Obama Should Act On Medical Marijuana

A total of eleven states now have approved the use of medical marijuana. If a patient has a prescription, he/she can legally use marijuana in those states. But the Bush administration never agreed with the medical use of marijuana, and during his presidency, the federal government and the states were continually at odds. The states would allow a medical marijuana dispensary to open, and the federal government would raid it and shut it down.

It was hoped that President Obama would change this and let sick people fill and use their marijuana prescriptions in peace. During the campaign Obama said, "I think the basic concept of using medical marijuana for the same purposes and with the same controls as other drugs prescribed by doctors (is) entirely appropriate. I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue."

But so far, Obama has taken no action on the issue. In fact, leftovers from the Bush administration are still in charge, since Obama has not yet chosen a new head of the DEA or the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

There is an acting DEA administrator, Michele Leonhart, and some think she might get the job. She would be the first African-American woman to head the agency if chosen. But choosing her would be a mistake. She has already shown she favors the Bush administration policy of fighting the states on medical marijuana.

In the last week of the Bush administration, Ms. Leonhart "took a hard line in issuing a 118-page decision rejecting a DEA administrative law judge's recommendation to allow a University of Massachusetts researcher to grow higher-quality medicinal marijuana." Two days after President Obama took office, the DEA under her guidance raided a medical marijuana dispensary in Lake Tahoe.

I realize that the President has been busy and can't do everything at once. But it is time for our government to stop persecuting sick people. Obama needs to order the DEA to stop harrassing the marijuana clinics, and then act to put in place people who will carry out the policy he put forth on the campaign trail.

In the past, the government has told many lies about marijuana. It is not a gateway drug any more than tobacco and alcohol are, and in fact, it is much less dangerous than either of those drugs. And it has shown to be a help with several medical problems. Personally, I think marijuana should be legalized under the same laws that govern alcohol. It could be heavily taxed to help cover government deficits and could be an excellent new cash crop for farmers.

But I would be happy if President Obama would just keep his campaign promise, and allow sick people to use the drug they believe helps them. What kind of country is it that denies a helpful drug to the sick?

Please President Obama, rein in the DEA and keep your promise.