Obama Issues New Medical Marijuana Policy
Not a Good Use of Time
The Obama administration is directing federal prosecutors not to arrest medical marijuana patients and caregivers who are complying with state laws.(video)
Monday, federal prosecutors, as well as top officials at the FBI and DEA, were reportedly told it isn’t a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana, if they are complying with state law. This is the most significant, positive policy development on the federal level for medical marijuana since 1978, according to Rob Kampia, Executive Director, Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), Washington, D.C..
Keeping a Campaign Promise
Obama said August 21, 2007 in Nashua, NH (video) he would not use the department of justice to go after consumers or providers of medical marijuana in states where medical marijuana was legal by state law. His action today was fulfillment of that promise made over two year ago, Kampia said.
Kampia is quick to point out the economics of prohibition vs legislation and taxation. In 2004 in the largest medical marijuana bust in history Federal authorities confiscated and destroyed a billion dollars in cannabis being grown openly and in compliance with California state guidelines.
How Big is Obama's Directive?
Kampia recently appeared on Fox Business News “Happy Hour” (video) to discuss the efforts in California to tax and regulate marijuana, and how it will help the state’s revenue problems.
He sees today's directive by Obama as a huge victory. He believes Obama opened the door for state's to regulate medical marijuana without fear of the feds trumping them again like in 2004.
Revenue needs in California today are worse than 2004 according to Kampia and medicinal marijuana is becoming very popular to public officials and taxpayers.
The Rise and Fall of Eddy Lepp
The pot grower the government took down in 2004 wasn't some gangster member of a cartel, but Eddy Lepp, a 57 year old minister/activist who was operating within the laws of the State of California. He was also on a mission from God.(video)
His medicinal pot farm consisted of 32,000 healthy cannabis plants growing openly and lawfully (state law) in the California sunshine with lots of tender loving care. Then the US Department of Justice ended his holy mission and in May of 2009 after 5 years of stalling the judicial system Eddy Lepp was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Will Eddy Lepp Ever See Freedom?
Lepp began serving his time in July 2009. He has become somewhat of a "larger than life" folk hero to a cult following in California and on the world wide web. He has his own ballad recorded about him (video) and a lot of fans. That said, he has still lived a hard 57 years and he's looking at almost a decade in federal custody before he gets out.
Will today's directive by President Obama have any impact on Lepp's future? Would Obama risk the political capital of a presidential pardon?
Lepp predicts he will die in prison.
Wow, Sundi.That is a powerful story of government stupidity, insensitivity and betrayal . . .which is nothing new for the Indian nations. Still, for the government to give them the seeds, show them how to grow them and then come in and wipe out their crops because another department of government incorrectly determined industrial hemp to be the same as pot . . . and to do it on land that is sovereign (meaning the US government has no jurisdiction there) would be unbelievable if PBS had not documented it so well.
Thank you so much for commenting and for adding such thought provoking information. Reminds me of the words in a song you wrote . . ."Give back the white man the gifts that he gave."
David, thought you would find this a wonderful addition to this story... how the gov't is bringing charges against Lakota people who are trying to grow industrial hemp:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/standing/video_classroom1.php
Lots of resources online for those interested in how the sovereign Indian nations are being penalized for trying to make a living with industrial hemp. In contrast, this was completely legal and even encouraged during WW II.