Pubdate: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 Source: North County Times (CA) Copyright: 2001 North County Times Contact: http://www.nctimes.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1080 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) DEA ON THE WRONG TRACK U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Director Asa Hutchinson has got his priorities mixed up. As head of the only federal agency wholly devoted to keeping dangerous drugs off the street, Hutchinson should be targeting criminals. But in a misguided show of federal force, about 30 DEA agents recently raided the Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center, which provides medical marijuana to 960 members who are suffering from AIDS, cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other deadly diseases. It was a waste of time, money and law enforcement agents, at a time the nation cannot afford to waste any of those things. California voters approved Proposition 215 five years ago, legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Marijuana can prevent the nausea associated with some chemotherapy cancer treatments. It eases suffering for some AIDS patients and restores their appetite and has been prescribed for years for glaucoma, which can cause blindness if left untreated. The DEA agents spent six hours searching and seizing items at the resource center, including computers that contain clients' medical histories. That's 180 hours of DEA agents' time spent in forcing seriously ill people to seek drug dealers to relieve their pain. After the raid, Los Angeles District Attorney Terence Hallinan asked Hutchinson to back off. Hallinan said the Cannabis Club has reduced crime, saved money, contributed to public health, and keeps sick people away from street drug dealers. Hutchinson should listen up. His show of force in Los Angeles did no one any good. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh