Althouse: "Feds scoop up medical marijuana patient records in Oregon investigation..."

April 13, 2013

"Feds scoop up medical marijuana patient records in Oregon investigation..."

"Because marijuana is still illegal on the federal level – and it’s only by letters of understanding that the U.S. Department of Justice has held off taking action against medical marijuana growers, suppliers and buyers – related records can be seen as evidence of wrong doing."

23 comments:

gerry said...: Tenth Amendment revival, here we come?; 4/13/13, 11:22 AM
Rose said...: If gun buyers, purchasing legal products, have to undergo background checks, and their medical records are being shared with government officials/law enforcement - then people who buy grow house equipment ought to have to undergo the same - and pot clinic 'patients' the same.

Fair's fair, you Obama voters.; 4/13/13, 11:28 AM
gadfly said...: Just another HIPPA privacy law violation - nothing to see here so go about your business.; 4/13/13, 11:41 AM
Unknown said...: Does anyone have any expectation of privacy or protection from/of the law? If they do they need to get over it right away. For their own self-preservation if for nothing else. Unless they operate a killing floor abortion clinic.; 4/13/13, 11:45 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Keep Your Hands Off Of My Weed!; 4/13/13, 11:59 AM
rhhardin said...: They misspelled wrongdoing.; 4/13/13, 12:06 PM
Methadras said...: Nice, providing evidence to the feds. Dumb.; 4/13/13, 12:09 PM
Known Unknown said...: Secure the borders! (of Oregon)

Incredible waste of taxpayer $$$. Again.; 4/13/13, 12:22 PM
edutcher said...: Choom could stop this (through Holder) if he wanted (he of all people), so I'm wondering if, like the drone thing, if it's an issue of being crazy with the power over people's lives.

PS IIRC Federal law supersedes state, especially if we're talking interstate commerce, so the Feds can claim some firm legal ground here.

Or can they?; 4/13/13, 12:27 PM
garage mahal said...: Obama is just horrible on this kind of stuff.; 4/13/13, 1:12 PM
MadisonMan said...: Obama is just horrible on this kind of stuff.

As opposed to stuff he's good at? What short short list is that?

(1) Not being Republican.
(2) Umm....; 4/13/13, 1:21 PM
garage mahal said...: MadMan
I quibble slightly on Obama "Not being Republican. But you'll get no such long list of "Good Obama stuff" from me. I hate Obamism, and ObamaCrats. They're killing the party.; 4/13/13, 1:27 PM
Anonymous said...: It is not a HIPPA violation. HIPPA contains specific exemptions for law enforcement.

You didn't think that law was actually concerned with your privacy, did you?; 4/13/13, 1:38 PM
Matt Sablan said...: I also don't think HIPPA would apply if you were knowingly committing another crime (like selling prescription drugs illegally or prescribing booze and sex with your doctor.) So, I doubt that it protects in this case anyway.; 4/13/13, 2:06 PM
Aaron said...: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2013

Rep. Rohrabacher Introduces Bipartisan “Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013”

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) has introduced H.R. 1523, the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013, which would prevent the federal government from continuing to prosecute residents who are acting in accordance with their state’s marijuana laws. The bill would legalize marijuana at the federal level to the extent it is legal at the state level.

“This bipartisan bill represents a common-sense approach that establishes federal government respect for all states’ marijuana laws,” says Rohrabacher. “ It does so by keeping the federal government out of the business of criminalizing marijuana activities in states that don’t want it to be criminal.”

The bill’s approach to marijuana policy is seemingly consistent with the views of a solid majority of voters. A recent Pew Research poll found 60% of Americans believe, “the federal government should not enforce federal laws prohibiting the use of marijuana in states where it is legal.”

So far, 18 states, as well as the District of Columbia, have legalized the use of marijuana to some extent and it is likely that several other states will legalize marijuana to some degree in the future.

Reps. Justin Amash (R-MI), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jared Polis, (D-CO) and Don Young (R-AK) have joined Mr. Rohrabacher as original co-sponsors of H.R. 1523.; 4/13/13, 2:11 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: ...U.S. Department of Justice...

Hee...every time I hear that phrase it cracks me up. It so evokes the Ministry of Truth in 1984.; 4/13/13, 2:20 PM
Cedarford said...: Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) has introduced H.R. 1523, the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013, which would prevent the federal government from continuing to prosecute residents who are acting in accordance with their state’s marijuana laws. The bill would legalize marijuana at the federal level to the extent it is legal at the state level.

=====================
That's how you do it. And if Obama thinks he is again not bound by lesser mortals wishes, and sicks Justice and the DEA on them anyways, Congress can savage the budgets of those agencies in reprisal.
Something I am sure they will point out to Black Messiah...
Along with the notion that they can put a rider on scaling back Presidential and First Lady travel funds as an austerity measure.; 4/13/13, 3:07 PM
Sam L. said...: If'n ya got a Pree-scription. yeah, seems HIPAA ought to apply...; 4/13/13, 3:54 PM
cubanbob said...: As opposed to stuff he's good at? What short short list is that?

You forgot to include:

Tops at taking very frequent and very expensive vacations on other people's money.
Top rank champ on milking every perk of office, again at other people's expense.
World rank master of hypocrisy. I wish I knew his CPA.; 4/13/13, 3:55 PM
Sydney said...: If'n ya got a Pree-scription. yeah, seems HIPAA ought to apply..

Nope, it doesn't. HIPAA was written to expressly exclude the government and law enforcement from its rules.; 4/13/13, 4:05 PM
cubanbob said...: Hmmm maybe Holder is using this as a guise to collect evidence such as the best primo shit for his bud-in-chief Choom.; 4/13/13, 4:09 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: I hate Obamism, and ObamaCrats. They're killing the party.

Nah. Resist the Milquetoast Man urge to see a smaller picture. Registration is up for his side, down with the Republican'ts, and the only national electoral victory they won in 2012 came at the expense of revealing to America how gerrymandered they need the system to be to retain the House despite so many less votes.

Obama's scoring long-term political successes. (Although I'm sure that, other than the huge policy success of ACA, there are incremental policy successes as well). But his political success is hard to see because of the cultural-political inertia built by the right. It would be like saying that you couldn't see in 1972 what Nixon did for Republicans, until one and a half administrations later, Reagan swooped in to seal the deal. The rest is history. Likely will be the same for Obama.; 4/14/13, 5:04 PM
Revenant said...: Fair's fair, you Obama voters.

Why assume the people in question are Obama voters? Obama's been worse on this issue than Bush ever was.

And why the race to the bottom? "I've lost my privacy, so you should lose your privacy too" is a pretty short-sighted attitude to adopt, don't you think?; 4/14/13, 10:38 PM