Medical Marijuana Crackdown
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2011-10-25/medical-marijuana-crackdown
California legalized medical marijuana 15 years ago, a move that runs counter to the federal government's prohibition of the drug. Recently, the tension between state and federal policies has boiled over into an unprecedented federal crackdown on marijuana dispensaries. With D.C. on the verge of approving medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation centers, we take a look at what's happening in California and the potential implications for the District.
Guests
Michael Montgomery
reporter and radio producer, Center for Investigative Reporting; contributor, KQED Public Radio and American RadioWorks.
Martin Austermuhle
Associate Editor, DCist.com
Peter Reuter
Senior Economist, Rand Corporation; Professor of Public Policy and Criminology, University of Maryland
Comments
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This federal crackdown has a flawed logic to it. People will continue to use marijuana. But they will obtain it illegally, probably from a dealer associated with a gang rather than obtaining it from a dispensary. Shutting down dispensaries benefits the Mexican drug cartels. They will step in to fill the new gap in the market.
Obama is simultaneously taking away jobs from some Californians and giving the Mexican cartels money to fund other illegal activities such as human trafficking.
This was not a smart move on the part of the justice department.
The federal law needs to be changed. Until that happens people will continue to be prosecuted at the whims of the US Justice department. This crackdown is not new, just the scale of it has grown. Even though Prop 215 passed in California in 1996, people were and are still being arrested and imprisoned for violating the federal prohibition on cannabis. See case: “The United States versus Luke Scarmazzo and Ricardo Montes.” These unfortunate people are being prosecuted for violating a law that needs to be repealed or at the very least serverly rewritten to acknowledge that cannabis does in fact have medical value and as such should be treated as a medicine and not an illegal substance with no value.
This was in reply to the first commenter:
Unfortunately I think our politicians (not saying names) are taking cartel money to pass legislation like this. Who else but the criminal organizations importing illegal drugs stands to gain from these measures? What logical reason does the government continue with this insane prohibition unless it is to enrich those they are supposedly fighting. It certainly does NOT benefit the average American citizen!
I recently moved back to the DC area from Downtown Los Angeles. As a former LA resident, and sympathizer of the Legalization of Marijuana movement, i think the value it serves in replacing other prescription drugs as well as the potential elimination/decrease of the illegal marijuana trade within the city.
While i lived there the number of drug dealers on corners decreased as well as the parallel crimes associated with illegal drug sales.
I have choosen not to smoke marajuna since 1970. If it goes legal I certainly will keep some on hand for social occasions as some folks do with Booze.
People interested in the prohibition of material that the people want, will enjoy the PBS series on the Prohibition. The problems of trying to prohibit scorned materials are legion. It is dangerous, supporting general disrespect of the law, a big bonus for organized crime gangs, and quite generally hipocritical.
Prohibition is the crime period!
The problem with cracking down on dispensaries is that it limits access for
seriously ill people who have but weeks to live. I have met such individuals and without compassion clubs or the like, they don't have the time to grow or find a caregiver. A grow can take 3 months or more. I feel that it is unethical to keep these people from their medicine and if some people abuse the system, in my opinion it's worth the cost.
Great topic as always Kojo!
Prohibition is the crime period
We're talked about the federal crackdown in California. Have federal authorities and policy analysts worked with the state government to detail what types of regulations the federal government believes they should implement to avoid a heavy handed federal crackdown?
What were the efforts?
What has the response from the state of California been?
Growing up in North Florida I knew someone whose father was a wounded Navy SEAL. He had lost most of one arm and had shrapnel permanently embedded in his body. In addition to the ongoing physical effects, he suffered from what I believe was PTSD. I was told that he had 'authorization' for medical marijuana usage. To my knowledge Florida had no such law. Was this a case of Federal authority trumping FL law, or was he in fact under no such legal protection?
I personally think marijuana can be abused much like alcohol, but that responsible usage is achievable and should be legalized. I would add that I know very few stoners who got into violent altercations under the influence. The same cannot be said for drinkers. Anecdotal, but fairly well supported by the literature.
I'm glad you distinguished way of writing the post. Now you can make it easy for me to understand and implement the concept. Thanks for the post.
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