Why are the feds raiding Oaksterdam? (Oakland: sale, crime, tax)

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by SunDevil1212

This is our "post-partisan" President

He must have thought being a post partum President was also being a post-partisan President.

[mayorhaggar]

Yeah I really don't get it. It would be nice if the supposed party of "freedom and liberty" (the GOP) would get off its high horse and lobby for mj legalization already, if they did that it would be legal tomorrow because they control so much of government policy. But the GOP is the party of racist old people so they're not going to do that anytime soon. I don't get why Democrats would arrest people for pot, they'll just **** off liberal voters and it's not like they will ever, ever impress Republicans. Republicans still refuse to credit Obama for killing Bin Laden for crissakes!

[SunDevil1212]

Originally Posted by HockeyMac18

Not sure how accurate this article is (Obama Not Implicated In California Medical Marijuana Crackdown, U.S. Attorney Claims), but it says that Obama wasn't involved in the decision-making that's lead to this ramp up in crackdowns. However, I think the actual truth has to be a bit more complicated than that, and I'd be pretty surprised if Obama had no control over or say in implementing these systematic crackdowns.

I personally don't smoke (or care if other people do), but it does seem like a huge waste of time to crackdown on these establishments. At least they're allowing for a more transparent and regulated approach vs. buying it from a drug dealer on the street...

I agree with you; I doubt the President has had no say on this and this is entirely out of his control.

The US Attorneys that are going after these places in Oakland report up directly to the Attorney General (Eric Holder), as do the DEA and the FBI:

USDOJ: About: Department of Justice Agencies

Each US Attorney is appointed directly by the President and is subject to removal by the President. So the US Attorney for NorCal that is creating this mess (Melinda Haag) could be removed tomorrow by Obama himself.

28 USC § 541 - United States attorneys | LII / Legal Information Institute

I don't buy that this isn't politically motivated. Obama knows that he could lose the votes of some seniors who only know marijuana from what they've seen in Reefer Madness, and so he's decided to put votes over common sense and relief for those who are suffering.

[SunDevil1212]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Yeah I really don't get it. It would be nice if the supposed party of "freedom and liberty" (the GOP) would get off its high horse and lobby for mj legalization already, if they did that it would be legal tomorrow because they control so much of government policy. But the GOP is the party of racist old people so they're not going to do that anytime soon. I don't get why Democrats would arrest people for pot, they'll just **** off liberal voters and it's not like they will ever, ever impress Republicans. Republicans still refuse to credit Obama for killing Bin Laden for crissakes!

Its odd that you are turning this into a reason to bash the GOP - not that the GOP doesn't deserve its share of bashing, but let's be real here - Obama himself, despite having toked up more than his fair share during his youth, has stated on the record that he does not support legalization.

If you want to credit Obama for killing OBL, then fine, but at the same time you must also recognize that he is entirely responsible for the mess with medical marijuana. Can't have it both ways.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by SunDevil1212

Obama knows that he could lose the votes of some seniors who only know marijuana from what they've seen in Reefer Madness, and so he's decided to put votes over common sense and relief for those who are suffering.

...or those of us senior enough to have been adult enough during the 60s to decide to expand our own minds instead of relying on chemicals to do so for us.

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by ssmaster

jeffredo is correct

california medical maryjane was passed in 1996

Gonzales v. Raich (previously ******** v. Raich), 545 U.S. 1 (2005), was a decision by the United States Supreme Court ruling that under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, the United States Congress may criminalize the production and use of home-grown cannabis even where states approve its use for medicinal purposes.

...

Yet another example of the SCOTUS allowing an overreach of federal power. Our founding fathers would roll over in their grave.

[SunDevil1212]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

...or those of us senior enough to have been adult enough during the 60s to decide to expand our own minds instead of relying on chemicals to do so for us.

Good for you. At what point during your chemical-free enlightenment period did you decide it was good policy to deny fellow humans access to plants that provide relief to those suffering from cancer, glaucoma, multiple-sclerosis, AIDS, eating disorders, etc?

[Natural510]

What I don't understand is the need to smoke it (if it's medicine)...when else has a doctor ever prescribed a medicine be smoked?

[04kL4nD]

The effects of smoking it are very different than eating it. And as far as smoke goes, it's nowhere near as harmful to the lungs as tobacco smoke

[majoun]

If the feds had been deployed to Oikos University rather than Oaksterdam University some people who are dead right now might still be alive.