Writes Declan McCullagh:
Stumbled across this today when looking for something unrelated:
Mr. BARR. Mr. Holder, does the Department of Justice remain firmly and unalterably opposed to any efforts to legalize any schedule controlled substances, including so-called medicinal use?Mr. HOLDER. Yes, that has been the position of the Department, consistently, yes. Yes.
Mr. BARR. Okay. The reason I ask that, of course, is because it is something that we hear about, and there are funds that are requested in O&DCP for studying that issue. So I just wanted to make absolutely certain that the Department’s position has not changed.
Mr. HOLDER. Well, the Department’s position has been, with regard to the medical use of marijuana, for instance, that studies need to be done before an informed decision could be made in that regard. But pending those studies and pending some kind of scientific analysis, we are opposed to the legalization of any of those drugs.
Mr. BARR. Well, I appreciate that. It still worries me a little bit that, on the one hand, we’re saying we’re opposed to any legalization, legalized use of drugs, yet we’re willing to spend taxpayer money to study it. It seems a little bit obfuscatory there, but I do appreciate the fact that it remains the firm position of the Department of Justice to oppose efforts to legalize controlled substances. I appreciate that.
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