DEA Statement on New Medical Marijuana Policy

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:00:40 PM EST
Tags: medical marijuana (all tags)

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The DEA issued this statement today on the DOJ revised policy on medical marijuana busts in states where it is legal:

“DEA welcomes the issuance of these clarifying guidelines pertaining to the use of federal investigative and prosecutorial resources in states that have enacted laws authorizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

"These guidelines do not legalize marijuana. It is not the practice or policy of DEA to target individuals with serious medical conditions who comply with state laws authorizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Consistent with the DOJ guidelines, we will continue to identify and investigate any criminal organization or individual who unlawfully grows, markets or distributes marijuana or other dangerous drugs. Those who unlawfully possess firearms, commit acts of violence, provide drugs to minors, or have ties to other criminal organizations may also be subject to arrest.

[More...]

It ends with:

"As these guidelines point out, marijuana remains a top revenue source for the Mexican drug cartels that are wreaking havoc in Mexico and along the Southwest Border. Accordingly, DEA will continue to disrupt and dismantle these drug trafficking organizations.”

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DEA Statement on New Medical Marijuana Policy | 12 comments (12 topical)

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gee, and this is just a random thought, (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by cpinva on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:07:52 PM EST

shouldn't we be getting some of those revenues?

"As these guidelines point out, marijuana remains a top revenue source for the Mexican drug cartels that are wreaking havoc in Mexico and along the Southwest Border.

seems like, from a purely economic viewpoint, it would be to our advantage, as a country, if those revenues were staying here, instead of being siphoned out of the country.

: yeppers (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by Illiope on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:10:53 PM EST

and its not just economic. society as a whole would benefit.

: Ironically (none / 0) (#10)
by Fabian on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 06:38:00 PM EST

I believe it was here that I found out that Mexican cartels have growing operations here - so that even domestically produced cannabis is fueling the cartel operations.
The easy solution would make only domestic cannabis legal - treat it like tobacco with permits and all that. It deprives the cartels of the revenues at the same time it increases domestic taxes and economic activity. Double plus good.

"As these guidelines point out..." (none / 0) (#2)
by Illiope on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:08:04 PM EST

the continued criminalization of marijuana only serves to provide mexican drug cartels, drug dealers, etc. with more revenue.

the DEA and drug dealers have something in common: their love of marijuana prohibition. it is just good for (their) business.

Poor dumb DEA... (none / 0) (#4)
by kdog on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:12:10 PM EST

still confusing marijuana with dangerous drugs...somebody get those scarecrows to the wizard for a brain!

Now if they're serious about hurting the Mexican drug cartels revenue stream, and I'm all for it, they should let us know when we can start our gardens without fear of chains, cages, and property seizure. The cartels would be out of the marijuana racket in 6-8 weeks tops.

DEA is bound by federal law (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by oculus on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:14:46 PM EST

listing cannabis as a schedule I substance.


Exactly. The DEA does what it's told to do. (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:35:14 PM EST

Change the federal laws if you want to change the actions of those sworn duty is to uphold those laws.


: I'd love to change some laws... (5.00 / 0) (#9)
by kdog on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:47:13 PM EST

how do we do that?
Some widespread civil disobedience at the DEA might work better than anything attempted so far...but I ask too much:)

yeah I know... (none / 0) (#7)
by kdog on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:33:19 PM EST

my beef is with Congress, first and foremost.

But the creator endowed all DEA employees with a brain and a conscience...just like you and me. Speaking for me, my mind and my conscience trumps federal law.

But I guess we all make our deal with various devils to pay our bills...sun god knows I do, but the DEA's deal with devil is beyond my pale...far beyond.


indeed it is. (none / 0) (#11)
by cpinva on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 07:30:39 PM EST

DEA is bound by federal law
listing cannabis as a schedule I substance.

as well, it is to DEA's advantage that it continue to be so listed. without the criminalization of drugs, the DEA would have no reason to exist, putting a lot of people in the unemployment lines.


A bit worrisome (none / 0) (#6)
by roy on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:29:02 PM EST

Marijuana may or may not cause paranoia, but the DEA certainly does...

Their statement is at best murky weasel speak, at worst preemptive ass-covering. Is the DEA intimating that the new guidelines, by merely "clarifying", describe what they were already doing? Are they laying out an interpretation of the guidelines that doesn't require them to actually change behavior?

They say they don't -- present tense -- "target individuals with serious medical conditions who comply with state laws", but we all know they target distributors who comply with state laws, which directly impacts those individuals.

The say they will -- future tense -- target "any criminal organization or individual who unlawfully grows, markets or distributes marijuana", but medical marijuana distributors and medical users who grow their own all do so unlawfully, regardless of their compliance with state laws, so long as the federal law is on the books.

I would not mind adding (none / 0) (#12)
by AX10 on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 09:04:39 PM EST

the workers at the DEA to the unemployment rolls.