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?