Chuck Rosenberg: Petition To Remove DEA Head Gains 38,000 Signatures
A petition to remove Chuck Rosenberg from his position as the acting administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency currently has more than 38,000 signatures. The petition, which is addressed to President Barack Obama, contends Rosenberg is not fit to serve as the head of the DEA, as he referred to medical marijuana as a “joke.”
As reported by CBS News, the controversial comment was made last week during a media briefing. As several states already have, or are attempting to, legalize the use of medical and recreational marijuana — Rosenberg discussed his opinion on the subject.
“What really bothers me is the notion that marijuana is also medicinal — because it’s not… We can have an intellectually honest debate about whether we should legalize something that is bad and dangerous, but don’t call it medicine — that is a joke.”
Although he later admitted “extracts… or component parts” are showing “great promise” in medicinal applications, he argued that “smoking the leaf of marijuana… has never been shown to be safe or effective as a medicine.”
As reported by NORML, hundreds of international, national, state, and local medical and health organizations have endorsed the use of medical marijuana.
Some of the more prominent organizations supporting cannabis as a therapeutic agent include the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Student Association, the American Nurses Association, and the American Public Health Association.
As explained at DrugAbuse.gov, the United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved marijuana plants, or their extracts, for medical use.
However, the FDA has approved two medications “that contain [synthetic] cannabinoid chemicals in pill form.”
Although the approved medications contain synthetic cannabinoids, they have been proven successful in treating epileptic seizures, inflammation, nausea, pain, and uncontrolled muscle spasms. The synthetic cannabinoids have also shown promise in treating addiction, certain cancers, and mental health issues.
Petition calls on President Obama to fire DEA chief for calling medical marijuana a “joke” – https://t.co/bWZMW0W2tE pic.twitter.com/lHqjyBch3q
— Extract (@ExtractCannabis) November 9, 2015
The petition to remove Chuck Rosenberg as head of the DEA suggests he is unfit to serve in his current position, as he went “way too far” in his criticism of medical marijuana.
As stated in the petition, the supporters are asking the President to “fire Chuck Rosenberg and appoint a new DEA administrator who will respect science, medicine, patients and voters.”
In an e-mail to The Washington Post, a spokesman attempted to “clarify” Rosenberg’s controversial statement. According to the spokesman, the DEA head did not discount marijuana’s medicinal applications entirely — as he did acknowledge cannabis has shown “great promise.”
The spokesman contends Rosenberg was simply explaining that the FDA has not approved marijuana for medical use, and that it should be held to the same standards as any other unapproved medication.
A graduate of Tufts University, Harvard University, and the University of Virginia, Chuck Rosenberg was appointed acting administrator of the DEA in May, 2015.
The DEA Chief Just Made an Outrageous Statement on Marijuana | @kylejaeger https://t.co/eH3Ji0tbME pic.twitter.com/VmscFd1Udy
— ATTN: (@attn) November 6, 2015
Prior to his current appointment, he served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and senior counselor to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey.
Rosenberg also held several positions with the Department of Justice, where he specialized in counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and national security.
As reported by DEA.gov, the acting administrator was appointed to his current position by Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
The petition to remove Chuck Roseberg gained more than 38,000 supporters in just seven days. Although it is unclear whether President Barack Obama will review the petition, supporters hope he will replace the current DEA head with someone whose opinions are more neutral.
As the Chuck Roseberg petition has gained public attention, so have his views on medical marijuana. Although his spokesman attempted to clarify the controversial statement, many believe the acting administrator meant exactly what he said.
[Image via Shutterstock/Teri Virbikis]
