DEA may be losing the war on marijuana politics

[Chef Ramsay]

DEA may be losing the war on marijuana politics

By EVAN HALPER
July 12, 2014

For narcotics agents, who often confront hostile situations, Capitol Hill has been a refuge where lawmakers stand ready to salute efforts in the nation's war on drugs.

Lately, however, the Drug Enforcement Administration has found itself under attack in Congress as it holds its ground against marijuana legalization while the resolve of longtime political allies — and the White House and Justice Department to which it reports — rapidly fades.

"For 13 of the 14 years I have worked on this issue, when the DEA came to a hearing, committee members jumped over themselves to cheerlead," said Bill Piper, a lobbyist with the Drug Policy Alliance, a pro-legalization group. "Now the lawmakers are not just asking tough questions, but also getting aggressive with their arguments."

So far this year, the DEA's role in the seizure of industrial hemp seeds bound for research facilities in Kentucky drew angry rebukes from the Senate's most powerful Republican. The GOP-controlled House recently voted to prohibit federal agents from busting medical marijuana operations that are legal under state laws. And that measure, which demonstrated a shared distaste for the DEA's approach to marijuana, brought one of the Senate's most conservative members together with one of its most liberal in a rare bipartisan alliance.

How much the agency's stock has fallen was readily apparent in the House debate, when Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) denounced the agency's longtime chief.

...

More...http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-0713-dea-20140712-story.html#page=1

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[Spendulus]

DEA may be losing the war on marijuana politics

By EVAN HALPER
July 12, 2014

For narcotics agents, who often confront hostile situations, Capitol Hill has been a refuge where lawmakers stand ready to salute efforts in the nation's war on drugs.

Lately, however, the Drug Enforcement Administration has found itself under attack in Congress as it holds its ground against marijuana legalization while the resolve of longtime political allies — and the White House and Justice Department to which it reports — rapidly fades.

"For 13 of the 14 years I have worked on this issue, when the DEA came to a hearing, committee members jumped over themselves to cheerlead," said Bill Piper, a lobbyist with the Drug Policy Alliance, a pro-legalization group. "Now the lawmakers are not just asking tough questions, but also getting aggressive with their arguments."

So far this year, the DEA's role in the seizure of industrial hemp seeds bound for research facilities in Kentucky drew angry rebukes from the Senate's most powerful Republican. The GOP-controlled House recently voted to prohibit federal agents from busting medical marijuana operations that are legal under state laws. And that measure, which demonstrated a shared distaste for the DEA's approach to marijuana, brought one of the Senate's most conservative members together with one of its most liberal in a rare bipartisan alliance.

How much the agency's stock has fallen was readily apparent in the House debate, when Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) denounced the agency's longtime chief.

...

More...http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-0713-dea-20140712-story.html#page=1

Now lets be reasonable.  The DEA is certainly worried about having to lay off some good men.  What do you want them to do, go work as TSA agents?

[ALToids]

Most people would find it funny that the Republicans would lead the charge against the DEA since they assume Pot and Democrats go hand in hand, but state rights have always been supported by Republicans.

Looks like they're teaming up - somebody needs to look for new work.

[Crypt0Keeper]

The DEA, just like the IRS are short-lived agencies that will soon be deemed redundant.

[ALToids]

The DEA, just like the IRS are short-lived agencies that will soon be deemed redundant.

IRS isn't going anywhere.  It, like the Fed (which I know is not part of the US gov) are inbred into the business dealings of this government.  The government wouldn't know what or how to operate without the bureaucracy.  Flat tax pshaw.

[cryptasm]

About time the DEA cartel got shut down, the war on drugs was always a sham for private prison's profit margins.

[Chef Ramsay]

The only thing the DEA has going for it is a litany of other pressing issues going on right now in the public's eye. Problem is, they and their police counterparts have already been stocked up on ammo and armored personnel carriers. There's like 40-some thousand SWAT raids a year and that's a lot of enemies and families thereof accumulating. More so, if they lose the respectability of the white conservative there's not much left for them.

[counter]

DEA may be losing the war on marijuana politics

By EVAN HALPER
July 12, 2014

For narcotics agents, who often confront hostile situations, Capitol Hill has been a refuge where lawmakers stand ready to salute efforts in the nation's war on drugs.

Lately, however, the Drug Enforcement Administration has found itself under attack in Congress as it holds its ground against marijuana legalization while the resolve of longtime political allies — and the White House and Justice Department to which it reports — rapidly fades.

"For 13 of the 14 years I have worked on this issue, when the DEA came to a hearing, committee members jumped over themselves to cheerlead," said Bill Piper, a lobbyist with the Drug Policy Alliance, a pro-legalization group. "Now the lawmakers are not just asking tough questions, but also getting aggressive with their arguments."

So far this year, the DEA's role in the seizure of industrial hemp seeds bound for research facilities in Kentucky drew angry rebukes from the Senate's most powerful Republican. The GOP-controlled House recently voted to prohibit federal agents from busting medical marijuana operations that are legal under state laws. And that measure, which demonstrated a shared distaste for the DEA's approach to marijuana, brought one of the Senate's most conservative members together with one of its most liberal in a rare bipartisan alliance.

How much the agency's stock has fallen was readily apparent in the House debate, when Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) denounced the agency's longtime chief.

...

More...http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-0713-dea-20140712-story.html#page=1

Now lets be reasonable.  The DEA is certainly worried about having to lay off some good men.  What do you want them to do, go work as TSA agents?

They are doing a job nobody wants them to do and ruins lives.  What is there to be reasonable about they don't get use the drug war excuse so they can stay in a job that doesn't serve the public's interest.

[jcoin200]

"May be losing the war on marijuana politics?"  I think they lost it a long time ago.  The only thing their "war on drugs" does is guarantee that drug money gets into the hands of criminals, instead of taxing marijuana, creating jobs and getting the money out of the hands of the murderous drug cartels.

[spazzdla]

The DEA, just like the IRS are short-lived agencies that will soon be deemed redundant.

Hopefully these criminal agencies are ended soon.

[minerpumpkin]

We need another Hank Shrader
I was really puzzled when I just recently learned that the death toll in Mexico skyrocketed after the President declared a war on drugs. Does anyone know why that surge in homicides happened there?