Count me among those pleasantly surprised — no, make that stunned — to see both the mainstream media and the blogosphere grilling the Obama administration over last week’s DEA offensives against medical marijuana providers in California and Colorado.

Today, noted San Francisco Chronicle commentator Debra Saunders weighs in on the issue, reminding readers that the DEA’s raids are precisely the sort of things that President Obama — when he was a candidate — pledged to end.

Two things Obama could do on medical marijuana
via The San Francisco Chronicle

[excerpt]

So will Obama keep his word by directing federal drug agents to concentrate on going after drug kingpins instead of sick people?

I understand that Obama has bigger issues on his plate, which probably is why the White House has yet to respond to my Tuesday query. That said, this issue is vital to many Californians with health problems.

… Obama has made much of his commitment to “restore science to its rightful place.” Here’s his chance.

Journalist Maia Szalavitz also expresses her dissatisfaction with both the Justice Department and the new Commander and Chief in an excellent op/ed published today on HuffingtonPost.com

Obama sends drug warriors to UN, DEA to CA: stop fighting Bush’s wars
via HuffingtonPost.com

[exceprt]

This is not the 70’s or even the 80’s or 90’s– like Bush’s economic policies, his drug policies have visibly and risibly failed. The main power drug warriors have left is politicians’ outsized fear of their past success. Don’t give them undue credit–and don’t underestimate how the ground has shifted in favor of sane, humane drug strategy, not war.

In short, it’s becoming increasingly clear that neither the American public nor the mainstream media are any longer willing to accept the ‘drug war as usual.’ Is the White House?

My latest essay, published today on the Alternet.org website, expands upon some of the themes touched upon by NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre yesterday, as well as many of the ideas I previously articulated on The Hill.com — primarily the notion that marijuana law reform should be viewed on Capitol Hill as a political opportunity, not as a political liability.

Unfortunately, it does not yet appear that either President Obama or the new Democrat-led Congress has gotten the message.

Marijuana Reform Is Part of the Progressive Agenda, So Why Are Obama’s Drug Cops Already Making Pot Raids?
via Alternet.org

[excerpt]

Of course, it is not yet known whether Obama directly authorized the DEA raids. (Both the DOJ and the DEA are staffed, in large part, by holdovers from the Bush regime.) That said, there’s also no indication that anyone at DOJ or DEA has been admonished for their behavior either. Obama’s silence on the issue so far may be telling. It may also be politically detrimental.

… According to a national poll commissioned by CNN and Time Magazine, 80 percent of Americans support the physician-supervised use of cannabis, and some 3 out of 4 say that adults should be fined, but not jailed, for using pot recreationally.

In short, marijuana-law reform should no longer be viewed by legislators as a political liability. It isn’t. Instead, for the new administration and for 111th Congress, it is a political opportunity. The sooner our federally elected leaders recognize this fact, the sooner we, and they, can begin to undo the damage caused by America’s longest and costliest war, the so-called war on drugs.

Please feel free to post your thoughts and feedback both here and on Alternet.org.

There may be a new president, but in DEA-land, it’s still business as usual — at least for the time being.

On Thursday, just two days after President Barack Obama was sworn into office, DEA officials raided the office of a California medical marijuana provider, as well as two medical grow houses in Colorado.

Is this behavior the final gasp of a dying regime, or an unfortunate harbinger of things to come? That could be up to you.

Several marijuana law reform groups, including Americans for Safe Access and MPP — as well as national media outlets — are urging concerned citizens to contact the new administration in opposition to the DEA’s actions.

Call or e-mail the White House and tell Obama’s staff that our new President must honor his campaign pledge not to use Justice Department resources to circumvent state medical marijuana laws.

In the coming months, President Obama and his team will be appointing new DEA administrators.  Congress will also be holding additional hearings regarding Obama’s pick for U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder. Let’s make it clear to the President, now, that the DEA’s behavior is unacceptable and must not continue under an Obama administration.

Let’s make yesterday’s raids the last acts of a morally and fiscally bankrupt federal policy. Act now.