Nine former DEA chiefs slam Colorado pot law
The suit claims that Colorado’s legalization efforts conflict with federal narcotics laws and are inhibiting the states’ ability to enforce their own laws.
A marijuana flower nearly ready for harvest is pictured. | AP
Colorado’s law “gravely menace[s]…[t]he health, comfort and prosperity of the people” of neighboring states,” the former administrators write in their brief.
“The federal government made the choice in 1970 that a uniform, comprehensive, and consistent national approach to controlled substances was necessary,” the brief continues. “Principles of federalism, properly understood, therefore support the plaintiff States’ suit against Colorado.”
Under the Obama administration, the Justice Department has declined to enforce federal laws on marijuana in states that have legalized it for recreational use.
The brief, filed on their behalf by the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, is the first time all nine former DEA administrators have joined together on a signed statement.
Filed under: General Problems
Law Enforcement of NE and OK are pissed off with all their citizens making trips to CO to take advantage of the pot laws and making extra work for them on busting them as they come back across the border. If they’re that upset about it, then the citizens of those states need vote to legalize pot, it’s that simple or the AGs of those 2 states should just hang it up. The Feds unfortunately have always used extortion regarding the 10th amendment to get their way and the states until lately have been wimps and given in (past examples….speed limits, raising the drinking age to 21, seat belt laws….do this or lose your federal highway funds) It took ObummerCare, illegal immigration amnesty/lack of border security and a federal power grab the likes no one has seen since Nixon for enough govenors to pull together on the meaning of the 10th amendment and finally now have the guts to challenge the Feds on it.
Colorado’s law “gravely menace[s]…[t]he health, comfort and prosperity of the people” of neighboring states,” the former administrators write in their brief.
Really? One could say that if these judges and former administrators cared for the “health, comfort, and prosperity….” of people they would call off the dogs and leave disabled and elderly citizens alone. They would not stand idly by while their former bureaucratic institution persecutes them by resurrecting archaic ideology and inserting it in a constant stream of new hoops, rules, and regulations that are tantamount to torture and fly in the face of science.
When any branch of govt, in this case judicial, attempts to overthrow the most democratic means of the people expressing their will and intent (a direct referendum) we are at a scary point in the country’s history. That the govt routinely disregards individuals liberties in the name of the war on terror and the war on drugs; basically challenging those affected to take on an entity whose resources are basically unlimited (while seizing the defendants) is enough cause for concern, these attempts to circumvent popular opinion and the direct wishes of the people (what this country is SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT) it is time to clean house. Defund the DEA and let the DOJ start using its appropriations to fight REAL CRIME. Clearance rates for violent crime are abysmal when compared to
the statistics before the war on drugs began in earnest under tricky Dick.
Almost forgot. Yes, there is this little matter of an old document. rarely paid much attention to anymore, you know the one, I think its called……..hmmmmm……..lets see, oh yeah, The CONSTITUTION !!!! Within it lies a section called the 10th amendment.
It guarantees individual States ALL rights not specifically enumerated and given to the Federal Govt. (Many feel that the whole drug war is unconstitutional to begin with) States are able to decide their own policies, rules, and laws, unless they are powers specifically granted to the Federal Govt. In theory this should end the discussion but in the real world of a growing fascist state who knows what kind of convoluted theory can be offered up as a way around this outdated ‘roadblock’ impeding the wishes of the powers that be.
it isn’t NE or OK citizens, their law enforcement organizations, or their judiciary branches to decide what the people of CO do. So go ahead Coloradans and tell them to suck an egg!
Coonhound
http://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/amendments/10/essays/163/reserved-powers-of-the-states
http://www.redstate.com/diary/freedomrepublican/2014/01/10/we-should-all-agree-on-drug-war-federalism/
Can you even imagine how the resources could be used? Applied to the national debt. Education. The amount of money wasted on the so called war on drugs is astounding.
I’d rather not see Cannabis on any schedule list. I’d rather see it sold like alcohol. I already have more than enough policing to do. Better yet I ‘d rather see the DEA reduced to a something along the excise police…their job to just make sure that no one gets sold the stuff under the age of 21. I’m still in favor of what they did in Portugal….their decriminalization program and pro treatment for those who want it seems successful after 15 years.
Amen. Portugal has it right.
These guys in the DEA are wasting tax payers money every day. They should be out looking for the people selling illegal drugs on the street such as Morphine and Oxycontin. These are the drugs killing children in every state and in every neighborhood.
Each year we read or hear about kids dying or getting hooked on these powerful drugs and yet we don’t see the DEA doing anything but raging a war on Marijuana. It’s just stupid. Marijuana isn’t killing anyone?
The people have spoken. And we want Marijuana for medicinal and for recreation purposes. Soon Marijuana will be for sale in every state just like alcohol and the DEA agents will have no choice but to go after the real drug dealers.
Lawsuits take years and years (and years). By the time these cases come up on the docket and then move through appeals, cannabis will have been moved to Schedule II (although it should be removed from the list completely).
Besides, they have no case. They’re just wasting taxpayer money because… they can.