Marijuana Backers To GOPers: Why Not Cut The DEA Budget?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

With Republicans in the House looking to cut down on spending in the next fiscal year, supporters of legalizing marijuana have a suggestion for where they should start -- the Drug Enforcement Agency's budget.

Sure, they know it's a long shot. But the Marijuana Policy Project's Steve Fox told TPM it makes a lot of sense.

"In the grand scheme of things, the entire federal budget dedicated to keeping marijuana illegal and carrying out all the enforcement measures to do so is really something that is long past its prime," Fox said.

"I'm not naive enough to think there would be such a major step, but you can just pick it apart and look at the marijuana seizures -- the amount of time and energy put into those seizures -- is really doing essentially nothing except maybe having a marginal effect on the price of marijuana," Fox said. "So all they're really doing is giving those involved in illegal marijuana dealing a little bit of price support."

http://tpmmuckraker...._dea_budget.php

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I agree.

[The_Dude 1,142]

It's ideas like drug enforcement that separate the libertarians from the mentally disabled. You could make a case for legalizing marijuana, but libtards don't stop there, they think all drugs should be legal. Sorry, but there is a legitimate public safety reasons for maintaining most drug laws. Legalize heroin and crack? Yeah, you want that, move to Waziristan.

[tmma 467]

Legalize & tax it...Seems like a win/win.

Let the DEA go after the violent drug lords who are killing and kidnapping on the border instead of a disabled Vet in a wheelchair on his patio smoking a joint. They should also allow medical use in all states ( in TX it's not approved). The termanally stupid will abuse driugs wether they are legal or not...why let people who've done nothing wrong go without pain and nausea relief because of them?

[tmma 467]

It's ideas like drug enforcement that separate the libertarians from the mentally disabled. You could make a case for legalizing marijuana, but libtards don't stop there, they think all drugs should be legal. Sorry, but there is a legitimate public safety reasons for maintaining most drug laws. Legalize heroin and crack? Yeah, you want that, move to Waziristan.

I think I may have misunderstood you but I just want to say that I for one certainly not a ** ( I think I lean more towards the right wing nutjob...lol).......& In actuality most opiates are legal pharmaceutically.....and that gets abused on the street all the time. It just makes me seeth just a little to think that my doctors would rather have me addicted to an opiate in a pill form from Walgreens than smoke a joint for the chronic nerve pain and nausea.

I just don't understand why we have to cater to the termanilly stupid in society and make others suffer because of it.

So because I don't want to be a prescription med addict or doped up all the time...Can't smoke a joint or even take that herbal THC stuff. I just go without because of scumbags who are hell bent on destroying their life through drug misuse.

[Peikko 1,575]

On the whole, I don't think drug problems can be solved by means the judicial system - in terms of whether that really has any effect on those who wish to take drugs either sensibly or not. Alcohol is legal and we have the full gamut of 'users' from the teetotal through to abusers.

I think I understand the idea that people put forward that making some drug illegal stops a portion of people even trying it because of the stigma, but I am not at all certain that that is true in enough circumstances to make the appalling costs of fighting drug crime and particularly drug gangs; that flourish because of the business of black market trade, not because they take the drugs themselves, worthwhile. I don't expect there to be any change in policy any time soon however.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

It's ideas like drug enforcement that separate the libertarians from the mentally disabled. You could make a case for legalizing marijuana, but libtards don't stop there, they think all drugs should be legal. Sorry, but there is a legitimate public safety reasons for maintaining most drug laws. Legalize heroin and crack? Yeah, you want that, move to Waziristan.

So all libtards are the same? Huh..... how small minded of you.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I think I may have misunderstood you but I just want to say that I for one certainly not a ** ( I think I lean more towards the right wing nutjob...lol).......& In actuality most opiates are legal pharmaceutically.....and that gets abused on the street all the time. It just makes me seeth just a little to think that my doctors would rather have me addicted to an opiate in a pill form from Walgreens than smoke a joint for the chronic nerve pain and nausea.

I just don't understand why we have to cater to the termanilly stupid in society and make others suffer because of it.

So because I don't want to be a prescription med addict or doped up all the time...Can't smoke a joint or even take that herbal THC stuff. I just go without because of scumbags who are hell bent on destroying their life through drug misuse.

Illegally obtained prescription medications are just as illegal as a bag full of crack cocaine. You can thank the people of DuPont, Harry Anslinger, and the current alcohol beverage industry trade group for marijuana and pharmaceutical companies for it being illegal. Pain management is a multi billion dollar industry and they will spend to protect it.

I don't know about where you live, but here in California, you can get a prescription for it and there are many legal dispensaries. But good luck getting your insurance to pay for it.

So all libtards are the same? Huh..... how small minded of you.

I am a former Libertarian. I've been to the seminars and conferences, I've seen the madness up close and personal, not just on t.v. like some people....

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Sounds like a good idea. They have already slashed spending to study global warming and the Dems are reigning in the EPA, seems like cutting the waste on fighting a plant (who outlaws a plant?) would be a good next step.

I imagine some people who get PAID the money that is spent on this useless endeavor will object and give all sorts of scientific reasons from studies and models that suggest we should not reduce this sort of "spending"

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Marijuana Backers To GOPers: Why Not Cut The DEA Budget?

Because illicit drugs make people vote Democratic?

[luckytxn 2,263]

Just legalize it already. It is a fake war to control the citizenry. Drug laws are moral laws. If either side wants moral laws then don't be mad when laws come up that bans abortion, any kind of sex act, etc. Also don't get upset at the bans on same sex marriage. Don't get mad if some want to outlaw certain thoughts that are not PC.

All these laws have done is to tell us citizenry is that our bodies are not our own and we can not put into the body what we want. If in the privacy of our home we want to ingest anything then it should be our right too even if it is poison to kill us. If we do it out in public then I can see because then you are intruding but not in privacy. Free every drug addict in prison now also. Stop trying to control everyone. Only morons can't see what is happening here.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

DEA = excellent candidate for the bin; "war on drugs", colossal failure from get-go (especially given that CIA was smuggling in heroin 1981-1988) and laws against "grass" were basically due to lobbying from Hearst, who had stocks in the wood-pulp paper companies which supplied his presses.

[The_Dude 1,142]

DEA = excellent candidate for the bin; "war on drugs", colossal failure from get-go (especially given that CIA was smuggling in heroin 1981-1988) and laws against "grass" were basically due to lobbying from Hearst, who had stocks in the wood-pulp paper companies which supplied his presses.

Don't forget about DuPont's efforts. They couldn't compete in a market the fair way. I think they should legalize pot, and tax it like they tax cigarettes (to death). All other drugs should be decriminalized (as a user) and dealt with on a medical level, not a penal one. We've been throwing addicts into jail for how many decades now with horrible results. I would never advocate legalizing anything beyond pot though.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I think they should legalize pot, and tax it like they tax cigarettes (to death).

Duuude!

[slim 1,514]

Why not just get rid of the DEA, period?