established pain-relief properties. QED.

18 posted on 10/27/2011 10:00:56 AM PDT by JustSayNoToNannies
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To: PJ-Comix
It's simple: he needs campaign money. In advance of the carrot, he's using the stick. He may need two billion dollars to win this time. The medical marijuana industry in California is going to have to cough up big time if it wants to continue to exist. If he wins, then he'll decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.
19 posted on 10/27/2011 4:44:55 PM PDT by AZLiberty (No tag today.)
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To: PJ-Comix
I wonder if Fast & Furious plays into this.

The same drug lords that received all the guns are the same ones who will see their sales perk up considerably when the competition from "legal" marijuana is shut down. I'm sure it's just a coincidence though.

20 posted on 10/27/2011 6:32:55 PM PDT by Colorado Doug (Now I know how the Indians felt to be sold out for a few beads and trinkets)
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