Pubdate: Mon, 20 Feb 2012
Source: News Journal, The (Wilmington, DE)
Copyright: 2012 The News Journal
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/1c6Xgdq3
Website: http://www.delawareonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/822

IT'S A MISTAKE TO BACKBURNER S.B.17

That warning of prosecution for state workers employed in 
medical-marijuana facilities from U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III 
last week was pretty ominous.

But is it really necessary to entirely walk away from the possibility 
of the use of medical marijuana in the face of new federal opposition?

Yes, President Obama is flip-flopping on his pre-election compassion 
for marijuana's medicinal value. And his administration is sending 
legitimate tremors through states like ours, which have credible 
research to support drafting regulation for licensing dispensaries.

The U.S. Justice Department also has a factual basis in its concerns 
about large-scale private dispensaries with an ability to grow large 
stashes of weed, subject to monitoring for illegal sales by state employees.

Of course, in ordering an end to the drafting of state regulations, 
Gov. Jack Markell wants to protect state employees who may be in 
legal jeopardy of federal prosecution.

But as Sen. Margaret Rose Henry and Rep. Helene Kelley urged on 
Friday, it's incredibly harmful to dispense with crafting regulations 
to enact Senate Bill 17.

If anything, the Justice Department's change of mind is specific 
enough to reconsider what it takes to get around the new bureaucratic 
obstacles being imposed.

Apparently, Delaware's plan, which puts one dispensary in each of the 
three counties, comes too close to what the feds consider an 
unfavorable legal distribution model for marijuana.

Remember, passage of S.B. 17 was a hard-fought battle, involving 
years of dispelling fears the law delighted only "potheads." Like 
other states, Delaware has gone to the mat in fighting for the most 
available and humane treatment of infirm residents.

As Sen. Henry pointed out, several states with operational 
medical-marijuana programs have not experienced federal intervention.

But it's also important to remember that this president is up for 
re-election in a year where he seems to be curtailing his liberal 
sensibilities on certain hot-button social issues.

At least until November, it's worth it to continue crafting these 
necessary regulations, with its known hindrances in mind.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom