There has been a massive shift in public perception here in the U.S. over the past 5 years with regard to medical marijuana.
23 states, Washington D.C., and even Guam have put in place safe and sustainable medical marijuana programs for their citizens. An additional 17 states have implemented some form of limited medical marijuana program for certain types of cannabis extracts – typically CBD only – to be used with children forced to deal with severe epilepsy.
It has become a topic that blurs the typical partisan bickering, as it doesn’t matter what political party you belong to. When you see the real tangible benefits that cannabis can have on illnesses like cancer, Crohn’s Disease, epilepsy, PTSD, inflammation, and more, you would sort of have to be a bit of an asshole to try to deny them.
Cue new DEA Chief Chuck Rosenburg, who when asked earlier this month about his opinion on the validity of marijuana as a medicine gave the backhanded reply that it’s a “joke” to him.
Pot Prohibitionist, DEA Chief CHuck Rosenburg
No, he was not taken out of context, his full quote was, “What really bothers me is the notion that marijuana is also medicinal — because it’s not. We can have an intellectually honest debate about whether we should legalize something that is bad and dangerous, but don’t call it medicine — that is a joke.”
Apparently, cannabis advocates across the country missed the punchline. That, or they are tired of being treated as a joke when all they are asking for is safe access to proven medicine. So now, the joke is on Rosenburg, as the masses are rising up against his blissful ignorance and demanding that he be fired immediately and replaced with someone more grounded in science.
Over 100,000 signatures have been gathered on the White House petition website Change.org, demanding that President Obama replace Mr. Rosenburg post haste.
The petition can be found here: http://change.org/nojoke
Critics of cannabis say it is detrimental to short and long term memory retention, but it is the pot prohibitionist Mr. Rosenburg who seems to forget how quickly his predecessor at the DEA, Michele Leonhart, was kicked to the curb when she decided to break from the Obama Administration on drug policy.
Her gross negligence on the science behind cannabis cost her a 35 year career with the agency, but apparently that was not enough to convince Rosenburg to do some real research.
When asked if he is concerned about putting himself at odds with the official stance coming out of the White House, Rosenburg’s smarmy response was, “The White House is a building. I’m not sure I know what the White House thinks.”
Talk about a guy who needs a toke or two…sheesh…
While no political party has been wise enough to claim the cannabis issue as their own, there are a handful of leaders in Congress who see the topic clearly and have decided to champion it for their constituents.
Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), took center stage on the House floor last week to put his thoughts on the matter on the record, and he didn’t seem to be in a joking mood.
Weed Warrior, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
“What is a joke is the job Rosenberg is doing as acting DEA administrator,” said Blumenauer. “He’s an example of the inept, misinformed zealot who has mismanaged America’s failed policy of marijuana prohibition.”
Far from finished, Blumenauer hit the nail on the head, satiating, “Rosenberg’s claim that more research is necessary is true, but it reeks of hypocrisy because the DEA under his leadership has made badly needed cannabis research difficult, often impossible.”
After his heartfelt speech in Congress, Rep. Blumenauer drafted a letter to President Obama, signed by several of his Congressional colleagues, calling for the immediate termination and replacement of Rosenburg as DEA chief.
Rosenburg exemplifies the inherent danger in advocating strictly for medical marijuana. The simple fact is that cannabis should not be on the list of Controlled Substances at all.
When we compartmentalize cannabis with labels like “medical”, suddenly every prohibitionist fancies themselves an armchair PhD.
Rosenburg quickly backtracked, trying to say, “There are pieces of marijuana — extracts or constituents or component parts — that have great promise but if you talk about smoking the leaf of marijuana — which is what people are talking about when they talk about medicinal marijuana — it has never been shown to be safe or effective as a medicine.”
First of all, that is simply not true.
Second, people use all parts of the cannabis plant to treat an ever-growing list of ailments and illnesses. Concentrates, edibles, and topicals are just a few examples of how those in tune with the healing power of cannabis choose to use it.
Over 100,000 signatures of citizens fed up with the misinformation campaign being spread by the DEA were delivered directly to the DEA Visitor’s Center in Arlington, VA yesterday.
The DEA Visitor’s Center in Arlington, VA
Considering that only half as many signatures were collected when Leonhart was forced out of the position, ol’ Rosenburg might want to start working on his stand-up routine.
The joke’s on you, pal..
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