Ken Salazar on Drugs Democratic Jr Senator (CO)

Opposed 2000 initiative for medical use of marijuana

Medical marijuana partly allowed, but he doesn’t like it

The attorney general’s office concluded, regarding United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Cooperative, that:
• a) the Supreme Court’s ruling does not invalidate Colorado’s medical marijuana law; and
• b) the ruling does not prevent the State from moving forward to meet the requirements of Colorado’s constitutional amendment concerning the medical use of marijuana.

Salazar noted that he personally opposed passage of the medical marijuana initiative last year for a variety of reasons, including that the initiative could not legalize marijuana use under federal law, as the US Supreme Court has now confirmed. “All Colorado citizens must understand that possession, manufacture and distribution of marijuana by any person or organization, even for purposes of medical treatment, continues to constitute a violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act,” Salazar warned. “’Medical necessity’ is not a defense to the federal prohibition notwithstanding the state’s law to the contrary.”

Federal grants to Indian tribes to fight methamphetamine.

OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY: A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to clarify that territories and Indian tribes are eligible to receive grants for confronting the use of methamphetamine.

EXCERPTS OF BILL: Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include territories and Indian tribes as eligible grant recipients (or reaffirm such eligibility) under the programs to:

1. address the manufacture, sale, and use of methamphetamine;
2. aid children in homes in which methamphetamine or other drugs are unlawfully manufactured, distributed, dispensed, or used; and
3. address methamphetamine use by pregnant and parenting women offenders.

LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Passed/agreed to in Senate, by Unanimous Consent.

Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use.

Sen. FEINSTEIN: This act is designed to address problems that the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, has identified in the implementation of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. The bill that I introduce today would:

• clarify that all retailers, including mail order retailers, who sell products that contain chemicals often used to make methamphetamine--like ephedrine, pseudoepedrine and phenylpropanolamine--must self-certify that they have trained their personnel and will comply with the Combat Meth Act's requirements;
• require distributors to sell these products only to retailers who have certified that they will comply with the law;
• require the DEA to publish the list of all retailers who have filed self-certifications, on the DEA's website;
• and clarify that any retailer who negligently fails to file self-certification as required, may be subject to civil fines and penalties.

This is a common-sense bill, designed to strengthen the implementation of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act. This bill would create incentives to ensure that the self-certification process of the law is made both effective and enforceable. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.