Yesterday, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) issued "What’s the Cost?"
a report on the federal war on medical cannabis (marijuana). This
important report tallies the various types of federal interference by
the Department of Justice (DOJ) against medical cannabis patients and
their providers, while sharing stories of the individuals caught in the
middle.
Since its founding in 2002, ASA has been tracking the adoption and
implementation of state medical cannabis laws, compiling raw data on
actions taken by the DOJ to thwart successful implementation of these
laws. Over the years, the DOJ has employed an array of tactics,
including paramilitary-style raids on individual patients and
state-authorized dispensaries, asset forfeiture actions against property
owners (usually the landlords of dispensaries), and bullying tactics
designed to pressure elected officials
against adopting or implementing medical cannabis laws. The report
summarizes the human and monetary costs of enforcing an unpopular and
outdated federal policy that sustains this heartless war on medical
cannabis.
"What’s the Cost?"
confirms how much the U.S. Justice Department has spent over three
presidential administrations to investigate, raid, arrest, prosecute,
and imprison hundreds of medical cannabis patients and their providers
— nearly half a billion dollars. Far outspending all of his
predecessors, the report reveals that President Obama has dedicated
nearly $300 million to such enforcement efforts, despite his repeated
pledges to not use Justice Department funds in this way.
In 2011 and 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) spent
four percent of its budget on the medical marijuana crackdown. Having
conducted at least 270 paramilitary-style raids during the past four
years, Obama’s DEA spent approximately $8 million to carry them out.
However, the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on raids was dwarfed by
the amount spent on investigative efforts preceding raids, indictments,
and lawsuits, which has totaled more than $200 million. Over the past
two years alone, the DOJ has effectively shuttered more than 500
dispensaries in California, Colorado, and Washington State by sending
letters to landlords, threatening criminal prosecution and seizure of
their property.
While we were drafting the report, the cost estimates had to be
updated to reflect two more raids, a series of asset forfeiture threats
against landlords in Washington State, and the surrender of three
individuals to begin serving 5-year mandatory minimum sentences. While
the report was being formatted, Michigan cultivator and organ transplant
recipient Jerry Duval began serving a 10-year prison term, which will
not only be detrimental to his health but according to the Huffington Post
is also expected to cost taxpayers more than $1 million. In addition,
at least another hundred letters went out to landlords in California,
and US Attorneys filed two more asset forfeiture lawsuits. By the same
estimates used in the report, those actions would add another $10
million to the amount President Barack Obama has spent on this senseless
war.
The battle for safe access to medical cannabis in the US spans more
than 40 years and includes each branch of the federal government, as
well as almost every state legislature in the country. Yet, medical
cannabis is one of those issues that seems far from the lives of most
Americans — that is, until they or a loved-one needs it. I, myself,
didn’t pay attention to the issue until 2001, the year my doctor
recommended I use cannabis. But our government is waging a war that puts
our most vulnerable citizens in the crossfire, and every American has a
responsibility to do something about that. We elect our federal
representatives who authorize those wars and we pay taxes that fund
them. Therefore, we also hold the key to ending such harmful policies.
"What’s the Cost?" focuses on the most intense part of this battle
being waged by the federal government, which began in 1996 when states
began passing medical cannabis laws. If you live in the US, chances are
you’ve heard something about the conflict between federal law and the
numerous states that have adopted their own medical cannabis laws. By
taking advantage of our federalist form of government, those states have
chosen to implement a set of laws that depart from federal policy.
Unfortunately, the federal government continues to push back against
the proven medical value of cannabis, abusing its prosecutorial
discretion by targeting patients and their providers even in states that
have adopted their own laws. Hundreds of thousands of sick and injured
Americans are caught in the middle of that epic battle.
Every war has casualties and a price tag. The war on medical cannabis
is no different. It’s not simply a battle of politics and laws that
takes place in legislatures and courtrooms. It is a war that is being
waged in our neighborhoods on a daily basis, adversely affecting
millions of people every year, and costing the U.S. taxpayers hundreds
of million dollars. Yet patients will not be deterred. As long as
research supports the therapeutic value of cannabis and physicians
continue to recommend it in order to treat the symptoms of serious and
chronic illnesses, patients will seek it out.
Each of the individuals profiled in this report diligently followed
state law and/or the advice of a physician. It is our hope that by
putting a human face on this issue, we can stop these expensive and
harmful attacks, and inspire sensible policy reform aimed at harmonizing
state and federal laws.
In addition to exposing the cost of the federal government’s
enforcement actions, I want to acknowledge the scores of Americans who
have stood up in the face of this misguided policy to demand compassion,
scientific integrity, and respect for the will of the people. They have
inspired a nation to change. My heart goes out to all the individuals
profiled in this report, as well as their families, and all those who
have suffered in silence.
Together, as a nation, we must change federal law so that our sick
and dying can battle their illnesses instead of their government.
It is Time for Peace for Patients!
