Drug WarRant

Via Dare Generation Diary and Raw Story…
Henry Waxman’s House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is getting feisty: Politicization of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

At the request of Sara Taylor, the former White House Director of Political Affairs, John Walters, the nation‰s drug czar, and his deputies traveled to 20 events with vulnerable Republican members of Congress in the months prior to the 2006 elections. The trips were paid for by federal taxpayers and several were combined with the announcement of federal grants or actions that benefited the districts of the Republican members.

Oops.

We knew this, of course, yet it’s so delightful to see Congress actually doing something about it.

And check out this little email that they found… ONDCP’s White House liaison Douglas Simon sends a congratulatory email to all the ONDCP staff passing on the kudos given by Karl Rove for ONDCP’s work in coordinating all those campaign appearance trips. ONDCP Deputy Director Scott Burns responds, thanking him for “great work.”

From: Burns, Scott
Sent: Wednesday, November 22,2006 9:11 AM
To: Simon, Douglas A.
Subject: RE: November 7th Recap

Great work Doug…

From: Simon, Douglas A.
Sent: Tuesday, November 21,2006 5:34 PM
To: Bishop, Michael F.; Blake, Brian; Boyd, Cynthia M.; Buikema, Sally L; Burns, Scott; Cole, Jason R.; Horton, John C. (ONDCP); Janik HeatherJ.; Justce,Cary G.i Katsurinis, Stephen A.; Nelson, Keith B.; Lang, Jonathan D.; Madras, Bertha; Mclaughlân, Evan C.; Murray, David W.; O’Gara, James F,; Overdyke, Laura-Ashley; Raden, Erin E.; Rand, Justin W.; Reid, Margaret A.; Riley, Thomas A.; Simon, Douglas A.; Skoczylas, Paul E.; Solberg, Mary A.; Walters, John P.; Schatz, Stephen E.

Subject: November 7th Recap

Folks,

I just wanted to give you all a summary of a post November 7th update I received the other night. Presidential personnel pulled together a meeting of all of the Administration’s White House Liaison’s and the WH Political Affairs office. Karl Rove opened the meeting with a thank you for all of the work that went into the surrogate appearances by Cabinet members and for the 72 Hour deployment. He specifically thanked, for going above and beyond the call of duty, the Dept. of Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, AND the WH Drug Policy Office.

This recognition is not something we hear everyday and we should feel confident that our hard work is noticed. All of this is due to our efforts preparing the Director and the Deputies for their trips and events. Director Walters and the Deputies covered thousands of miles to attend numerous official events all across the country. The Director and the Deputies deserve the most recognition because they actually had to give up time with their families for the god awful places we sent them. I attached the flnal list of all of the official events that the Director and Deputies attended.

Karl also launched into a feisty discussion about the plans for the final two years of this administration. ln no uncertain terms, he said he is not going to let the last quarter of this presidency be dictated to by the Capitol Hill.
There are a number of things this admçnistration and more specifically ONDCP have to accomplish before the time is up. lt is time to regroup and move forward.

ln the next 2-3 weeks I am going to set up one on one meetings will all political appointees to get a sense your plans for the next two years. lt will just be informational for planning purposes.

Thanks again,

Doug Simon

The Drug Czar has always (arguably illegally) campaigned against various drug policy initiatives and legislation around the country. But this particular bit of sloppiness in recording what everybody knows was happening may get more Congressional scrutiny as it relates to provable specific violations of the Hatch Act.
Update: DARE Generation Diary has an action item calling for the Drug Czar’s resignation.

This article in today’s Miami Herald about corruption in Puerto Rico really points out the huge problem with prohibition (even though the specific link is essentially missed by reporter Frances Robles).

As Puerto Rico battles one of the highest crime rates in the United States and burgeoning drug trafficking blamed for about 700 murders a year, authorities are confronting another harsh reality: corruption.
About 100 police officers are currently under investigation, and 75 others have been convicted in federal court in the past five years, law enforcement officials said. The Puerto Rican attorney general’s office has 17 open cases against members of the police department.
As a hub for cocaine and heroin arriving from Colombia on the way to mainland U.S. streets, Puerto Rico is so steeped in drug corruption that even a top prosecutor was accused of accepting a Mercedes Benz from a known dealer. The U.S. government estimates that 20 percent of the cocaine from Colombia passes through the Caribbean.
”We have had officers using police cars to escort drug dealers, and we have arrested officers selling weapons to undercover agents,” Toledo said.

Just check out all the named operations conducted… against the police…

In 2001, 32 officers were arrested in the biggest police corruption case in the island’s history, dubbed ”Operation Lost Honor.” Officers were accused of using their patrol cars to protect cocaine shipments.
In 2004, 16 officers, including two women, were charged with conspiring to sell drugs in ”Operation Dark Justice.” In yet another police corruption case, ”Blue Shame,” prosecutors publicly complained that they suspected judges involved in the case were corrupt.

This is not new. It should not be surprising. All we have to do is read history.
These statements at hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate in 1926 are instructive:

The corrupt prohibition agent or policeman is just as much a part of the bootleg industry as the bootlegger himself. Last year it took two Pullman cars to transfer to Atlanta the convicted policemen and prohibition agents corralled in a single round-up in Ohio. In May, 1925, a special grand jury in Morris County, N. J., was reported in the press as returning at one time 28 indictments against county officers and others for violations of the Volstead Act. About the same time, the Rev. Marna S. Poulson, superintendent of the New Jersey Anti -Saloon League, was reported in the New York Times as saying, in an address at a prohibition rally at Atlantic City, “I don’t know of anyone who can make a dollar go further than policemen and dry agents. By frugality, after a year in the service, they acquire automobiles and diamonds.”

— Senator William Cabel Bruce

“Federal judges have told me, and their names I can supply if required, that the whole atmosphere of the Federal Building was one of pollution, that the air of corruption had even descended into the civil parts of the court, and reports were made to the senior United States judge of attempts to bribe jurymen even in the toilets of the building.”

— U.S. Attorney Emory R. Buckner

One of the most imposing promises made by the friends of prohibition before the eighteenth amendment was that by abolishing drink crime would be decreased to a minimum. That promise has not been fulfilled. Crime has increased in such amazing proportion that it has become the dominant consideration of most of the State and municipal governments of the Nation. A national crime commission of distinguished men from every section of the country, has been formed, and a bill is now pending in the New York Legislature which has to do with the appointment of a joint committee, to be joined by citizens to determine the came and possible remedies to reduce the tremendous wave of crime that is sweeping not only the country but New York as well.

I need not quote statistics to this committee, I am sure, to demonstrate that this is the most lawless country on the face of the earth. I go a step further. I assert that prohibition is one of the largest contributing factors to that disgraceful condition, by reason of the conceded, failure or inability of Federal and State authorities to enforce the law; it has created a disrespect for law which, starting with prohibition, has gone all along the line.

— Judge Alfred J. Talley

This is so clearly an inescapable by-product of prohibition, but the causal link is ignored by so much of our society.
I often hear people dismiss my suggestions that eliminating prohibition’s black market profits will reduce crime with the bizarre rejoinder that all those criminals will still find something to do. They often have the same view of police corruption — if those dirty cops weren’t on the take from drug dealers, they’d be doing it some other way (that part always referring to some non-specific other profitable corrupt enterprise).
This manicheistic world-view — that there are only two types of people and they’re unalterably divided into criminals and non-criminals — may be comforting to some, but it bears little resemblance to reality.
Sure, there are certain cops who would be corrupt no matter what. But there’s a lot more who are merely weak, and who are seduced into it through circumstances and opportunity.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition’s Peter Christ puts it into perspective…

Now you came into this thing a bright eyed, shiny young recruit… You’re a police officer four or five years — you see the wasted energy you spend on this drug war. And now you’re standing in a motel room where a drug arrest has just been made. Laying on the bed is a hundred and some thousand dollars which hasn’t been counted yet in cash… In your back pocket is a thirty-eight hundred dollar bill from the plumber that you didn’t know how you were going to pay… And, it doesn’t make any difference anyway. And you take your first taste. And then you’re gone.

Corruption is not excused because it comes from prohibition. But that doesn’t change the reality that the level of corruption we see is a direct result of prohibition. And knowing that, but not changing our course, makes us responsible as well.

“bullet” The Hinchey amendment could be coming to a vote this week, so contact your representative (some options for doing so are in the alert at the top of the page).
“bullet” David Murray is not only desperate, he’s really reaching in his lies to support his arguments. In his testimony before Congress last week, he said:

Founding proponents of medical marijuana in the United States have
reversed their key positions of support for medical marijuana. […]
Steve Kubby, another Co-founder of medical marijuana in California stated in a
letter to supporters on April 14th, 2006 that ‹Marinol is an acceptable, if not ideal,
substitute for whole cannabis in treating my otherwise fatal disease.Š

Kubby was surprised to learn of his supposed change in view, to say the least.
“bullet” Learn how they work. This piece on workplace drug and alcohol abuse is a prime example of the prohibitionist tactics that get swallowed wholesale by the media. Note the mis-use of statistics. In particular, you’ll see that problem drinking is defined but problem drug use is not (merely using illicit drugs is considered abuse). Also note that there is absolutely no attempt to connect either with actually being impaired on the job. This is an outright attempt to sell drug testing. Period.
“bullet” DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen says that the letters to landlords “should not be viewed as a threat.” In addition to my letter of response, I may need to send her a dictionary.
“bullet” Paul Armentano talks about a forthcoming study that demonstrates what we’ve known for some time — that whole marijuana is demonstrably better than Marinol at treating HIV/AIDS-related weight and appetite lose.
“bullet” Pain Doctor William Hurwitz received a much lighter sentence (less than 5 years) than the first time around (25 years). Given what he’s already served, he could be out in a couple of years.
“bullet” Judge rules Canada’s pot possession laws unconstitutional. This kind of thing used to happen fairly often in Canada. It’s fun to see it happening again.

Via Cannabis Culture Magazine [Thanks, Jay], it appears that the DEA has threatened asset forfeiture against the building owners where medical marijuana dispensaries are housed in Los Angeles! This is an extremely chilling step, and a tactic designed to get the landlords, in fear of losing all their property, to act as agents of the DEA and evict the dispensaries.
Here’s the letter they’re sending:

(Sent by Certified Mail July 6, 2007) DEA, LA Field Division, 255 E. Temple St, 17th Fl, LA 90012 (213) 621-6700
The DEA has determined you own, or have under your management or control, a building located at [ADDRESS]. The DEA has determined there is a marijuana dispensary, [NAME], operating on the property.
This is a violation of federal law. Federal law 21 U.S.C. Sec. 56 (a)
states:
“It shall be unlawful to knowingly and intentionally rent, lease or make available for use, with or without compensation, a building, room, or enclosure for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing, storing, distributing, or using a controlled substance.”
Federal law takes precedence over State law. It is not a defense to this crime or to the seizure of the property that the facility
operating on the property is providing “medical marijuana” under California law including the provisions of California Prop. 215. Violation of this law is a felony crime, and carries with it a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
In addition, federal law allows for the seizure of assets, including real property, which have been used in conjunction with the distribution of controlled substances. Specifically, 21 U.S.C. 881 (a) (7) states:
“The following shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States and no property right shall exist in them: All real property, including any right, title and interest (including any leasehold interest) in the whole of any lot or tract of land which is used in any manner or part, or to facilitate the commission of, a violation of this sub-chapter.”
This letter shall serve as notice that, after a thorough investigation, the DEA has determined there is a marijuana dispensary operating on the above described property. By this notice, you have been made aware of the purposes for which the property is being used.
You are further advised that violations of federal laws relating to marijuana may result in criminal prosecution, imprisonment, fines and forfeiture of assets.
For further information, please contact Acting Group Supervisor
Deanne Reuter at (213) 621-6789.
Sincerely, Timothy J. Landrum, Special Agent in Charge.

This is unacceptable. It is a violation of American principles, and should be an outrage to every property owner in this country.
Here is my letter.

(Sent by Certified Blog July 14, 2007)

To: Karen P. Tandy, Administrator
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
2401 Jefferson Davis Highway
Alexandria, Virginia 22301

The PEOPLE have determined you administer, or have under your management or control, certain buildings and/or facilities located at the following addresses:

2401 Jefferson Davis Highway, Alexandria, VA
400 2nd Avenue West, Seattle, WA
450 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA
255 East Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
4560 Viewridge Avenue, San Diego, CA
Westmount Place, 3010 North 2nd Street, Phoenix, AZ
115 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, CO
317 South 16th Street, St. Louis, MO
John C. Kluczynski Fed. Bldg., 230 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL
10160 Technology Boulevard, East, Dallas, TX
1433 West Loop South, Houston, TX
3838 N. Causeway Blvd., Three Lakeway Center, Metairie, LA
75 Spring St. S.W., Atlanta, GA
431 Howard Street, Detroit, MI
Phoenix Building, 8400 NW 53rd Street, Miami
800 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC
Wm. J. Green Fed. Bldg., 600 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
99 10th Avenue, New York NY 10011
JFK Federal Bldg., 15 Sudbury Street, Boston, MA
Metro Office Park, TLD Bldg., 17 Calle 2, Guaynabo, PR

The PEOPLE have also determined that you administer 227 domestic offices and 86 foreign offices.

The PEOPLE have determined that there is a coordinated campaign being conducted from those locations, using public funds, to deprive individuals of their rights and their lives.

This is a violation of the United States Constitution, the founding principles of our country, and of natural law.

The United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution state (in part):

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Ö That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, Ö That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it…

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Amendment IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VIII: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

This letter shall serve as notice that, after a thorough investigation, the PEOPLE have determined that there are violations of these core American principles (among others) being promoted, coordinated and undertaken at the above described properties.

This letter further serves as notice that those properties belong to the PEOPLE, and have been assigned temporarily to your management based upon their use for Constitutionally lawful activity in service of the people. If all activity in violation of the rights of the people does not immediately cease, such property shall be seized and returned to its rightful owners — the PEOPLE.

It is not a defense to this action or to the seizure of the property that the activities conducted are generally compliant with federal law. The Constitution takes precedence over federal law, particularly when such federal law has been created in violation of Constitutional principles and by way of false information promoted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

This letter also serves as notice that all funds appropriated for the use of the Drug Enforcement Administration and related activities, whether encumbered or unencumbered, shall be immediately seized and placed in escrow for the use of the PEOPLE. As Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, you may appeal the decision by placing a non-refundable bond equal to 20% of the seized assets and providing proof that none of the funds have been or will be used for activities contrary to the will and benefit of the PEOPLE.

You are further advised that the activities of you and your staff related to the encouragement of black market criminal enterprises, the deaths of American citizens, and the theft of personal property may result in criminal prosecution and imprisonment.

For further information, please read the Constitution of the United States.

Sincerely,
The PEOPLE
United States of America

P.S. Happy Bastille Day.

I just watched “In Pot We Trust” on Showtime. Powerful documentary, written, directed and produced by Star Price. Be prepared to be pissed off at the government again if you watch it. There are the charlatans like Joseph Califano, and the true drug war believers like the marijuana eradication officer, but you’ll also see some real people — people like Irv Rosenfeld, and several other fascinating medical marijuana patients.

Doesn’t he realize how much this approach backfired in the Superbowl ad?

Drug czar gives warning
Federal official calls marijuana growers dangerous terrorists
[…]
John P. Walters, President Bush’s drug czar, said the people who plant and tend the gardens are terrorists who wouldn’t hesitate to help other terrorists get into the country with the aim of causing mass casualties. Walters made the comments at a Thursday press conference that provided an update on the “Operation Alesia” marijuana-eradication effort.
“Don’t buy drugs. They fund violence and terror,” he said.

And, of course, the drug czar’s office calls this a good story on their “blog” (to them, the more outrageous the lies that they can get a reporter to print, the better a story it is).
Mass casualties? Is he drunk? Or just drunk with power?

I really admire the tenacity and patience of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) in their dealings with HHS and the Data Quality Act complaint.
For those who have been with me for years, you know about this story quite well. For others, a quick recap is in order. The Data Quality Act is a government regulation that allows groups and individuals to submit a complaint that a government agency is disseminating inaccurate information and get it corrected. Well, for years, Health and Human Services (and the FDA) has been disseminating information that marijuana has no medical value or use. It’s harder to get much more inaccurate than that. So ASA put in a complaint and asked that the information be changed. Under the law, the agency is supposed to respond in 60 days.

• October 6, 2004: Original complaint filed (good, I thought — HHS will have to correct its information by the end of the year. Right.)
• December 1, 2004. HHS says it needs more time. (Note: You can read all the letters here)
• February 2, 2005. HHS says it needs more time.
• April 5, 2005. HHS says it needs more time.
• April 20, 2005. HHS claims that it doesn’t really need to respond.
• May 19, 2005. ASA appeals the non-response.
• July 28, 2005. HHS says it needs more time to respond to the appeal.
• October 5, 2005. HHS says it needs more time.
• December 8, 2005. HHS says it needs more time.
• February 7, 2006. HHS says it needs more time.
• April 12, 2006. HHS says it needs more time.
• April 20, 2006. FDA comes out with its nonsense declaration about marijuana not being medicine.
• May 2, 2006. ASA sends a letter threatening to sue if HHS continues to delay.
• July 12, 2006. HHS denies the appeal (by avoiding the question)
• February 21, 2007: ASA files lawsuit.
• May 25, 2007. Government files motion to dismiss claiming that the courts don’t have jurisdiction and that ASA doesn’t have standing.
• June 21, 2007. ASA responds

And finally, yesterday, ASA got to actually give oral arguments in a district court (arguments on the motion to dismiss, of course, but it’s still a step forward)
I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted (and I haven’t done anything except report it to you).
And that’s exactly what the government wants. They want us to get so frustrated by the obfuscation and obstruction that we’ll give up. But we won’t.

“bullet” This is why the police have lost credibility and lost the cooperation of the citizens. An 8-year-old girl is on a trip with her grandfather (who is also her best friend). The grandfather is killed, crushed under his truck while trying to fix it, leaving the poor girl alone in the cab. Finally the police are taking the distraught girl home, but when they get inside the house, they arrest the family on marijuana charges. It was Washington State and they had a doctor’s prescription, but that didn’t matter to the police.
“bullet” Katha Pollitt has an excellent response to the Libby commutation in the Nation: Pardon whom?
“bullet” Colorless green ideas sleep furiously. Language Log does what the Supreme Court failed to do — actually look at the structure of the phrase “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” — and demonstrates that the Justices don’t know what they’re saying.
“bullet” Rita has a drug war poem over at StoptheDrugWar. Don’t forget to send me your poetry submissions.

Foreign Policy in Focus’ Laura Carlsen has a fascinating piece: Militarizing Mexico: The New War on Drugs

The U.S. model not only served to bolster the presidency. It has also proven useful as a tool for geopolitical control abroad. By elevating drug trafficking to a matter of national security, the war on drugs model has led to U.S. intervention in the politics of both drug-producing and transit nations. It has been used to justify the militarization of whole regions of foreign nations (Colombia), invasions to oust inconvenient foreign leaders (Panama), and now the extension of the U.S. security agenda into a neighboring country (Mexico).
By exporting its ‹war on drugs,Š the United States has pressured other nations to embrace U.S. national security interests as their own. This has been true from the beginning.

It’s been clear to most educated observers (and a few foreign leaders), that U.S. drug control policy and its promotion of drug policy through international treaty and the U.N. has been less about drugs than it has been about control.

Another concern that has arisen from the Colombian experience is that the ‹war on drugsŠ has a disturbing tendency to morph into a ‹war on terrorismŠ that increases U.S. military reach into foreign lands. Recall the expansion of Plan Colombia‰s anti-narcotics model into counter-terrorism activities. Since the U.S. government‰s definition of ‹terrorismŠ is both broad and ambiguous, this tendency has led to mission creep and the use of U.S. military aid to attack internal dissidence. For Mexico, the equation of immigration with terrorist threats to promote the U.S. strategy of militarizing the northern border provides a case study in how U.S. counter-terrorism programs lead to militarization, loss of national sovereignty, and violations of human rights. The new drug war provides a dangerous stepping stone in that process.

Again, not much new in the article to those of us educated in drug policy reform, but it’s good to see it articulated.
For a more sadly humorous look at the Mexican drug war, check out this amazing piece in the Dallas Morning News: Drug case could backfire in Mexico
Part of Calderon’s popularity in the drug war came from the seizure of $200 million and the hopes of the people that it would serve a good use. But there has been quite a bit of concern that it would all evaporate in a frenzy of corruption. That fear has not been eased:

But recent video images of the home’s owner š the Mexican nationalized Chinese native Zhenli Ye Gon š strolling New York streets and accusing the ruling party of using him to hoard its illegal money now threatens to taint the spectacular DEA-assisted seizure. […]
The official investigation against him and testimony from employees and relatives, including his jailed wife, suggest cozy ties among the Chinese businessman, politicians and even members of the military. Anti-drug police allegedly extorted bribes from him but also warned him to leave the country before the raid on his house.
Opposition parties have called for a congressional investigation into possible links between the ruling National Action Party, or PAN, and Mr. Ye Gon. On Wedneday, PAN legislators joined opposition members in calling for an investigation into the Ye Gon case.
As a result, the public no longer sees a $205 million blow against the drug cartels but a cesspool of collusion among drug operatives, politicians and government officials, analysts said.

“Cesspool.” Good word.

David Murray has absolutely no shame. Get this from his prepared statement:

Funded by millions from those who want to legalize marijuana outright,
marijuana lobbyists have now been deployed to Capitol Hill and to States across the
Nation to employ their favored tactic of using Americans‰ natural compassion for the sick
to garner support for a far different agenda. These modern-day snake oil proponents cite
testimonialsÖnot scienceÖthat smoked marijuana helps patients suffering from AIDS,
cancer, and other painful diseases ‹feel better.Š Unfortunately for America‰s sick, the
same scenario our Nation dealt with a century ago has returned, and a number of states
have passed voter referenda or legislative actions making smoked marijuana available for
a variety of medical conditions upon a doctor’s recommendation under state law.

Let me explain it once again. Even if you forget all the myriad studies that demonstrate significant value from medicinal use of marijuana, the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is primarily used as a symptom reliever. This doesn’t just mean “feeling better.” It means reducing the pain so you can work or function. It means reducing the nausea so you can take the healing medicine. It means reducing the spasms so you can walk, or read, or hold a pencil. The only measurement of whether it works is… whether it works. If it relieves the symptom so you can function, then it’s effective. The only question is, then, whether it’s safe. And to that question I say: “Show me the bodies.” Marijuana is arguably the safest drug known to man. If a doctor and a patient agree that it’s the best course, then there is no moral or constitutional justification for David Murray’s job to exist.
And, of course, he pushes the “smoked” marijuana meme to hysterical lengths:

In light of these scientifically proven medicinal alternatives, the idea of telling suffering patients that the best we can do for them is to encourage them to inhale the hot smoke of a burning weed, of unknown dose and purity, seems medieval at best.

It would be simply ridiculous if his asshole approach wasn’t hurting so many people. How dare he? He is a despicable traitor to the human race.
And it gets worse. Check out these bizarre ‘reasons’ medical marijuana laws “do not work”

• Medical marijuana laws lead to drug-related violence. […]

His reasoning? Because there have been thefts of the medical marijuana — more a result of the conflicting state and federal laws that prevent developing a secure system.

• Medical marijuana laws protect drug dealers […]

No. Prohibition protects drug dealers.
Fortunately, while I have not yet seen the transcripts, it appears that the subcommittee may have been on the job (although this is a very limited report).
I’m anxious to get more information. I’ll probably be talking about this hearing for awhile.