Marijuana Policy Project Calls For DEA Administrator To Be Fired

WASHINGTON, DC — As reported Saturday by the Boston Herald, Michele Leonhart, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), “slammed” President Obama’s recent comments that cannabis is “no more dangerous than alcohol.” Now, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is calling for her to be fired.

The organization has started a petition to relieve the Ms. Leonhart of her duties with the DEA. They hope that she will be replaced with an Administrator who follows President Obama’s mandate that decisions be guided by science instead of ideology and politics.

“Whether Ms. Leonhart is ignorant of the facts or intentionally disregarding them, she is clearly unfit for her current position,” says Dan Riffle, MPP’s Director of Federal Policies.

MPP: Leonhart Is Neglecting Her Obligations As DEA Administrator

In 2012, Ms. Leonhart refused to answer questions from U.S. Rep. Jared Polis about whether heroin and crack cocaine are more harmful than cannabis. Further, the MPP notes that the DEA has obstructed attempts to reschedule cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act, despite evidence that it has an assortment of therapeutic benefits.

“This would be grounds for termination in the private sector, and the consequences for Ms. Leonhart should be no different.” – Dan Riffle

Studies have routinely determined that cannabis is objectively safer than alcohol. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attribute approximately 40,000 U.S. deaths per year to alcohol use alone. In contrast, there has never been one fatality attributed to cannabis.

“The DEA administrator’s continued refusal to recognize marijuana’s relative safety compared to alcohol and other drugs flies in the face of the president’s commitment to prioritizing science over ideology and politics,” Mr. Riffle insists.

He goes on to say, “she is neglecting the basic obligations of her job and fundamentally undermining her employer’s mission. This would be grounds for termination in the private sector, and the consequences for Ms. Leonhart should be no different.”

The Marijuana Policy Project’s petition to fire Michele Leonhart can be found at Change.org. It needs a total of 5,000 supporters – there were 4,950 signatures at the time of print.