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Thousands Demand Firing Of DEA Chief
Posted by CN Staff on November 12, 2015 at 18:20:22 PT
By Mollie Reilly, Deputy Politics Editor
Source: Huffington Post
Washington, D.C. -- A petition calling for President Barack Obama to fire acting Drug Enforcement Administration chief Chuck Rosenberg over his remarks on medical marijuana had gathered over 28,000 signatures, by Thursday afternoon. Rosenberg, a former FBI official who was tapped to lead the DEA in May, has come under fire for denying that smoking marijuana can help some medical conditions.
"What really bothers me is the notion that marijuana is also medicinal -- because it's not," Rosenberg told reporters last week. "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."There are pieces of marijuana -- extracts or constituents or component parts -- that have great promise," he continued. "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 medicine." Pro-legalization group Marijuana Majority launched the Change.org petition last Friday, calling Rosenberg's comments "highly offensive.""President Obama should fire Chuck Rosenberg and appoint a new DEA administrator who will respect science, medicine, patients and voters," the petition reads.As of Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. EST, 28,343 individuals had signed it, including musician and breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge. "My mom uses medical marijuana to find some relief when the pain in her legs caused by multiple sclerosis becomes too much to bear. So this medicine is no joke to my family, or to the millions of other families who have seen the benefits of doctor-recommended cannabis for themselves," said Tom Angell, the chairman of Marijuana Majority. "And numerous scientific studies back up these experiences with data. It's unacceptable for the Obama administration's top drug official to be so ignorant of what science says about drugs."In a Thursday statement, the DEA defended Rosenberg's remarks:“To clarify, Acting Administrator Rosenberg indicated that marijuana should be subject to the same levels of approval and scrutiny as any other substance intended for use as a medicine. DEA supports efforts to research potential medical uses of marijuana. To this end, DEA has never denied a registration request from anyone conducting marijuana research using FDA approved protocols. Acting Administrator Rosenberg was also clear to point out there are a number of marijuana components and/or extracts which appear to show promise as medicines, but have not yet been approved as safe and effective. His comments reflected the fact that FDA has not approved any medicinal uses for smoked marijuana.”Rosenberg's remarks run contrary to studies that have shown smoked cannabis is safe and effective for medical use, including in treating chronic pain associated with HIV-related neuropathy and helping control spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients. Research has also shown that cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound extracted from marijuana plants, can help treat children suffering from severe epilepsy. However, the comments do line up with the DEA's official stance on marijuana. The agency considers cannabis a Schedule I drug, the most dangerous of five substance categories in the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I drugs, which also include heroin, LSD and ecstasy, have "no currently accepted medical use" according to federal classification.Last week, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called for marijuana to be reclassified as a less dangerous substance, which would allow federally-funded research on cannabis' medical properties. Medical pot got another boost Wednesday when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed two bills allowing patients with serious medical need to gain access to the drug before a statewide program goes into effect next year. "I deeply sympathize with New Yorkers suffering from serious illness and I appreciate that medical marijuana may alleviate their chronic pain and debilitating symptoms," Cuomo said in a statement.Medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia, while an additional 17 states have approved the use of cannabidiol. Source: Huffington Post (NY)Author: Mollie Reilly, Deputy Politics EditorPublished: November 12, 2015Copyright: 2015 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC Contact: scoop huffingtonpost.comWebsite: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/UEfNlhIoCannabisNews  Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #17 posted by The GCW on November 18, 2015 at 18:11:08 PT
Punk
Congressman Wants DEA Head Fired for Calling Medical Marijuana ‘a Joke’http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2015/11/18/congressman-wants-dea-head-fired-for-calling-medical-marijuana-a-jokeCANNABIS CULTURE – Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer is calling for the removal of Drug Enforcement Administration acting administrator Chuck Rosenberg over the drug chief’s comments that medical marijuana is “a joke.”“What is a joke is the job Rosenberg is doing as acting DEA administrator,” Blumenauer said. “He’s an example of the inept, uniformed zealot who has mis-managed America’s failed policy of marijuana prohibition.”In early November, CBS News reported on the DEA chief Rosenberg’s controversial statement: “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.”In just two weeks, over 90,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling for the DEA head to be fired for the “joke” comment.Cont.Also: Where this news originates: http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4560922/congressman-calls-dea-heads-firing 
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Comment #16 posted by SoupHerb on November 18, 2015 at 07:43:23 PT:
New Study Suggests:
 By Monterey Bud on November 17, 2015 Health & Medicine, Medicine, ScienceIn the November issue of the American Journal of Medicine, scientists have revealed that marijuana consumption reduces the probability of individuals falling victim to metabolic syndrome.What is Metabolic Syndrome?As it’s currently understood, metabolic syndrome presents itself as a cluster of life-threatening health issues. Including elevated blood sugar levels, increased blood pressure, surplus abdominal fat, and higher than normal cholesterol levels. Ultimately increasing an individual’s risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease and death.According to the new study, also published on PubMed.gov, “Current marijuana use is associated with lower odds of metabolic syndrome across emerging and middle-aged US adults.” Thereby reducing the likelihood of occurrence in marijuana consumers by nearly 50 percent when compared to those who have never ingested cannabis.Scientists from Florida’s University of Miami School of Medicine investigated the link between marijuana consumption and metabolic syndrome. Re-examining a study of nearly 8,500 participants, ranging in age from 20 to 59, which was originally conducted between 2005-2010. During the initial survey, scientists classified the participants as suffering from metabolic syndrome if they were afflicted with more than three of the following indicators: “elevated fasting glucose levels, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated systolic/diastolic blood pressure, and increased waist circumference.”Of those unfortunate participants with no history of cannabis use, 19.5 percent fit the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Meanwhile, only 17.5 percent of the ex-users fit the criteria, and only 13.8 percent of current pot smokers suffered from any of the debilitating conditions.The study’s conclusions –“These findings have important implications for the nation as marijuana use becomes more accepted and we simultaneously face multiple epidemics of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”Unwavering from previous studies that have shown an inverse relationship between marijuana consumption and diabetes, this new study provides further evidence that those who use cannabis generally enjoy a slimmer waistline and fewer incidence of type II diabetes.
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on November 17, 2015 at 14:49:40 PT
Just a Note
I do hope we get some news worth sharing but since the bombings in Paris we probably won't get any news for a while. I am sure will will again in the near future.
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Comment #14 posted by rchandar on November 16, 2015 at 11:04:19 PT:
In Other Words
He thinks that the states don't matter because he's a Federal agency. This is blowing smoke in the face of State DAs and activists.It's like saying what Rubio promises...maybe he is so senile that he thinks he could hire 400,000 DEA agents to enforce the law.
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on November 15, 2015 at 17:44:10 PT
The GCW
You are welcome, my friend.
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on November 15, 2015 at 17:43:02 PT
What it says in the letter to the Justice Minister
and as one bullet of the list of bulleted top priorities he expects her to tend to."Working with the Ministers of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Health, create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana. - See more at: http://pm.gc.ca/eng/minister-justice-and-attorney-general-canada-mandate-letter#sthash.LWKZs4oy.dpuf "
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Comment #11 posted by The GCW on November 15, 2015 at 16:46:30 PT
Hope,
Thanks for posting that news.I'm excited for Canada, Canadian citizens, Trudeau and their work to end cannabis prohibition.Encouraging.-0-If the U.S. can also get Sanders in office... it's up to Us.
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Comment #10 posted by Hope on November 15, 2015 at 16:30:02 PT
Canada
Trudeau Gives Justice Minister Mandate To Legalize Cannabishttps://www.civilized.life/trudeau-gives-justice-minister-mandate-to-legalize-1453717497.html
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on November 14, 2015 at 11:59:56 PT
Nixon's baby.
It never should have existed. Huge government waste and overstepping. If government needs trimming back, and it does, the Drug Enforcement Administration is a good place to trim and prune.Nixon conceived it as "Weapon" in a "War". If that "War" is, indeed, "Over", then the Drug Enforcement Administration needs to be packed up and moved into history.
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Comment #8 posted by gloovins on November 14, 2015 at 10:54:54 PT
Correction
"What really bothers me is the notion that the DEA is also needed and effective -- because it's not," Rosenberg told reporters last week. "We can have an intellectually honest debate about whether we should even have a DEA, something that is bad and dangerous, but don't call it effective, needed -- that is a joke."This is actually the real quote. Just wanted to clarify.
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Comment #7 posted by The GCW on November 14, 2015 at 07:27:34 PT
Bern, the rest.
US CO: Column: On the Pot Issue, Candidates Should Be LISTENING TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n645/a01.html?397"...among all those presidential candidates, only the "radical" Bernie Sanders seems to be listening." Source: Boulder Weekly (CO)
Column: Weed Between the Lines
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Comment #6 posted by SoupHerb on November 14, 2015 at 03:06:50 PT:
DEA HYPOCRITES
They don't enforce drugs at all...they ban drugs...the FDA regulates drugs...
Surely this acronym was accidental. The agency is really the DBEA. Because they would not be dishonest and misleading...would they.
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Comment #5 posted by runruff on November 13, 2015 at 21:11:58 PT
The DEA
Their presence in this country contradicts everything America stands for.Aside: I know I left a dangling partaciple but I heard you can wear a long coat and no one will notice.
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Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on November 13, 2015 at 14:25:41 PT
DEA wrong again
Of course Obama and the DEA work for the same bosses! He's just over in the Executive Branch, a couple offices down from the Paramilitary Branch where the DEA and others are.The DEA is wrong, totally wrong! Make them take it back! We smoke the FLOWERS, not the leaves!!!
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on November 13, 2015 at 05:04:24 PT
DEA an international DISCRACE.
Blatant discrace to free Americans who expect government to be honest."comments do line up with the DEA's official stance on marijuana" - "no currently accepted medical use"-0-Usually, when government attempts to screw citizens, they try to cover it up, hide it or deny it. Not here; the dea screws the country RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN, for ALL TO SEE.& LEADERS in CONTROL ALLOW IT!
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Comment #2 posted by observer on November 12, 2015 at 22:08:24 PT
just get rid of the DEA altogether
Amen ... Firing that particular schmuck space-filler because he fulfilled his lying job-description, seems to be saying that we need to swap liars. Let us just get rid of the DEA altogether. Hear, hear! And "getting rid" of the DEA doesn't mean lock them up - as the DEA officially intends for cannabis users and sellers. Just make the the DEA do another job. All it takes is one of those executive orders. Stroke of a pen. Presidents love to use executive orders when they're filching your freedoms. They sign heaps of those, and use executive orders to Officially renew "emergencies" continually, since the 1930s. Executive orders to steal your freedoms. Congress could re-purpose the DEA in a hot second too, with similar "stokes" of legislative pens. Perhaps the DEA can be re-purposed to be government bud inspectors, looking for mites, molds, and pesticides and impure strains. Instead of policing chemically impure thoughts. Or maybe they can simply get jobs in the productive sector: like marijuana growing, and selling fine cannabis. That way they can help people, and make amends. 
http://drugnewsbot.org
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Comment #1 posted by Vincent on November 12, 2015 at 18:33:05 PT:
The DEA
Instead of firing that jerk Rosenberg from the DEA, why don't we just get rid of the DEA altogether? They are a worthless organization of evil.
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