cannabisnews.com: Trump Adds Another Marijuana Opponent to Cabinet
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Trump Adds Another Marijuana Opponent to Cabinet
Posted by CN Staff on November 29, 2016 at 18:56:46 PT
By Christopher Ingraham
Source: Washington Post
Washington, D.C. -- President-elect Donald Trump today named Congressman Tom Price (R-Ga.) his pick for Health and Human Services secretary, a position that could offer the anti-marijuana legislator more control over medical access to the drug.Though federal regulation of illicit drugs rests primarily with the Justice Department, the Health and Human Services secretary holds some powers that could restrict how available marijuana is in states that have legalized it for recreational or medicinal use. For instance, drug policy observers say that the agency could penalize doctors or sue sellers who work with medical marijuana in those states, since the substance remains illegal under federal law.
Price is one of the most consistently anti-marijuana members of Congress, voting against a number of marijuana proposals before the House in recent years."Price has a long voting record of opposing the (modest) marijuana policy reforms that have come to a vote in the House of Representatives," said John Hudak of the Brookings Institution in an email. "Price is a physician and the medical community broadly has been conservative about the use of medical marijuana and nearly universally opposes it for recreational use."Price's pot voting record includes:Voting against a measure that would prevent the Justice Department from interfering with state recreational marijuana laws;Voting six times against amendments preventing the Justice Department from interfering with state medical marijuana laws;Voting three times against a measure that would allow Veteran's Administration doctors to recommend medical marijuana to veterans who might benefit from it.Price has, however, supported a limited measure preventing the Justice Department from interfering with states that allow the medical use of cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive chemical component of marijuana that shows promise in treating some forms of epilepsy. He's also voted to ensure that federal funds aren't used to stymie research into industrial uses of hemp.While not particularly vocal on the subject of marijuana law, Price's votes have earned him a "D" grade on marijuana policy from both the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and Drug Policy Action, two drug policy reform groups.Heads of Health and Human Services haven't been a major presence in marijuana policy discussions during the Obama administration. But Nadelmann still called the pick a "terrible development," given other signs the Trump administration could take a harder line on to legal marijuana.Trump has chosen anti-pot crusader Jeff Sessions for attorney general, and the president-elect himself has been critical of legalization."We are having a throwback to some of the discredited drug war rhetoric and policies of the late '80s and '90s," Nadelmann said.According to Brookings' John Hudak, an HHS secretary wishing to make life difficult for medical marijuana providers could "file lawsuits against operators who label and advertise marijuana as 'medicine' because FDA has not designated it as such." Since HHS has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, a strongly anti-pot HHS could also theoretically "freeze or limit reimbursements to physicians because of their participation in medical marijuana programs."So far, HHS hasn't pushed this issue. But "if Price seeks to test the waters in this policy space, it could have a freezing effect on doctors' willingness to recommend marijuana," Hudak said.Kevin Sabet of the group Smart Approaches to Marjuana, an anti-legalization group, called the Price pick "encouraging," saying "HHS plays a big role in drug prevention and I think that what we need is more awareness and prevention around marijuana."Brookings' Hudak says that beyond policy specifics, "activist cabinet members could work not just to change policy but use their bully pulpits to change public opinion." He noted that Cabinet appointees did this on drug policy in the past, particularly in the '70s and '80s. Ronald Reagan's Attorney General Edwin Meese launched a nationwide campaign against marijuana growers, calling it "a gateway narcotic," for instance.Depending on the Trump administration's preferences, "an anti-marijuana battle for hearts and minds could once again be part of the official position of the US government."Christopher Ingraham writes about politics, drug policy and all things data. He previously worked at the Brookings Institution and the Pew Research Center.Source: Washington Post (DC)Author: Christopher IngrahamPublished: November 29, 2016Copyright: 2016 Washington Post CompanyContact: letters washpost.com Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ URL: http://drugsense.org/url/ZMi75aEmCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on December 05, 2016 at 20:51:25 PT
Tom Angell
Congressional Republicans Vow To Block Marijuana Amendmentshttp://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/12/congressional-republicans-vow-to-block-marijuana-amendments/
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on December 05, 2016 at 18:58:50 PT
This is an over the counter product
Israeli cannabis-based nanotech droplets start US saleshttp://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-cannabis-based-nanotech-droplets-start-us-sales/
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on December 03, 2016 at 16:43:06 PT
Death and Rehab
Duterte: During phone call, Trump praised my drug war as the ‘right way’https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/12/03/duterte-during-phone-call-trump-praised-my-drug-war-as-right-way/?utm_term=.01c168bab693Tycoon who built mega drug rehab center is real friend: Dutertehttp://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/29/16/tycoon-who-built-mega-drug-rehab-center-is-real-friend-duterte
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Comment #5 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 30, 2016 at 10:31:04 PT
Land of the Stupids--updated 
I'm proud to say I didn't vote for this piece of crap. http://m.dailykos.com/stories/2016/11/29/1605167/-Morons-who-voted-for-Republicans-now-worry-they-will-take-away-their-health-care-as-promised?detail=email2&link_id=1&can_id=25564f3369d9a466cd26b6533b44fae0&source=email-morons-who-voted-for-republicans-now-worry-they-will-take-away-their-health-careas-promised-2&email_referrer=morons-who-voted-for-republicans-now-worry-they-will-take-away-their-health-careas-promised-2&email_subject=morons-who-voted-for-republicans-now-worry-they-will-take-away-their-health-care-as-promised
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on November 29, 2016 at 21:19:51 PT
Say I
"Price has a long voting record..."But it is dwarfed by what has become the voting record of the American people.
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on November 29, 2016 at 21:17:28 PT
Sam Adam's
viewpoint is how I see it too.This article's, "could" "could" "could"is designed to spread fear. -and get people interested...Just like all the other similar articles We've seen lately about the Reich winger's pickin's-0-"Price has a long voting record..."Dumb approaches to cannabis of course will ignore the overwhelming majority of voters, however, they have chosen to fight against the SUPER POWERS OF THE SUPERPLANT; They can not win.Next election America will increase acceptance of the chosen plant. Not decrease it. The more ignoids mess with cannabis the more Americans will vote to accept it. Cannabis can ONLY win. But it is dwarfed by what has become the voting record of the American people.-0-I'm still not sure how this mess will even get off the ground and here's 2 news articles explaining one facet that may be a relevant flash point. (Especially the 1st one's explanation)*A recipe for scandal’: Trump conflicts of interest point to constitutional crisis https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/27/donald-trump-conflicts-interest-constitutional-crisis *Law Professor: Trump Can't Hold Lease On His Hotel Near White House, Nov 29 http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/29/503740464/law-professor-trump-cant-hold-lease-on-his-hotel-near-white-house 
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on November 29, 2016 at 20:33:31 PT
Trump pick
Still not worried - we should not forget that Congress has already passed the law than denies funding for medMJ enforcement action, and they're poised to pass another version that does the same thing for legal MJ states and also allows banking. I read that this only failed by 5 votes this year. I found this:>>>Not everyone connected with TrumpÕs transition team and administration is anti-marijuana.Venture capitalist and PayPal founder Peter Thiel, known for investing in the cannabis industry, has joined TrumpÕs transition team. Founders Fund, an investment firm created by Thiel, in 2015 joined a $75 million funding round for Privateer Holdings, whose subsidiary sells marijuana under the brand name Marley Natural.http://www.pressherald.com/2016/11/28/advocates-of-legal-marijuana-wary-of-sessions/
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Comment #1 posted by Hope on November 29, 2016 at 20:27:09 PT
It sure looks like the deck is being stacked.
I deeply believe that Prohibitionists are truly wicked. They literally love lies and injustice. They are tyrannical authoritarians. They do not believe in peace, freedom, liberty, or human rights. They're monsters. They are true monsters. 
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