8 Ex-DEA heads: Feds should nullify state pot laws

[green73]

CHICAGO (AP) - Eight former Drug Enforcement Administration chiefs say the federal government needs to act now or it might lose the chance to nullify Colorado and Washington's laws legalizing recreational marijuana use.

The onetime DEA heads are issuing joint statements Tuesday saying the Obama administration has reacted too slowly and should immediately sue to force the states to rescind the legislation.

The Associated Press received an advance copy of the statement Monday.

One of the former DEA administrators, Peter Bensinger, told the AP that the more time goes by, the harder it'll be to stop the two states. Marijuana is illegal under federal law.

Bensinger, who lives in the Chicago area, said not acting forthrightly to sue the states might create "a domino effect" in which other states follow suit.

"My fear is that the Justice Department will do what they are doing now: do nothing and say nothing," said Bensinger. "If they don't act now, these laws will be fully implemented in a matter of months."

cont
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130305/DA4QQKSG0.html

[parocks]

ugh

[JK/SEA]

got some news...it's already too late.

[VBRonPaulFan]

sorry bros, the fed doesn't get the power to nullify state laws. try again.

[roho76]

I wonder what defense company he works for now that stands to profit from the continuation of our senseless drug prohibition policies?

[enjerth]

The Law is the Law. On the other hand, water is water.

Water has a distinct advantage when it comes to law, because the law doesn't hold water.

[Brian4Liberty]

This is the inherent problem with government employees. Eventually, their "mission" boils down to preserving their jobs, expanding their stated mission, and forever seeking more revenue.

[erowe1]

I wonder what defense company he works for now that stands to profit from the continuation of our senseless drug prohibition policies?

Close.
http://www.bensingerdupont.com/


Bensinger, DuPont & Associates (BDA) is a leader in employee assistance programs (EAP) and work-life services, training and education, compulsive gambling services, drug testing management and specialized clinical help lines and services. BDA will customize programs and services to meet the unique needs of our customers. BDA is ranked as the 6th Largest EAP Provider based on the number of covered employees (Business Insurance, December 2011).

The Prescription Drug Research Center (PDRC) is a subsidiary of BDA that provides consultation, monitoring the nonmedical use of specific prescribed controlled substances and efforts to reduce the nonmedical use of these medicines. BDA strives to provide quality services that exceed our customers’ expectations everyday.


ETA: Here's the list of the 8:

The former DEA administrators are Bensinger, John Bartels, Robert Bonner, Thomas Constantine, Asa Hutchinson, John Lawn, Donnie Marshall and Francis Mullen.

Robert Bonner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_C._Bonner) is now a lawyer representing a corrupt lobbying firm.

There's a Thomas A. Constantine Institute (http://constantine-institute.org/id2.html) for the Study of Organized Crime and Terrorism.

Asa Hutchinson (http://beta.constitutionproject.org/task-force-of-detainee-treatment/)is part of a task force committed to building bipartisan support for Gitmo, etc.

Donnie R. Marshall (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28033-2004Dec26.html)is the senior vice president of SAIC, which looks like it gets most of its work as a government contractor doing things like providing "systems development, technical and consulting services to federal, state, local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, further promoting efficiency and effectiveness in preventing and controlling crime through systems such as CODIS and LEO." (http://www.saic.com/business/services/)

I can't find much about John Bartels. But I assume he's too old to be working now, since resigned as head of the DEA in 1975. And it looks like he was a shady character (http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/25573020/comment).

Not much about Francis Mullen either. But he's 78. And he looks suspiciously like Lurch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_M._Mullen) (for comparison see here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lurch_(The_Addams_Family))).