DEA: A New Low
You may already think the DEA is a gang of sleazy shitbags who couldn’t possibly sink any lower. Unfortunately, they just did.
The DEA has come up with a new tactic in their neverending war on those dangerous cancer patients who smoke marijuana to reduce the nausea from chemotherapy. They're targeting the landlords who own the properties where medical marijuana is dispensed.
A guilty landlord could have his/her property seized and/or face up to twenty years in prison. WTF??? Whatever happened to those “Property Rights” that conservatives are always blubbering about? For that matter, “States’ Rights” is another popular rightwing slogan. Here we have the federal government marching in and steamrolling over the states whose citizens have voted in favor of medical marijuana. And all we hear from the Far Right is thundering silence.
What do these DEA thugs see when they look in the mirror? And what do they tell their kids? “Daddy is a sadistic douchebag who persecutes sick people for a living. Aren't you proud, son? Maybe you can be just like me when you grow up.”
I’m guessing that most people, whatever their religious views, believe in some sort of Karma — “you reap what you sow,” “what goes around comes around,” whatever you want to call it.
Perhaps the legislators, prosecutors and DEA agents who keep persecuting medical marijuana patients are secretly scared shitless of reaping what they’ve sown. I know I would be.
It’s gotta be somewhere in the back of their minds when they go in for their medical checkups. Maybe they're shitting themselves with the crippling fear that the doctor will say “there's a spot on this X-ray. We’ll need to run some more tests.”
After all, what goes around comes around.
Labels: DEA, Drug Enforcement Agency, landlords prosecuted, medical marijuana
posted by Tom Harper @ 7:18 PM
19 Comments:
I thought in California and a few other States, it was legal, if one had a prescription from a doctor.
Now I here the supreme court has gotten involved and the federal government is raiding herbal shops, homes, and any one using marijuana.
If marijuana helps cancer patients or any other patents with terminal illness than I say let them use it, if it helps and the fact that they have used their constitutional right and voted for said usage.
Republicans once screamed about Federal government interfering with State Laws. Where are they?
If citizens in a State vote for such usage, than our Federal government has no right to go against the will of the people, they have spoken and that should be the end to that.
Let's Talk: I think there are about ten or twelve states where medical marijuana is legal. And it was voted in as a referendum in each one of those states. The public has spoken. But that never stopped those "limited government" conservatives from storming in and making "corrections" when We The People make the "wrong" choice.
This is just immoral -- hassling terminally ill people about what medicine they're taking.
Anything to help the machinery keep the money flowing into the pockets of Big Pharm.
This is what happens when zealots make the laws. Marijuana has been shown to help cancer patients deal with the side effects of chemo, and to decrease the pressure on the eyes of glaucoma patients. Stem cell research promises WONDERS to come in curing Alzheimers, MS, Parkinson's, cancers - who knows what-all. But the state's rights, compassionate, family-values religious right (put all of those terms in quotes) have to see to it that the rest of us suffer as their god intended. Or some such bull crap.
Randal: There you go. How can Big Pharm make a profit when patients are using pot instead of expensive pharmaceuticals. Pretty soon you won't even be able to buy herbs or vitamins at your local health food store. Big Pharm wants it all.
Candace: Don't get me started. It's like those "family values" assholes are trying to thwart every positive trend from occurring. "Seeing to it that the rest of us suffer as their god intended" -- good one.
Tom, I seriously believe that some of us need to write weekly marijuana prohibition posts. These two martini lunch Christians need to be held up to the light on a regular basis.
Nice post!
Marijuana is anathema in Jesusistan. Marrying your cousin (and/or sleeping eith offspring or a sibling,) of course, is de rigeur.
Robert: Yeah, this definitely needs more publicity. I've posted periodically about medical marijuana and the War on Drugs. It's the kind of thing where future generations will look back at us, scratch their heads and say "what were they thinking," the way we do now about Prohibition.
Jolly Roger: Yup, marrying your cousin and speaking in tongues on Sunday morning -- that's what God intended.
In this land of supposed compassion, it is very telling that something so simple, that would alleviate pain of the suffering is a crime, but war on the innocent isn't.
And the "what were they thinking" will move on the next great threat to civilization, and we'll start the dance once more. Boy, humans sure are dumb.
Larry: Pretty ironic, huh. A plant that eases the suffering of the terminally ill -- bad. Invading other countries -- good.
Randal: Yup, the circle goes round and round.
Tom, as you mentioned, the so-called conservatives have no problem interefering in state matters if the states in question are choosing to do things they don't agree with. But they sure like to defend states' rights when it comes to gun control or civil rights issues. They are such hypocrites.
Mauigirl: Yup, they're pretty indecisive. One minute they want the federal government barging in and micromanaging every detail of their lives. The next minute they want the government off their backs.
tom, i think the dea is simply implementing federal policy. the real target for this ire should be the justice department (and, of course, george bush) for setting that policy.
for the record, there is no such thing as a compassionate conservative. for that matter, you could make the case that there are no conservatives, as defined by fiscal responsibility and keeping the government out of everybody's business.
conservatism is dead. it's been replaced by totalitarianism.
Spaceneedl: True, I probably should have directed more fury at the Powers That Be and less fury at the DEA. But after a certain point a person can no longer hide behind "sorry, I'm just doing my job."
A member of the vice squad (another group enforcing laws I disagree with) is just a regular cop who gets rotated to vice for a certain period, whether he/she likes it or not. But the DEA is self-contained if I'm not mistaken. Someone who joins that organization is probably gung ho about the war on drugs and anxious to go after every violator they find; or else they would have picked a different agency to work for. Also, the DEA seems to be more powercrazed and abusive than most police agencies, from what I've read.
"...after a certain point a person can no longer hide behind 'sorry, I'm just doing my job.'"
you make a good point; does this also apply to our military?
Hmmm...interesting question. But I don't think the two are comparable. For one thing, we do need the military; we just shouldn't be misusing them like we've been doing. I don't think we need the DEA. Their entire purpose is to enforce a bunch of victimless crime laws that have no rhyme or reason. If somebody chooses to work for the DEA, presumably this person is gung ho about the war on drugs.
People have different reasons for joining the military. For low-income people it's a chance for job security and learning new marketable skills. Or people might want to help protect the country, without any ulterior motives like hatred or powertripping. Like I was saying, we do need the military. We just don't need to be invading other countries and doing global corporations' dirty work for them.
Concerning soldiers who commit illegal acts, yes they should be prosecuted whether they were "following orders" or not. The Nuremberg Trials established that.
It's time to scrap the drug war completely.
Like I've said before, they should legalize everything. Take the money that they are wasting fighting it and put it into education & treatment on demand.
Lizzy: Absolutely. I couldn't care less what other people get high on. The people who do care have too much time on their hands and need to get a life. Drug dealers want to keep drugs illegal because that drives the price up.
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