Out of touch on Colorado pot policy

We are pleased to see that Barbra Roach, who took over as head of the Denver division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration this year, is committed to focusing on the "upper echelons" of the criminal organization given the limited resources of the agency concerned.

"I want to see our case work is quality," he told The Denver Post that Felisa Cardona. "I want to continue to fight for major drug trafficking organizations -. Not only domestically, but internationally"

That seems like a right of priority, because these groups are not only large amounts of traffic in dangerous drugs but also cruel and violent.

Meanwhile, we think, to come to Colorado DEA officials will feel obliged to reaffirm the federal government's opposition to medical marijuana, as Roach did, but we are still surprised by the level of its charges.

"By federal law, marijuana is illegal," said Roach. "There is no medical evidence has any benefit People do not pay attention to what can happen to those who grow it .. There is a house with mold and water damage in the hundreds of thousands and there are kids there also."

For that, Cardona wrote, "he chose the city for her husband and two children live where there is no marijuana dispensaries are allowed."

But Roach surely aware that the prescription Marinol contains synthetic THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana. Indeed, the DEA argues that Marinol is a legal substitute for marijuana right. So if there are unresolved scientific questions, it does provide relief to some of the marijuana that Marinol is not. Unfortunately, this study did not appear convincing even if the personal anecdotes suggest the answer is "yes".

As for choosing the city where marijuana dispensaries are limited, Democratic Congressman Jared Polis said the best way to react on Facebook for the article. "Why should it matter if there is a pharmacy in town?" Polis said. "I mean, by all means do not get a place next to the pharmacy if you dislike them so intensely, but who cares if there is one other place in town personally? As a father, I would rather have a well regulated pharmacy as a neighbor of a store seedy liquor, but none would actually disqualify an otherwise perfect place to live with good schools and safe environment. "

Meanwhile, he noted, "the fact that the opponents of medical marijuana use arguments like 'it's causing water damage to homes' shows how bankrupt the side of the facts."

And even if opponents of medical marijuana stay in a town without a pharmacy, does not mean he will not be next door to someone with a state permit to use medical marijuana or serve as caregivers to help patients.

Like it or not, Colorado voters oppose the federal law a dozen years ago when the majority chose to legalize use of marijuana for pain relief. And all countries involved in the decision, not just a pharmacy-friendly cities like Denver and Boulder.