U.S. Marijuana Party Calls for the Resignation of D.E.A. Administrator Karen Tandy

Arrive Net

Is the DEA hiding behind the pot seed laws to target its political foes?

(PRWEB) August 7, 2005 -- U.S. Marijuana Party Calls for the Resignation of D.E.A. Administrator Karen Tandy.

On August 5, 2005, the Seattle Post Intelligencer quoted D.E.A. administrator Karen Tandy on the arrest of Canadian marijuana activist Marc Emery.

According to the Post Intelligencer Ms. Tandy had this to say:

"Today's arrest of Mark (sic) Scott Emery, publisher of Cannabis Culture magazine and the founder of a marijuana legalization group, is a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the U.S. and Canada, but also to the marijuana legalization movement.

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canada," she added. "Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on."

Is the DEA hiding behind the pot seed laws to target its political foes?

The Constitution allows the executive branch to enforce the drug laws. It does not allow the government to target political speech (which, as conservatives in the U.S. are fond of pointing out, includes money for political campaigns).

With her remarks, Karen Tandy appears either to have crossed that line or to be teetering on its edge. Tandy needs to clarify her remarks and state publicly that the DEA is not targeting protected political activity. If she cannot or will not do that, she should resign. Targeting political opponents is not Tandy's job.

Loretta NallPresident, U.S. Marijuana Party