home

Holder Testifies at Senate Judiciary Comm. Hearing

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Wed Mar 06, 2013 at 09:22:00 AM EST
Tags: amendment 64, marjuana legalization. (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Attorney General Eric Holder will testify this morning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on DOJ oversight. Many expect him to discuss DOJ's response to Colorado and Washington's recently passed marijuana legalization laws.

I doubt the objections to the laws raised yesterday by former DEA officials will sway him. When they wrote him in September 2012, before the elecion, asking him to publicly take a stand against the laws there was no response. There was silence. Here is their latest letter. The organization on the letterhead, Save Our Society From Drugs, is political action committee. [More...]

In December, in an interview with ABC News, President Obama said his administration would not make busting recreational users in states where marijuana was legal a high priority:

"We've got bigger fish to fry...It would not make sense for us to see a top priority as going after recreational users in states that have determined that it's legal."

That's not a change: the feds have never gone after recreational users of small amounts of marijuana. States and local governments do that.

Why don't these codgy old dodgers go after big stuff, like curing the many billions we spnend on fighting the war on drugs.

The objections they raise are as out of touch with the times as Nancy's Regan's "Just Say No."

On Feb. 26, at a meeting of state attorneys general, Holder said he'd decide on a response to the new laws soon. He mentioned concern of our interational partners. A recreational drug user is about as likely to come into contact with a cartel member as Holder: It won't happen.

The feds will continue to bust those who in their view are cultivating and trafficking commerical quantities of marijuana. It's absurd to think they give a whit about about Johnny and Sally sharing a joint after work or growing a few plants in their backyard.

Memo to Former DEA Directors: (Get Over It, by the Eagles.)

< George Zimmerman 3/5 Hearing: Witness 8 Lied, Immunity Hearing Details | Holder Defends Aaron Swartz Prosecution >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Holder Testifies at Senate Judiciary Comm. Hearing | 7 comments (7 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    You mean Holder who just said... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Dadler on Wed Mar 06, 2013 at 10:27:28 AM EST
    ...that Obama has the authority to drone American citizens here at home?

    Phuck. Him.

    Who Is Going to Cultivate and Distribute ? (5.00 / 3) (#3)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Mar 06, 2013 at 10:55:59 AM EST
    ...the legal weed, commercial growers/distributors.  The ones Obama has stated the Fed will continue to bust.

    The feds will continue to bust those who in their view are cultivating and trafficking commercial quantities of marijuana.

    Johnny and Sally were never at risk from getting busted by the Fed, so their current policy hasn't changed and if the MM California is any indication, they will be in Colorado making arrests of state sanctioned facilities.

    Either it's legal or it's not, arresting people who supply a legal good is not acceptable and acting like they are helpless to not enforce a law is complete BS.

    S.O.S.... (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Wed Mar 06, 2013 at 10:47:18 AM EST
    The ironic double-speak is so thick...some of the most destructive members of our society calling themselves "SOS...Save Our Society from Drugs".  

    What I wanna know is who will save us from the likes of SOS?

    Now they're crying about UN treaties, such weak weak tea...I say time for new international treaties calling for a world-wide cease fire surrender of the war on drugs. Isn't that why the UN was founded?  Ending and preventing wars?  Spreading peace and freedom?

    Jurisidiction: Feds v State, local authorities (none / 0) (#4)
    by Mr Natural on Wed Mar 06, 2013 at 11:17:38 AM EST
    lol. Credit where credit is due.  They're organized like organized crime.

    SITE VIOLATOR (none / 0) (#6)
    by Peter G on Wed Mar 06, 2013 at 01:57:36 PM EST
    ... I think ...

    Seems very likely, Peter (none / 0) (#7)
    by Zorba on Wed Mar 06, 2013 at 02:38:58 PM EST
    "Deneme" is a (big surprise here) Turkish word, and the commenter's info features a website or email or something with a rather suspicious word in it.
    A particularly inept spammer, however, it would seem.    ;-)

    Parent
    What Are The DEA Officials Afraid Of? (none / 0) (#8)
    by john horse on Wed Mar 06, 2013 at 05:43:27 PM EST
    The DEA officials are saying that if Holder doesn't take action against the states which have decriminalized immediately, it will be too late.  So why the hurry?  What are the DEA officials afraid of? These states provide a test case on marijuana.  Could it be that these states will prove that all the scary stuff the DEA has been saying about marijuana is nothing but BS?  

    Holder Testifies at Senate Judiciary Comm. Hearing | 7 comments (7 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment