bobbyw24
10-22-2009, 07:27 AM
Obama's New Medical Marijuana Policy Is Not A Step Forward For Liberty
Yesterday's big headline was the Obama Administration's new policy (which was already announced months ago, if you'll remember) on medical marijuana:
"Federal drug agents won't pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued Monday by the Obama administration."
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L5EFG-vZEHo/St4eJI-qhOI/AAAAAAAABi4/68N9WjUt5lU/s200/Obama+Marijuana.bmp
I want to advise my fellow libertarians not to get too excited about this development. I'm certainly not.
This is neither a step forward for advocates of marijuana legalization, nor "states' rights" proponents who want to see the Federal government staying on its side of the line drawn by the 10th amendment.
Michelle Malkin calls this out for exactly what it is:
The “clarifying” memo that will be sent out today, seven months after Holder first announced the “shift,” makes clear that the Obama administration will actually retain the same discretion the Bush administration exercises to prosecute someone whose activities are deemed legal in states that allow medical marijuana use.
In other words, they will continue Bush-era policies when they find it expedient to do so in the future — but they want praise and obeisance from the Left for paying lip service to Transformative Change now. It’s the Obama way!
Exactly! I could not have summarized it better myself. The American Spectator also does a roundup of all the gleeful opinions that see this move as an advance for federalism- and solidly refutes them.
It's interesting to see some hardened libertarians and pot-activists excited about this while two pretty conventionally conservative . . .
http://www.humblelibertarian.com/2009/10/obamas-new-marijuana-policy-is-not-step.html
Yesterday's big headline was the Obama Administration's new policy (which was already announced months ago, if you'll remember) on medical marijuana:
"Federal drug agents won't pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued Monday by the Obama administration."
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L5EFG-vZEHo/St4eJI-qhOI/AAAAAAAABi4/68N9WjUt5lU/s200/Obama+Marijuana.bmp
I want to advise my fellow libertarians not to get too excited about this development. I'm certainly not.
This is neither a step forward for advocates of marijuana legalization, nor "states' rights" proponents who want to see the Federal government staying on its side of the line drawn by the 10th amendment.
Michelle Malkin calls this out for exactly what it is:
The “clarifying” memo that will be sent out today, seven months after Holder first announced the “shift,” makes clear that the Obama administration will actually retain the same discretion the Bush administration exercises to prosecute someone whose activities are deemed legal in states that allow medical marijuana use.
In other words, they will continue Bush-era policies when they find it expedient to do so in the future — but they want praise and obeisance from the Left for paying lip service to Transformative Change now. It’s the Obama way!
Exactly! I could not have summarized it better myself. The American Spectator also does a roundup of all the gleeful opinions that see this move as an advance for federalism- and solidly refutes them.
It's interesting to see some hardened libertarians and pot-activists excited about this while two pretty conventionally conservative . . .
http://www.humblelibertarian.com/2009/10/obamas-new-marijuana-policy-is-not-step.html