Polis Calls On Holder To Rein In 'Rogue' DEA Agents

Rep. Jared Polis has called on Attorney General Eric Holder to look into whether the Drug Enforcement Administration acted inappropriately and in defiance of federal government policy by raiding and arresting a small medical marijuana grower in Colorado.

Polis, a freshman Democrat who represents the state, told HuffPost that he also met with Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske and pressed him on the issue.

"I was very impressed with him," said Polis. Now he's working on Holder.

In February, Holder said that the Justice Department would not arrest or prosecute people for drug law violations if they are following state medical marijuana laws. The department issued a memo to that effect in October.

The DEA raid and subsequent comments from top special agent Jeffrey Sweetin that the drug warriors would "arrest everybody" created a climate of "widespread panic" in Colorado, Polis wrote to Holder in a letter this week. He asked the AG to clarify in writing whether the department's policy was still in effect.

The man captured in the raid has been charged by the U.S. Attorney for intent to distribute drugs.

"It seems like there is a disconnect between the field and the White House policy," Polis told HuffPost. "You have rogue agents like the one in Colorado, like Jeff Sweetin, that are going around, that are making statements that are scaring people, and that are disrupting a doctor-patient relationship that is sanctioned by the people of Colorado."

Medical marijuana is legal as part of Colorado's constitution.

"I think clearly the Attorney General and Washington need to have more clear guidelines and they need to enforce those guidelines nationally so that no other agents step out of line and scare people who are following state laws," said Polis.

The DEA was alerted to the defendant's pot-growing operation because he gave an interview to a local TV station. "Sometimes there's a subculture within law enforcement that seeks enforcement for the sake of enforcement. And serious law enforcement professionals need to put a stop to that," said Polis.

"The voters overwhelmingly passed a medical marijuana law, and regardless of what Coloradoans feel about medical marijuana, they overwhelmingly agree that the federal government should not intervene with what we believe to be a state and local decision," he said.

Polis compared the situation to alcohol enforcement -- even if the grower broke state law, as the DEA insists, that is an issue that should be left to the state. "Until recently, Colorado had blue laws so we weren't allowed to have liquor stores open on Sunday," said Polis. "I didn't see any federal agents raid liquor stores on Sunday. That was a state issue and so is this."

Ryan Grim is the author of This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America

Comments

[phatHawaiian]

08:20 PM on 03/24/2010

What is the Sweetin's basic philosophy on marijuana? Maybe he and his agents need to be re-educated on the "dangers" and the benefits of MJ. I could use a refresher course on MJ, even though I am for legalization.

[anitaj]

04:25 PM on 03/01/2010

Thanks to Rep. Polis for standing up for his constituents.

[stargazer13]

11:24 AM on 03/01/2010

2009 more arrest,s of smokers then ever before !

one of the 25 most censored stories of 09

[naturallight]

11:06 AM on 03/01/2010

The dea serves one purpose. Inflate the cost of illegal drugs. Why do you think all that drug money, MADOFF, STANFORD, landed on wall st.?

Mexico would collapse, bolivia would collapse, columbia would collapse, afghanistan would starve, burma would starve. trillions of dollars pay a lot of families wages to eat. This is very complicated NOW thanks to their designs.

[blacktea]

10:27 AM on 03/01/2010

end the DEA today. Let people ingest what they want to.

[jwoww]

10:11 AM on 03/01/2010

do any of our democratic lawmakers believe in our govermental law enforcement agencies anymore. whether it's the CIA, FBI, INS, DEA, Boarder Partol it seems like the criminals, terrorists or illegals are treated better than they are

[liberalbug]

10:52 AM on 03/01/2010

Do you beliee the federal government should be able to override the will of Colorado voters and arrest people for selling a medicinal plant to sick people? A little heavy handed, don't you think? This is not an anti-law enforcement issue, it's a states' rights issue. If you are a conservative, you should be cheering this move, advocating for states' rights, right? Isn't that a core conservative value?

[happyblubird]

05:18 AM on 03/01/2010

the DEA is a dying agency. They are constantly looking for thngs to make it look like their agency is vitally important.
They are trying to justify their jobs.

[paliuli]

09:08 PM on 02/28/2010

If we think it is bad under Holder now, just think what a Republican victory in 2012 would look like.

I can tell you what I think: they are itching to turn our troops against cannabis smokers on our own soil. They already have them checking people in the Southwest.

In their insane, insatiable greed for power and money, they will scare timid Americans with the violence coming out of Mexico, and it will creep northward, as long as drugs remain illegal.

There is no illegal drug that is more dangerous than giving up your constitutional right to privacy, which was the first casualty of the drug war. Americans have been duped.

[legalies76]

08:34 PM on 02/28/2010

These DEA guys should be spending 100% of their time on Heroin and Meth. Unfortunately, many of their peers are involved in importing these harmful drugs. Anyone can grow marijuana and that is what bothers them. They want to be the only ones who can control and profit off of drugs.

[aweissnet]

09:09 PM on 02/28/2010

Those should be legalized as well, like in other countries. Available through a doctor, but still legal. Most arbitrary laws, if not evidently for our safety and well-being, are clearly only in place to make money for someone.

[escribacat]

01:02 AM on 03/01/2010

Have you seen what meth does to the human body and brain? You need to have a closer look.

[JerryM70]

07:47 PM on 02/28/2010

Criminalizing marijuana has caused the same horror of crime that the prohibition of alcohol did nearly a century ago. If this nation can tolerate all of the problems that come from tobacco being a legal product, there is no doubt that it would have no trouble letting people smoke a joint if they want to do so.

[TJCole]

07:18 PM on 02/28/2010

Eric Holder is really dangerously draconian when it comes to Marijuana he wanted to give everyone a mandatory Five Years in Prison no parole for any amount or possession even a single seed...no exceptions granny's taking it to help with Kemo into prison they go...

These new type of career driven prosecutors are a threat to every American they'll tell those at the top whatever they want to hear...for advancement...as did Holder, Alito, Chertoff, Yoo, Bybee, all the same dangerous undemocratic bunch just go get ahead...

Holder wanted to lock up 20-30% of our entire population...for a single joint 5 Years...!

[intrestedparty]

03:26 PM on 03/01/2010

This is absolutely incorrect. Holder has reversed the bush policy of enforcing federal policy against state laws.

[TJCole]

03:51 PM on 03/01/2010

Yeah right he did one thing for the Media and another in practice and he still wanted to lock up anyone with any amount any possession for 5 Years Mandatory Sentence what kind of ___ was that...?

I know what I'm talking about with all these Federal Prosecutors with political aspirations and who want to climb the ladder...they're a bad bunch they'll say anything for advancement tell any President whatever he wants to hear...Alito did it so did Chertoff and Yoo and Bybee Holder all the same why do you think Yoo got off Scott free same as Judge Bybee, Bradbery "Poor Judgment" , what a Cunard...what Bovine Scatology that was...!

[holyghostie]

05:37 PM on 02/28/2010

The large pot farms in Colorado are run by the Mexican cartels. Why is this congressman interfering with the DEA responsibility to erradicate this problem for both the US and Mexico?

[Veronica]

06:03 PM on 02/28/2010

Are you insane? Medical marijuana is LEGAL in Colorado, and the guy who was just arrested was a local grower, not part of a Mexican cartel. People like you make me laugh. The best part is, Mexican cartels freaking LOVE the DEA. Get a clue.

[holyghostie]

06:14 PM on 02/28/2010

http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs4/4300/marijuan.htm#Production
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/justice/kingpin_020410
http://denver.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2009/dn102309.htm

Like I said the large scale farms are Mexican. In Colorado up in the hills I know
everybody grows their own for recreation. Not talking about that....

http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/state_factsheets/colorado.html

Until we legalize it and tax it...which we should do. I support the DEA in its decision to enforce the law.

[rbchilds]

08:08 PM on 02/28/2010

200+ plants is not a Medical Marijuana provider, it is not a local grower, it is a farm.
Rep. Polis should tend to his own district, of which Douglas County is not part of.

[deepthicket]

12:32 PM on 03/01/2010

Mexican cartels are the biggest fans the DEA has. Without the DEA the cartels would become ordinary agriculture instead of money factories. The guy they busted was a documented local grower with a dispensary as customer. A cartel, NOT.

[batguano]

04:05 PM on 02/28/2010

Another example of the Obama administration turning a blind eye. Big Pharma wants to maintain the obscene wasteful war on Cannabis to protect sales of their deadly killer drugs & keep a healthy, safe herb illegal; Obama is OK with continued prohibition. Holder declined to pursue the case against torture memo authors, the detestable John Yoo, & Jay Bybee, but he is allowing rogue DEA agents to harass innocent citizens & make their lives miserable; excellent work Mr President, good lookin out!

"Sometimes there's a subculture within law enforcement that seeks enforcement for the sake of enforcement", right, they enjoy victimizing others & maintain the excuse for their jobs. There are some in law enforcement who see the truth & want to end the War on Drugs. http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php Continued police abuse of millions of Americans & senseless prohibition of medicinal/recreational Cannabis & Industrial Hemp (IH) must end; all we need is vision, political courage & leadership.

Enormous potential benefits for our economy & vast savings are possible by ending Cannabis/IH prohibition. Cannabis can destroy cancer http://americanmarijuana.org/Guzman-Cancer.pdf & is effective in treating many other diseases, including MS, PTSD, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, chronic pain & more. IH has hundreds of uses & could energize our economy with hundreds of new enterprises, & potentially hundreds of thousands of new jobs. Cannabis is one of the most beneficial plants on Earth.
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=748
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284
http://www.votehemp.com/overview.html

[OceanSize]

03:46 PM on 03/01/2010

I don't disagree with you, but I'm surprised by your attitude re: the Obama admin. Has ANY President brought us closer to legitimacy than he has?? While the directive he gave to Holder last year was not enough as far as you and I are concerned, it was certainly never something I thought I'd ever hear in my lifetime.

[LunaPark]

02:50 PM on 02/28/2010

According to Rick Steves, the PBS travel guide, it is legal to smoke opium in Iran. They've been smoking it for 3500 years. However, drink alchohol and they'll throw you in prison.

[bluntobject]

02:24 PM on 02/28/2010

Sweetin shold be fired, and it should be done very publically. People like this guy are blights on our society. With their reidiculous failed drug warrior mentality. Dea should be disbanded and totally defunded.

I bet they would be storming the WH with guns ablazing if they thought Obama was about to do that. After all, they are a rogue agency.