Obama administration sticks to court argument that marijuana is dangerous

[Logical]

Two weeks after President Obama signed legislation prohibiting federal interference with state medical marijuana laws, his administration has told a federal judge in Sacramento that pot is still a dangerous drug with no medical value.

The U.S. attorney’s office, representing Obama’s Justice Department, made the argument in a court filing Wednesday opposing a challenge to the long-standing federal law that classifies marijuana as a Schedule One drug along with heroin, LSD and ecstasy — substances that have a high potential for abuse and no safe medical use.

While there may be “some dispute among doctors as to whether marijuana is medicine,” there is ample evidence to support the government’s conclusion that “this psychoactive, addictive drug is not accepted as safe for medical use at this time, even with medical supervision,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Broderick wrote.

Lawyers for alleged marijuana growers countered that the government presented no credible evidence that marijuana carries the potential hazards of legal substances, like tobacco and alcohol, and that the administration’s position makes even less sense in light of the law Obama signed Dec. 16.

more at:
http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Feds-stick-to-court-argument-that-marijuana-is-5990798.php

[randys1]

1. ...

[whatchamacallit]

2. Apparently, more dangerous than water boarding or forced rectal feeding...

Bumblefuck Nation

[PowerToThePeople]

4. or drone strikes. n/t

[eggplant]

16. Imagine the outcry

if we were forcing those heathens* at gitmo to smoke fatties all day.

Oh, the humanity!

(* Do I really need a sarcasm tag here?)

[Trillo]

3. This makes corporate sense.

If the objective is to create medicines in laboratories, made from marijuana somehow, then you wouldn't want the plant itself to be legal, as a "competitive strategy", though the more accurate term is actually "anti-competitive strategy."

[mountain grammy]

25. that is exactly, 100% correct.

Not good for the liqueur and pharmaceutical corporations to allow a product that people can grow and process themselves.. very dangerous for profits.

[RKP5637]

34. Exactly!!! It's all about $$$$$'s and fattening the right pockets. n/t

[Scuba]

66. Bingo!

[eShirl]

5. as a current chemo patient, I CALL BULLSHIT!

[AgingAmerican]

18. Had it not been for MMJ

I would have never made it through my Hep C treatment because of the debilitating nausea.

The nausea medication they gave me only masked it, and gave me a crude unpleasant buzz. The MMJ eliminated the nausea, period.

[eShirl]

44. it's been a life saver

[easychoice]

57. My Mom... She could eat again...

That alone was probably good for another 6 months of havin Mom around.It eased her discomfort tremendously.

I wish they would just quit.It is too bad Dandelions don't have THC...
The Nixon white house would really have a fit.

[PumpkinAle]

6. I guess big pharma is paying someone off

Marijuana is defined as a Schedule One drug totally absurd, especially when you can go into any gas station and buy legally "bath salts", of course, these salts are labelled "not for human consumption" which gives sellers a legal loophole.

[mountain grammy]

26. Ya think???

[n2doc]

7. Even my bass-ackwards state of Georgia recognizes the medical uses of MJ

Kafka-esque.

[SamKnause]

8. Fucking PAID liars !!!!!!

No one is buying the bullshit you are selling.

We know millions of jobs depend on your LIES !!!!

We know millions of lives have been ruined because of your LIES !!!!

We know thousands of people have been killed because of your LIES !!!!

It is extremely difficult to respect authority when the authorities are PAID to LIE !!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sick and tired of the LIES !!!!!!!!!!!!

[RKP5637]

35. +++ 1,000,000,000 +++ It's all bullshit and lies! SOS, over and over again. n/t

[Phlem]

9. once again

he proves he's pro 1% and Corporate Socialism and could give a Rat's fuck about the people.

Can't wait to see the next Pom Pom Squad post with a Big/Huge picture of him smack dab in the middle.

[L0oniX]

12. "Pom Pom Squad" LMFAO ...nailed it!

[BrotherIvan]

24. Then whine that he never gets credit for the good things

Because we're all supposed to pretend that the bad things aren't happening.

[RKP5637]

36. There's no magic in a D behind one's name. It's just a different approach to the SOS! When it

comes to big money and padding the right pockets, R=D=I. Maybe it once was different, but often today when money's involved, R=D=I.

[TRoN33]

10. Whenever I have deep runny nose or sinus headache;

I toked cannabis and next day sinus and runny nose goes away. If I take Big Pharm products of bullshit medications, it would take three days to week to make it all go away.

[L0oniX]

11. It's just some folks getting high.

[blackspade]

13. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Broderick ia a fucking idiot.

"...ample evidence to support the government’s conclusion that “this psychoactive, addictive drug is not accepted as safe for medical use at this time, even with medical supervision.”

Cite the 'evidence' please. This guy and his office are so full of shit and they are at odds with explicit administration policy.

This guy should be disbarred.

[eggplant]

17. Here's more than enough evidence.

[AgingAmerican]

20. Specifically this part...

How can anyone call it medicine after watching that section of the documentary?

[mountain grammy]

27. Or at least fired... he is a fucking idiot!

[RKP5637]

37. Yep!!!!!!!!! n/t

[former9thward]

49. Why disbarred?

For advocating for a client? That is what lawyers do. His client is the White House.

[Hutzpa]

53. Nonsense

if the Lawyer has been given an instruction of how to proceed and he renege? whose fault is that?

[Hutzpa]

51. ^^^^ THIS ^^^^^

People should be taking this crap to Gregory Broderick not President Obama, I suppose he is an easier
target.

US Attorney Gregory Broderick is the fucking idiot that is abusing his powers.

[99th_Monkey]

14. A Shit-Stain on the Obama Legacy. Sad really. nt

[Phlem]

15. Dude

he's got a big messy diaper.

[marym625]

19. sigh.

[Hutzpa]

21. I hate headlines like these

[p]that are specifically design to get a rise out of people, in one hand the article states that the president already signed
legislation prohibiting interference with state medical and on the other hand states that the U.S attorney's office representing
Obama's administration made an argument in a court filling opposing the a long-standing federal law that classifies marijuana
as a schedule one drug.

[p]Point is this, why not put the blame exactly where it belongs instead of creating an article using the presidents name just
to draw attention to something that has already been addressed.

Hate stuff like this.

[Bluenorthwest]

28. Do you know what the word 'represents' means? You used it. This attoney's opinion is unknown

for he represents the administration with his words. If he was speaking for himself, his opinion would be of no concern and would not be news, but he speaks for the President, not for himself.
And what the man says is incorrect and devoid of reason.

[Hutzpa]

29. No I don't

[p]but what I do know is whoever that indivual is, is misrepresenting the order of the president and should be held
accountable not the president in regards to this account.

[Ichingcarpenter]

38. Your post makes no logical, legal or constitutional sense

on how government works.

[Hutzpa]

46. But I do know when

another person is being dishonest. In this instance I can say the writer of said article is being dishonest.

Being logical, legal or knowing the constitutions is not a requirement for pointing out a writer of an
article is being dishonest. You can try to spin it however you want.

[Boreal]

64. US attorneys work

for the attorney general who works for the president (who allegedly works for we the people - ha!). The US atty is doing the work of the DoJ who is carrying out administration policy, which is contradictory. This kind of shit goes on all the time.

[Ichingcarpenter]

33. Balderdash... Get your talking points straight.

Obama observed, in his interview with The New Yorker, that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked him whether he was open to reclassifying marijuana. “What is and isn’t a Schedule I narcotic is a job for Congress,” Obama replied. “It’s not something by ourselves that we start changing. No, there are laws undergirding those determinations.”


That response was highly misleading and evasive, especially compared to Obama’s candor regarding the relative hazards of marijuana and alcohol. Contrary to the impression left by the president, the executive branch has the authority to reschedule marijuana without new legislation from Congress.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsullum/2015/01/01/is-obama-finally-ready-to-dial-back-the-war-on-drugs/2/

[Hutzpa]

40. What is wrong with his reply??

nt

[JonLP24]

45. The executive branch has power to reclassify Schedule I, II, or III substances

While Obama is saying he doesn't.

[Hutzpa]

48. According to the article Obama

has already signed a legislation prohibiting federal interference, why are people ignoring that?

[Ichingcarpenter]

47. Because its bullshit

and he knows it


You can read the relevant provisions of the law here. What this means is that written into our drug laws is a mechanism for the executive branch without Congressional involvement to move drugs to a lower “schedule” of oversight or remove them from federal control all together. It is not uncommon or unusual for the relevant executive agencies to use this power to change the scheduling of different controlled substances.

he doesn't need congress to change the schedule.

[Hekate]

61. The reactions are so predictable. When DU is done castigating him for letting gay marriage....

....work its laborious way through the courts and studies by the military, until the process was complete -- and he got agreement -- with all the dominoes falling across the federal government and the country.

Now we can move on to something else Obama is definitely doing to screw the country over. Evil Obama never sleeps. From what I've seen, he's given every signal that he is open to change in these laws, but I guess one lousy headline writer cancels all of that out.

One thing does puzzle me though: I thought this was the week for outrage about TPP.

[Unknown Beatle]

22. Fucking shit!

The administration presented its own expert, a Harvard professor and former drug official in the George W. Bush administration who said pot is both addictive and dangerous.

In Wednesday’s filing, the Obama administration said a single expert’s testimony is enough to show the legally required “rational basis” for marijuana’s current classification.

So the guys on the side of MJ have many experts attesting that pot is safe and has medicinal value, but, Obama's guys have a single so-called expert that worked for McMonkey's administration and that is enough? One guy's testimony trumps the testimony of a few? What is Obama smoking?

[Doctor_J]

42. The president loves the Bush family

as he has said many times.

[Ichingcarpenter]

23. Marijuana is dangerous

To the corporate drug companies

Just wait for the TTP trade deal.

[RKP5637]

30. Stuck in the way back machine, but hey, it's ok to kill, maim and torture people, sure,

and assault rifles are fine. But hey, a little pot is highly dangerous. Yet another fine example of why the US is so fucked up and more appropriately called US = United Stupidity! Oh, and it's perfectly OK to drink oneself into endless oblivion and the diseases that go with it, but a little pot, hey, that's medically dangerous.

What a heap of BULL SHIT for the gov. to hold that antiquated moronic point of view on pot. I wonder if any got paid off by the alcohol brewers establishment!

Or are some afraid of loss revenue for the idiotic failure War on Drugs. F'en Idiots!

[vlakitti]

31. Sanity, Anyone?

My God, can't any of these guys maintain a clear, sane, consistent position on marijuana for 4 days straight without falling on their heads?

NOBODY believes any of this crap any more, and they look like the total fools they seem to be.

[Blue_In_AK]

32. This is ridiculous.

I take a few puffs almost every day, and have for going on 50 years, and I've never been healthier. As for addictive, when we go down to the Lower 48 and I don't have any for a week or two, it's no big thing. No shakes, insomnia or any of that. I just like it in the evening, just like I like my coffee in the morning. Thank goodness Alaska has long had an enlightened attitude about the herb.

[mountain grammy]

39. The administration finds it necessary to defend federal law..

a law so stupid and idiotic it should not be defended. The administration made the decision to not defend the piece of shit "defense of marriage act and should do the same here. This US Attorney needs to be stopped now. This is ridiculous and makes the administration look ridiculous.

[eShirl]

43. +1

exactly, mountain grammy!

[Hutzpa]

50. My point exactly

which is this US Attorney is making decisions that does not correlate with the Obama administration stance on marijuana,
why not take it up with the US Attorney's office instead of blaming the president?

[stillwaiting]

65. Why doesn't OBAMA take it up with the US Attorney?

He can do that can't he?

And, if he doesn't, does he bear any responsibility at all?

[liberal_at_heart]

56. +1

[Doctor_J]

41. another corporate friendly "stance" taken by this president.

Just like every single issue since he took office. Oh, wait. I forgot he's flexing his barely used far left muscles for his last two years.

[Faux pas]

52. Every day I'm more sorry that I

voted for him TWICE. Seems to me he's fucking us coming and going...

[NightOwwl]

67. There is no two-party system at the top of the food chain.

There is only the party of power.

The American people are pawns, but I don't play their sick game anymore. The government is dead to me, and I haven't felt better in years.

[Faux pas]

68. Thank you for the reality check

NightOwwl. I'm beyond tired of the games the 'big boys' play.

[NightOwwl]

71. You're welcome

We live like this for so long (in thrall to our politicians - believing they are our saviors from this 'cruel, cruel world' - thinking it is our 'duty' to bear the burden of all the world's ills - seeing EVERYTHING, experiencing EVERYTHING through a filter of partisan divide), we think it is normal.

When in reality, they control the media - they select 'news' that focuses on violence and terror; that feeds our particular prejudices and fears. They have people on a hamster wheel of insanity - it's no wonder most people have an undercurrent of anxiety that never goes away.

[hobbit709]

54. Yep. It can make you run for president and get elected.

[cheapdate]

55. Bullshit. President Obama knows better. He was a pothead like me. What happened?

[liberal_at_heart]

58. He also used to be a community organizer. Then he went to DC and started living in a bubble with

the rich DC insiders and lobbyists. That is what happened.

[marlakay]

62. I think it has something to do with age of his kids

I smoked pot as teen then stopped for 25 years while I raised kids. I just wonder if that is part of it.

Other than that he is big hypocrite on this area.

I always thought it should be legal though.

[on point]

59. Factually wrong. I'll go with either ignorant prejudice or the big pharma pay off as reasons

[colsohlibgal]

60. Ridiculous

Must be the Reagan in him.

[hootinholler]

69. IIRC the administration is required to take that position by law n/t

[BubbaFett]

70. Insane as it ever was

Anslinger has an erection in his grave.