Ex-DEA Administrators Call on Obama to Sue if CA Voters Legalize Pot
As California voters gear up for a November 2 vote on Proposition 19, a ballot measure that would legalize the growth, possession and distribution of marijuana, nine former administrators of the Drug Enforcement Administration have issued a preemptive call to the White House: If Prop 19 passes, they say, President Obama should sue.
The Ex-DEA heads are showing that they are not only ridiculous, motivated by the self-interest of the DEA, but that they also don’t have a clue about the law. The courts have already ruled that the state is not required to enforce federal criminal law. Since Prop 19 doesn’t overturn federal cannabis laws, the federal government has nothing to sue about.
Unfortunately, the AP and CBS don’t include a link to the letter or the text of it. Anyone have it?
Most anti-climactic sentence ever. Marijuana seed dealer who spent fortune on pot reform gets 5 years
Imposing Emery’s sentence Friday, U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez honored a plea agreement struck earlier this year by Emery to avoid a potential 10-year prison term.
Marc Emery and his supporters took this opportunity to show how politically motivated the case was, and the attorneys too, the opportunity to try to claim that it was just about Marc being a bad guy, but everybody expected the plea deal that had been negotiated over years to stand, and so there were no surprises.
So now who watches the prisoners who are arrested for not watching the prisoners?
Eighty-five prisoners escaped from a jail near the U.S. border on Friday, authorities and media said, the latest prison break underscoring the challenges Mexico faces as it battles powerful drug cartels. […]
The prisoners, mainly cartel members, climbed over a prison fence in the border city of Reynosa, across from McAllen, Texas, in the early hours of Friday morning, local radio and newspapers reported, saying 85 men escaped. […]
Police arrested more than 40 prison guards and staff who were on duty when the men escaped, and two prison guards are missing, local radio and newspaper El Norte said.
Understatement of the year
One can support the legalization of marijuana while condemning drug violence without contradiction.
Fact is, the only contradiction comes from the prohibitionists who condemn drug violence when it is their activity which spawns and fuels it.
Advice of the year: NORML Lawyers’ Advice to Marijuana Suspects: STFU
A panel of marijuana criminal defense attorneys on the opening day of NORML’s 39th Annual National Conference in Portland Thursday were unanimous and emphatic on one thing people with pot should do when confronted by police: exercise their right to remain silent.
“Don’t talk to those people,” warned Oakland defense attorney and NORML board member Bill Panzer. “Their job is to throw your ass in jail. They are not there to help you.”
“Don’t talk to the cops,” agreed Seattle defense attorney Jeffrey Steinborn. “No matter what you say to a cop, they will write down what they want to hear. They can’t misinterpret stone cold silence.”
“Shut the fuck up,” punctuated Seattle defense attorney Douglas Hiatt, noting that people were understandably under stress when having encounters with law enforcement. People are prone to try to talk their way out of trouble, he said. “This is not the time you’re going to be doing quality thinking.”
Pop Quiz: How Much Do You Really Know About Drugs and the Drug War?
I scored 100%.
Video: Marijuana Heals Cancer …Cannabinoid Receptors In The Human Body
Press conferences coming this Monday should be good.
A group of police officers, judges, and prosecutors who support Proposition 19, the California ballot measure to control and tax cannabis (marijuana), will hold simultaneous press conferences Monday, September 13 in front of Oakland City Hall and in West Hollywood Park near Los Angeles at 10 AM PDT to release a letter of endorsement signed by dozens of law enforcers across the state.
As Radley says “Wow, is this ever a terrible idea.” North Carolina Sheriffs Want To Know Who Is Taking Painkillers
….
this is an open thread
That hollow threat to sue the state of California is just an obvious ploy to scare a few people into changing their vote to NO on 19.
Regardless, the true zealots in prohibition see California as Sodom-by-the-sea, and “Prop. 19” as the name of the first Apocalyptic equestrian’s horse.
There’s mortal fear behind that letter. Their war may already be lost…
Suing the state…?! The state consists of the people of california. Some of which are police, firemen,doctors ,teachers,plummers…ect ect.
Humm…suing we the people….
Those who give powers to the federal government.
Give taxes to and expect to do as we will.
We are suing our selves?(The other states would be suing cali?)
Hummm…
Isnt that like cutting off your own arm?
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I got 100% also Pete. As if the DEA and the ONDCP are not already facing enough criticism from everyone after legalization occurs,they should read STFU and bend it to their circumstances. I look so forward to the day when being ex-DEA or ex-ONDCP or ex-NIDA will be a thing they want kept quiet.
Naw, Clay, being a craven liar and a good lackey are always great things to add to your resume if you happen to be in Government.
BTW, Pete and Allan et. al., it just so happens that among my other cranky/weird friends is the guy who runs the National UFO Reporting Center(I won’t go into how I know him, but it should come as no surprise that I do…). It’s in eastern Washington, outside of Pasco. Peter (that’s his name) runs this center out of…guess….an old missle silo. He’s up for a party most anytime (it gets lonely out there….).
So, the ex-Drug Czars want to remain in the spotlight? Fine. Let it become like lasers when the inevitable question is raised why there have been so many of them and we still don’t have any (illicit) ‘drug control’.
Like a very bad joke: How many Drug Czars does it take to ruin scores of millions of lives in a pursuit of a chimera? How many does it take to waste a trillion dollars?
Sooner or later, the questions will be asked…and with vastly more heat, for this is no laughing matter.
Pete, when I read the title and the first segment of this post, I thought the STFU advice was being offered to the DEA. As I kept reading I of course realized that the post title applied to advice given to the police’s victims instead. My advice to both the DEA and police would be more like ES&D.
The difference between the lawsuit that happened with Arizona and with what’s happening here in California, is that Prop 19 is an initiative process. In Arizona it was a legislative process, here in California it is an initiative of the People! The likelihood they will interfere is not likely. It was cause an uproar and outrage throughout the nation.
How does a country alleged to be for the people,by the people sue the people?
With Lawyers, Clay, lots and lots of lawyers.
A long time ago, I came across the concept of ‘fetishism’. Most such fetishes are usually harmless; disgusting, in many cases, but harmless.
But needless to say, in the more violent ends of the fetishist’s spectrum you find all manner of really horrendous behavior…and equally horrendous people engaging in it.
And all too often, those in power and those who seek power tend to have some very nasty fetishist kinks in their personal closets. Power seems to attract such sorts the way fresh dung attracts flies.
I contend that prohibs of whatever stripe suffer from a quasi-sexual control-freak fetish. They cloak it in righteousness and morality, but they secretly harbor a perverted desire to do to the rest of us by legal proxy what they’re too terrified of attempting without that legal force. This results in a virtual’ sodomy of our rights (and thus, our persons) with laws crafted to mirror their own sick, twisted desires.
People like ex-Drug Czar Bill Bennett, with his faux-virtuousness and his hypocritical moralizing about chemical addictions, all while engaged in both nicotine and gambling addictions, illustrates this perfectly.
When Jefferson’s ‘Natural Aristocracy’ gets crowded out by these moralizing hypocritical thugs (who, as Shakespeare put it, can ‘smile and smile, and be a villain’), the inevitable result is what we are living with now. And IMNHO the ex-Drug Czars are stellar examples of what happens when the sickos get their hands on power.
(Open thread)
Check out Keith Olberman’s “Worsest Person in the World” video about a high school principle in Texas falsely accusing (and punishing) a student for smoking marijuana.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/39107508#39107508
Nice, one, John. That’s the same case that I mentioned today. Olberman really laid into her.
Sorry for stepping on you there Pete. I need to refresh DrugWarRant more often I guess.
No problem, John. Happens to me all the time. Appreciate the Olberman link.
I can’t see the federal government wanting to challenge the law.
It would have to be in a federal court where all their “scientific proof” of marijuana’s dangers to our society could be challenged in public. Along with their history of failure.
Their continued ignoring marijuana’s medical efficacy and numerous other issues that their propaganda machines might brain wash an ignorant population but could not stand up to judicial investigation.
I would bet that every lawyer in LEAP and NORML are just waiting for such a trial.
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