Eric Holder Would Be 'Glad To Work With Congress' To Reschedule Marijuana

[MindMover]

Source: HP

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration would be willing to work with Congress if lawmakers want to take marijuana off the list of what the federal government considers the most dangerous drugs, Attorney General Eric Holder said Friday.

"We'd be more than glad to work with Congress if there is a desire to look at and reexamine how the drug is scheduled, as I said there is a great degree of expertise that exists in Congress," Holder said during a House Appropriations Committee hearing. "It is something that ultimately Congress would have to change, and I think that our administration would be glad to work with Congress if such a proposal were made."

Several members of Congress have called on the administration to downgrade cannabis on its own without waiting for congressional action. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the attorney general has the authority to "remove any drug or other substance from the schedules if he finds that the drug or other substance does not meet the requirements for inclusion in any schedule." Holder didn't indicate Friday that he would be willing to do that unilaterally.

Although there haven't been any documented cases of deaths from overdosing on marijuana, the federal government treats it as a Schedule I drug with a "high potential for abuse," along with heroin, LSD and Ecstasy.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/04/eric-holder-reschedule-marijuana_n_5092010.html


UNFREAKING BELIEVABLE

[Laelth]

1. This is something the Administration could do on its own.

Presumably, cowardice keeps it from doing so. Pathetic.

-Laelth

[tridim]

4. Cowardice? How so?

The Administration is taking the lead on ending Cannabis prohibition. Nobody else at the federal level is doing squat for us.

Psst, Obama isn't an idiot. My proof? History.

[Jesus Malverde]

5. Because Holder could do it himself.

He's being disingenuous to pretend he needs congresses authority to reschedule a drug that is entirely in his perview.

It's being polite to say he's showing a lack of leadership. He's hoping to shift the debate from the administration and give a platform for right wing drug warriors in congress to muddy the waters of a very clear issue.

Rescheduling marijuana will cost the Banks Billions in dirty dollars.

Its a small price to pay to disproportionately jail and punish minorities when economies are at stake (sarcasm)

[tridim]

8. He's too smart to act that stupidly.

Ending Cannabis prohibition is a big f'ing deal, and Holder is doing it exactly right.

He has to include Congress as a gesture to the will of the people. There is no other official way to do that.

The debate will EXPOSE the drug warriors and hypocrites in Congress.

[Jesus Malverde]

10. Oh I see get out the vote and make republicans look stupid

While millions more are arrested, mostly minorities. Not cool. There are people doing hard time for these political games.

[Laelth]

11. Obama is not an idiot. Agreed.

If, as the OP suggests, the administration is not re-scheduling THC but has the authority to do so unilaterally, again, as the OP suggests, then what's your explanation? Why would the AG demand that Congress act first if the change could be made unilaterally by the AG?

My theory is cowardice. What's yours?

-Laelth

[RainDog]

2. Thanks for re-posting

I'll also copy/paste my LBN reply -

This is an issue for Congress

As set up by the Controlled Substances Act - tho, yes, he could call for rescheduling - and I have encouraged that - BUT

at this time, members of Congress are also using the legislature to call for Obama to uphold federal drug laws in CO and WA

House Republicans Want To Sue The President For Not Arresting People For Marijuana

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/14/republicans-force-obama-legal-marijuana_n_4964995.html

Introduced by Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), the ENFORCE the Law Act (H.R. 4138) would allow the House or the Senate to sue the president for "failure to faithfully execute federal laws," including those related to immigration, health care and marijuana.

A Judiciary Committee report submitted by Goodlatte last week regarding H.R. 4138 chastised the Obama administration for selective enforcement of the Controlled Substance Act, which prohibits marijuana outright. "The decision by the Obama administration not to enforce the CSA in entire states is not a a valid exercise of prosecutorial discretion," the report reads. "The guidance of U.S. Attorneys establishes a formal, department-wide policy of selective non-enforcement of an Act of Congress. This infringes on Congress's lawmaking authority, by, in effect, amending the flat prohibitions of the CSA to permit the possession, distribution, and cultivation of marijuana so long as that conduct is in compliance with state law."

The report goes on to describe the Obama administration's actions on marijuana policy as an "impermissible suspension of the law by executive fiat."

But Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) told The Huffington Post that he is not alone in the Capitol in his support of the administration's position not to interfere with state marijuana laws, adding that while states continue to craft sensible marijuana policy, Congress continues to drag its feet with bills like this one.

Holder, imo, is making a counter move to this action on the part of Republicans.

Congress is the body that needs to respond to the will of the people, who do support legalization in greater and greater numbers, rather than pander to their for-profit-prison lobbyists... who, btw, get bills passed in Republican-controlled states to assure those for-profit-prisons have high occupancy rates by removing sentencing discretion in various ways.
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[Jesus Malverde]

6. The DEA sets the schedule right?..nt

[RainDog]

9. Congress can add or subtract to it

It's a big bureaucratic tangle - b/c laws have been added when any forward action happens on this issue - until the Obama administration.

Congress prefers to defer to the DEA b/c it matches their goals to keep mj illegal.

[rock]

3. "There is a great degree of expertise that exists in Congress"

Well, not really. But they do very much like to have their asses kissed, particularly if you use a lot of tongue.

[genwah]

7. Oh, come on! Like Michelle Bachmann hasn't toked up? n/t

[fizzgig]

12. i don't see the house working with the administration on this

but at least the administration is starting to make sense on the issue.

[Liberaltalker]

13. Rep. Steve Cohen D-Tennessee absolutely grills Holder on this issue.

Holder has the power to reschedule it without congress. The fact that he does not makes him a tool and this video shows that!