Hillary Clinton Pledges to End Medical Marijuana Raids

[wyldwolf]

Two prominent presidential contenders have moved in opposite directions on the issue of federal attacks on medical marijuana patients, as America's second largest cancer charity, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, came out strongly for protection of medical marijuana patients. Democratic frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) called for an end to federal raids in states where medical use of marijuana is legal, while Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) backtracked on an earlier promise to end the raids.

During a Manchester campaign on July 13, Len Epstein, a volunteer for Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana (GSMM), told Sen. Clinton, "Twelve states allow medical marijuana, but the Bush administration continues to raid patients," to which she responded, "Yes, I know. It's terrible." Epstein then asked, "Would you stop the federal raids?" Sen. Clinton responded firmly, "Yes, I will."

http://bbsnews.net/article.php/20070717133158914

[ronnykmarshall]

1. That because the Clinton are well connected to pot farms ...

in Mexico.

It's always about money with them ya know.

Kind of like when someone gets $14K from News Corp Executives.

Just saying'!

:silly:

[Mythsaje]

2. That's a positive development...

Let's hope she lives up to it, given the chance.

[tridim]

3. A good start, but I wish she and others would work to end ALL marijuana raids

Since it's a mostly harmless herb that millions of Americans enjoy.

[Marnieworld]

14. amen

It's like she's giving big f-you to all of the casual users in jail. When will this madness stop?

[rinsd]

4. A modest but encouraging move against the WOD.

She is also against mandatory minimums.

[polichick]

5. Good, now maybe she'll consider legalization...

I'd like to grow some nice organic plants in my kitchen window and smoke a joint in my garden under the stars every once in a while. imo it's absurd that drunk drivers get off with a slap on the wrist while those caught with a little weed are hauled off to jail. Yet another way this country shoves its head up its hypocritical ass!

[lynnertic]

6. That would only be while she was in office, unless she pushed legalization.

not a good fix (forgive the pun).

[Hollow Shells]

7. Awesome

I now like her a little bit more.

[AtomicKitten]

8. this is a states' rights issue

Funny how the Rs quack about states' rights yet conveniently overlook them in matters such as Bush v. Gore. It matters that voters put these medical marijuana issues on ballots and pass them.

When BushCo first TOOK office (and I do mean TOOK), they raided many vendors in Santa Cruz, California, where I then lived. They confiscated not only product but EVERYTHING including computers, etc. Law suits abound, no resolution, but the city stood firmly behind the MM vendors.

Now that I live in SF, it is another planet where MM is delivered to your door. http://www.thegreencross.org/

[BringBigDogBack]

9. How about ending all of em?

All marijuana raids. When you find a candidate that says they will do that, let me know.

[Qutzupalotl]

17. Kucinich. nt

[ProudDad]

20. or Gravel

End the phony "war on drugs"

End the phony "war on terror"

[Gregorian]

10. I expected the Clinton administration to do that in 1992.

I'm sorry, but I haven't gotten over that yet. In fact, it was one of the reasons I felt the Clinton administration wasn't all that progressive.

Too late for me. I'd still like to see it done though.

[SOS]

16. I expected the same

but under Clinton marijuana arrests skyrocketed to the highest levels ever.

FBI Data Confirm Clinton's Marijuana War To Be Toughest In Nation's History:

Nearly 642,000 total marijuana arrests were made by state and local law enforcement during 1996, according to the latest edition of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Report. This figure is an 80 percent increase since 1990 and pushes the total number of marijuana arrests under the Clinton administration to approximately 2.1 million. The 1996 yearly arrest total for marijuana violations is the highest ever recorded by the FBI.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

11. Good news. Edwards has also said the same thing nt

[Alexander]

19. I thought Edwards was against ending the raids.

Can you provide some info on his stance?

[Bjorn Against]

12. Good, I just wish she would have said that when her husband was busting patients

[ulysses]

13. this is a good thing.

(now don't pass out because I'm saying something positive about HRC. :P )

[Big Pappa]

15. That is until

big pharma tells her to restart.

[Alexander]

18. Kudos to Senator Clinton.

She won't get my primary vote, but I'll have no problem voting for her in the GE.

[Kingstree]

21. What about the War On Drugs?

Everyone seems to have totally forgotten about that american problem. I am not talking about the street corner drug dealer, but the corporate drug dealers with his connections to South America and other countries, smuggling millions of tons into this country daily with little or or oversight. Let see if she can handle that issue first and foremost and quit worrying about petty things like medical marijuana raids! Hillary is not the leader for this country. She's just pandering for votes as usual. She proves it everyday.

[rinsd]

23. Yeah looking to stop medical MJ raids and being against mandatory minimums mean nothing

It has become comical that a few Obama supporters will say anything negative about Hillary even if it makes no sense.

[tonebowles]

22. Urge Your Representative to Stop Raids!

Urge Your Representative to Stop Medical Marijuana Raids This Year!

The Hinchey-Rohrabacher-Amendment will be voted on in less than two weeks! It's time to stop wasting taxpayer dollars on raiding state-licensed medical marijuana patients and providers! The Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment to the Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill instructs the Department of Justice to use its money wisely and specifically prohibits the Department from using appropriated funds to conduct raids or otherwise prevent the various states from implementing laws that authorize the therapeutic use of cannabis. Take action today! For more background info, see http://www.AmericansforSafeaccess.org/Hinchey

Call Your Member of Congress. Every single phone call counts!

What to say: "Please vote for the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Medical Marijuana Amendment. If adopted, this amendment will prohibits any funds made available to the Department of Justice from being used to raid medical marijuana patients and their care providers in the states that authorize use of marijuana for therapeutic use. It does not legalize marijuana, it simply prohibits taxpayer dollars from being used to interfere with state medical marijuana laws."

For phone numbers of your representatives, visit http://www.house.gov or call the congressional switchboard at [phone]. Give the operator your zip code and ask to be connected to your U.S. Representative.

For Immediate Release: July 19th, 2007

DEA Raids and Threats Against Landlords Used to Thwart Medical Marijuana Vote in Congress

Los Angeles, CA -- In a calculated attempt to thwart a vote next week in Congress that would strip the Department of Justice (DoJ) of funds used against medical marijuana (cannabis), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over the past week conducted multiple raids on medical cannabis providers and threatened landlords in the Los Angeles area with property seizure. By Tuesday, federal agents had raided at least five medical cannabis dispensaries in the southern California area and handed down numerous indictments. The raids followed a new tactic, exercised by the DEA last week, in which more than a hundred letters were disseminated to property owners in the Los Angeles area who are landlords for medical cannabis providers. The letters warned of a risk of arrest for landlords and the loss of their property if they continue to rent to cannabis providers. As a result, many facilities will be forced to close, thereby stifling access to medicine used by thousands of patients in the area.

One medical cannabis dispensary operator in Hollywood, Lisa Sawoya, who left a lucrative job selling high-tech hospital equipment, stated candidly in a Tuesday Los Angeles Times story, "I'm devastated. My landlord believes in cannabis as medicine. But they're taking the letter very seriously. So I'll be closing my doors at the end of this month."

This effort to undermine California's medical marijuana law comes after the DEA attempted to shut down more than ten facilities earlier this year in the Los Angeles area by executing para-military style raids with agents wearing ski-masks and guns drawn. "This is an example of using any means necessary by federal law enforcement in its continued attack on patients and the science behind cannabis as medicine," said Steph Sherer, Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a medical marijuana patient advocacy organization. "We will not stand for this type of intimidation. We intend to support landlords in their decision to rent to medical cannabis providers, and we urge Congress to take up this issue, not only on behalf of patients, but now also on behalf of landlords that have been brought into the crossfire."

In an effort to facilitate discussion, ASA has been meeting with landlords to help explain their rights and their options for how to proceed. Lawyers suspicious of federal abuse of power have also come forward to help. One such lawyer, Eliot Krieger, is a former Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles experienced in asset forfeiture law. "Quite simply, the federal government is placing innocent landlords, leasing space to tenants who are in full compliance with state law, at risk of losing their property." said Krieger. "Even if the government can legally seize the landlords' properties, this is a clear misuse of Department of Justice funds and taxpayer dollars."

Next week, a vote will occur in Congress that would prevent such tactics used by the Department of Justice (DoJ). The Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment would prevent the DoJ from interfering in the implementation of laws in the twelve states that have allowed for the medical use of marijuana. The amendment will be heard next week as part of the Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill currently in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"This action by the DEA is an example of the insane use of scarce law enforcement resources," said Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) in a recent statement. "It is especially insulting the way in which these resources are being used to supersede the votes of local people to permit the legal use of medical marijuana."

Since June 2005, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Gonzales v. Raich that the government had the discretion to arrest and prosecute medical cannabis patients and providers, the DEA has fully exercised that discretion by conducting scores of raids and, as a result, is currently prosecuting more than 100 patients and providers. Based on data made available by the DEA, Americans for Safe Access estimates that since June 2005, the DoJ has spent more than ten million dollars of taxpayers' money on federal arrests alone.

For further information, refer to:
The DEA letter to more than 100 landlords in the Los Angeles area: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/DEA_Landlord_Letter.pdf
ASA's one-pager on the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/Hinchey_One_Pager.pdf
ASA's tabulation of cost to taxpayers associated with DEA raids: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/DEA_Raid_Cost.pdf



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