|
Obama Says End Raids on Medical Cannabis |
|
|
|
|
All 2007 Democratic Presidential Candidates Now on Board The Democratic Party presidential field is now in agreement on at least one issue: The DEA's raids on medical cannabis patients and providers in states where it is legal should be stopped. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who had been the last holdout, said in August he would end such raids.
Obama's pledge came as a response to a question from Nashua resident and Granite Staters for Medical [Cannabis] volunteer Scott Turner, who asked the senator what he would do to stop the federal government from putting seriously ill people like Turner in prison in states where medical cannabis is legal. Granite Staters is a project of the Marijuana Policy Project designed to advance the issue by taking advantage of New Hampshire's crucial role in presidential primaries.
"I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users," Obama said. "It's not a good use of our resources."
Obama now joins all seven other Democratic presidential contenders in opposing the raids, as well as Republican candidates Rep. Ron Paul (TX) and Rep. Tom Tancredo (CO).
"For the first time in history, the leaders of one of our nation's major parties have unanimously called for an end to the federal prosecution of medical [cannabis] patients," GSMM campaign manager Stuart Cooper, from Manchester, said. "New Hampshire voters and medical professionals effectively sent a clear message that we would not support a candidate who would arrest - rather than protect - our nation's most seriously ill citizens. Compassion and reason are finally overcoming politics and propaganda."
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson took it a step further by sending a letter to President Bush asking him to end the raids. "Respected physicians and government officials should not fear going to jail for acting compassionately and caring for our most vulnerable citizens," Richardson wrote. "Nor should those most vulnerable of citizens fear their government because they take the medicine they need."
Letter to the President:
http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/newsroom/pressreleases?id=0225
Source: from Drug War Chronicle, Issue #499, 8/24/07
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/499/obama_says_no_medical_marijuana_raids Boston Globe story, James Pindell, August 22nd, 2007:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/primarysource/2007/08/all_democratic.html |
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 06 September 2007 )
|
