Jared Polis
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis joins with congressional colleagues to create Cannabis Caucus
Marijuana now has its own official club in Congress, thanks to Colorado congressman Jared Polis and three of his colleagues.
Medical Marijuana Industry News June 22, 2012
Uruguay Looks to Legalize Marijuana In Effort to Reduce Violence and Crime…
Efforts by Central American countries to convince the United States government to reconsider their rigid stance on marijuana has proved unsuccessful. America’s demand for marijuana has lead to a rise in cartel power and violence all over Central America. Both President Obama and Vice President Biden have been hammered by criticism from leaders in the region on recent trips. Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico has been very vocal regarding how United States drug laws are having a devastating impact on Central America. Leaders in Uruguay are taking the initiative and will not wait for United States to take action at a glacial pace. Uruguay’s Defense Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro said this week that prohibition was causing “more problems than the drugs themselves.” Analysts believe this is only a start and that many nations will follow Uruguay’s lead.
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New Hampshire Governor Vetoes Bill To Legalize Medical Marijuana…
Recently New Hampshire lawmakers approved a measure that would permit medical marijuana. There has been momentum for such a program for several years as a similar measure was passed in 2009 only to be vetoed by Governor Lynch. He has done so again with the new 2012 bill however advocates and lawmakers are hoping they can gather enough votes to override the Governor’s veto. The bill passed by a wide margin in both New Hampshire’s House and Senate though it is still unclear if enough legislators would support overriding the governor’s veto.
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Two House Representatives Refuse to Let DEA Official Avoid Answering Marijuana Questions
Jared Polis (D-CO) is one of the nation’s most recognized marijuana supporters in Congress. Along with Barney Frank and Ron Paul (R-TX) Mr. Polis has certainly fought hard for marijuana patients. This week he grilled Michele Leonhart of the Drug Enforcement Administration during a Congressional hearing. As Ms. Leonhart was asked questions regarding marijuana, she seemed unwilling to elaborate as to why the federal government has marijuana classified as a schedule 1 drug. Steve Cohen (D-TN) also demanded straight forward answers from Leonhart Below you can find an excerpt of the exchange between Polis and Leonhardt:
POLIS: Is crack worse for a person than marijuana?
LEONHART: I believe all the illegal drug are bad.
POLIS: Is methamphetamine worse for somebody’s health than marijuana?
LEONHART: I don’t think any illegal drug is good.
POLIS: Is heroin worse for someone’s health than marijuana?
LEONHART: Again, all the drugs –
POLIS: I mean, either yes, no, or I don’t know. I mean, if you don’t know, you can look this up you should know this as the chief administrator for the Drug Enforcement Agency. I’m asking you a very straightforward question. Is heroin worse for someone’s health than marijuana?
LEONHART: All the illegal drugs are bad.
POLIS: Does this mean you don’t know?
LEONHART: Heroin causes an addiction that causes many problems that’s very hard to kick.
POLIS: Does that mean that the health impact is worse than marijuana, is that what you’re telling me?
LEONHART: I think that you are asking a subjective question.
Marijuana.net Will Be Attending the High Times Cannabis Cup In San Francisco this weekend…
There is no rest for the weary as marijuana.net will be taking the excitement from San Jose’s Hempcon with us to San Francisco and the 2012 High Times Medical Marijuana Cannabis Cup. If you are in the Bay Area come check us out on Saturday, Sunday, or both days. We will continue with our popular raffles and we encourage patients to learn more about which medication is right for them with a free one on one session with our strain master . We’ll also be showing off our comprehensive strain library and be providing education on the newest marijuana reform developments.
Attorney General Eric Holder provides Update and further Confusion on Medical Marijuana
In the wake of the recent federal raids that have shaken the medical marijuana industry, many have been expecting legal answers. Will the raids continue in California? Does this signal a shift in President Obama’s medical marijuana policy? Analysts were sure that either the president or attorney general would be engaging America directly and explaining what can be construed as a change in policy.
Unfortunately, Attorney General Eric Holder only added to the confusion in a recent session of the House Judiciary Committee. Representative Jared Polis (D-CO), concerned over rumors of upcoming raids in his state, tried to get Mr. Holder to clarify the White House’s stance on medical cannabis. Holder stated that those who comply with state marijuana laws “should not be an enforcement priority.” He also went on to say “If in fact people are not using the policy decision that we have made to use marijuana in a way that’s not consistent with the state statute, we will not use our limited resources in that way.” For advocates this may sound like the worst is behind them but these statements do not seem very different than Mr. Holder’s 2009 statements, which certainly did not protect against federal raids.
While there is no legal clarity presented to the public with Holder’s statements, like most legally savvy individuals who appear regularly in the media, all statements seem to have an escape clause. The attorney general makes sure to use terms like “priority” and “limited resources”. Both of these terms seem flexible and subject to change. Additionally, previous statements of this nature did nothing in preventing California federal raids. The White House seems to want everyone to know that they do not want to step on state law. Such an accusation during an election year may not serve the Obama administration well. Of course, it only makes the water more murky as we ask why are federal agents raiding establishments who are in compliance with state law, especially a state law that does not agree with federal law? Is it not true that this whole issue stems from Federal law outweighing state law? But November 2012 is not far away so such double speak is to be expected.
The recent session of the House Judiciary Committee could have provided answers, but this administration seems to thrive under a confused legal situation. With a chance to reclassify marijuana as a schedule II drug and put an end to the guessing game, our government instead opted to sit on the fence and keep everyone on their toes. Mr. Holder may get his chance to see his statements at work. If they respect state law so much we will see if they move forward with the proposed raids in Colorado. Colorado has the tightest and most regulated medical marijuana program, so respecting state law in this case may be to just simply walk away.