Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Obama's commendable change in federal drug enforcement policy

Glenn Greenwald, links at site.

This is one of those rare instances of unadulterated good news from Washington:

The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.

Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.

Beyond the tangible benefits to patients and providers, there is the issue of states' rights. Fourteen states have legalized medical marijuana, many by referendum. The Bush administration's refusal to honor or even recognize those states' decisions -- by arresting people for doing things which are perfectly legal under state law -- was one of many examples giving the lie to the conservative movement's alleged belief in federalism and limited federal power (see here, for instance, how John Ashcroft and GOP Senators tried deceitfully and undemocratically to exploit the aftermath of 9/11 to prevent Oregon from implementing its assisted suicide law). Constitutionally and otherwise, what possible justification is there for federalizing decisions about whether individuals can use marijuana for medical purposes? Ironically (given the "socialism" and "fascism" rhetoric spewed at it by the Fox News faction), the Obama administration's decision is a major advancement for the rights of states to have their laws respected by the federal government.

The War on Drugs is the pernicious precursor to the War on Terror in so many ways, beginning with the relentless erosion of civil liberties; endless expansions of federal powers of detention, surveillance and militarized involvement in other countries; and a general pretext for remaining in an endless "war" posture. Anything that moves even a little bit towards abandoning the orthodoxies which sustain it should be applauded. And whatever else is true, being free of gun-wielding DEA agents is a real benefit for people with serious illnesses and those who provide them with medical treatments prescribed by their physicians.

UPDATE: A newly released Gallup poll today finds support for full-scale legalization of marijuana (not just for medical use) at an all-time high, with "44% of Americans in favor of making marijuana legal and 54% opposed" (h/t Law Enforcement Against Prohibition). As Gallup put it: "Public mores on legalization of marijuana have been changing this decade, and are now at their most tolerant in at least 40 years."

Much more in the article.

This is a step in the right direction. Obama said he would do that and now it appears that he has.

Now we need to legalize weed and get it over with.

Update:

Medical-pot backers react to new Obama policy

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