Acclaim to Louisiana for Its Legalization of Medical Marijuana

Laws in 24 states and in three territories now reflect an awareness, a sensibility and a compassion the federal government continues to resist for reasons it does not make clear, although they may include fealty to the pharmaceutical industry and to the private prison industry.

 

At least spring brought the resignation of Drug Enforcement administrator Michele Leonhart, who was nominated by George W. Bush, was renominated by President Obama and is perhaps best known for her spectacularly disastrous attempts in front of Congress to defend the racist, dishonest, wasteful, destructive and cruel war on marijuana -- including on medicinal cannabis.

Leonhart also impeded research of the substance.  But the pressure that caused her exit was actually due to the revelation of use of public money by some agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration to hire prostitutes at parties held by drug cartels abroad.