Why I Don't Trust President Obama

During his campaign for the Presidency in 2007, Candidate Obama made, among other statements related to Medical Marijuana, the following public campaign promises to the electorate:

On August 21, 2007, during a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire, Obama was asked by seriously ill Nashua resident Scott Turner if he would end the federal raids on medical marijuana patients like him. Obama replied: “I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users. It's not a good use of our resources.”

“I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue,” Obama told the Mail Tribune newspaper in Oregon in March, 2007 during the Democratic primary campaign.  He told the newspaper the “basic concept of using medical marijuana for  the same purposes and with the same controls as other drugs prescribed by doctors, I think that's entirely appropriate.”

Obama said: “I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue [of medical marijuana].”

Obama had explicitly stated, "I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana; it is not a good use of our resources.”

Yet Obama has broken these promises. On April 14, 2011, two United States Attorneys wrote a letter to Governor Gregorie of Washington State indicating inter alia that:

“We understand that the proposals being considered by the Legislature would establish a licensing scheme for marijuana growers and dispensaries, and for processors of marijuana-infused foods among other provisions. We have consulted with [Defendant Holder] and the Deputy Attorney General about the proposed legislation. This letter is written to ensure there is no confusion regarding the Department of Justice's view of such a licensing scheme.”

“[W]e maintain the authority to enforce the [Controlled Substances Act] vigorously against individuals and organizations that participate in unlawful manufacturing and distribution activity involving marijuana, even if such activities are permitted under state law.  The Department's investigative and prosecutorial resources will continue to be directed toward these objectives.”

“[T]he Department could consider civil and criminal legal remedies regarding those who set up marijuana growing facilities and dispensaries as they will be doing so in violation of federal law. Others who knowingly facilitate the actions of the licensees, including property owners, landlords, and financiers should also know that their conduct violates federal law. In addition, state employees who conducted activities mandated by the Washington legislative proposals would not be immune from liability under the Controlled Substances Act.”

A copy of the April 14, 2011, letter is attached Exhibit “C” to the Complaint I filed against Obama on the Medical Marijuana issue.

Remarkably, in his Response, Obama -- through his attorneys -- stated: "As a matter of law, any statements or “promises” made by then candidate Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign are simply not enforceable . . .Plaintiff claims that during his campaign “Defendant Obama made certain promises to the American people regarding Medical Marijuana,” and that Defendant Obama broke those promises after he induced the reasonable reliance of Plaintiff to vote for him and pursue licenses to possess and grow medical marijuana.  Yet Plaintiff’s misplaced reliance on President Obama’s political rhetoric does not constitute an enforceable promise . . ."

You decide for yourself, but for me, when someones says the simple declaratory sentences quoted above and then claims that they were just "political rhetoric", well, I say fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.