Marijuana Reform Activists Push for Change with DEA Head
Published on 4/21/15
The Chief of Administration for the DEA has recently resigned due to a long-standing sex scandal involving many DEA agents. For years she has stood directly in the way of progress for marijuana and all drug policy as she continued to fight the War on Drugs rather than care about public health and safety. Obama made public statements saying marijuana was less harmful than alcohol, which research supports, but she refused to acknowledge that and instead critisized the president.
Leonhart has been a major hurdle in the effort to reconsider marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance, which could pave the way for more research into the health benefits of the drug. In 2011, the agency again rejected a petition to reschedule marijuana. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the agency spent about $100 million in 2012 alone on enforcement regarding medical marijuana laws.
