When will the medical marijuana raids end, President Obama?

February 5, 9:54 AMCivil Liberties ExaminerJ.D. Tuccille

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President Barack Obama plans to appoint people who will, probably, call off the ongoing federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries that are perfectly legal in the states in which they're located, says a White House talking head. That's a nice sort-of promise to keep a promise, coming as it does on the heels of a flurry of stormtrooper-style assaults on the businesses -- raids that have bred headlines such as: "DEA Calls Obama's Bluff With Multiple Medical Marijuana Dispensary Raids in Los Angeles."

Is it a bluff? On the campaign trail, then-Senator Obama said, "I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users. It's not a good use of our resources."

Many people were encouraged by that statement after years of an anti-marijuana jihad waged by the drug warriors of the Bush and Clinton administrations. Not content to violate the rights of recreational drug users, the DEA also went after medicine. But now here was a presidential contender promising to put things right.

And now that contender is the president himself, installing his own people and setting new policies. So what about changing policy toward states that have legalized the use of one otherwise illicit intoxicant for medical purposes?

It's a timely question, considering that the Drug Enforcement Administration is conducting business as usual with regards to drug enforcement. Yesterday, several medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles were raided by DEA agents. That's in a state where voters chose to legalize the consumption of marijuana for medical purposes back in 1996, and where storefronts selling marijuana operate within the law. Not surprisingly, headlines report that drug policy has not yet shifted to match the new president's promises.

So, when will policy shift?

According to White House spokesman Nick Shapiro,"The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind."

That's great. By the way, wasn't Eric Holder, President Obama's pick for attorney general, sworn in just the other day? Of course, Holder is a drug warrior of the first order, but he's supposed to implement the president's policies, not his own, right?

The new administration is still getting its sea legs -- we get that. But there are policy changes that are within the president's power to achieve right now. Pulling the DEA off medical marijuana raids is one of them.

Contact J.D.: civilliberties (at) tuccille.com