Medical marijuana supporters are outraged over President Barack Obama’s re-appointment of Bush leftover Michele Leonhart as Drug Enforcement Admin-istration (DEA) chief.

“The retention of this Bush-era holdover is a profound disappointment to all of us who hoped that Obama would bring meaningful change to Washington,” commented California NORML Director Dale Gieringer. NORML (National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws) has as its mission the elimination of the war on drugs attack on marijuana users and providers – especially those involved with medical marijuana. 

Leonhart, say NORML activists, is faulted for having blocked the approval of a medical marijuana research garden at the University of Massachusetts, overruling a decision by DEA administrative law judge Mary Ellen Bittner. Leonhart’s action effectively blocked the development of marijuana for FDA approval, since without licensed producers, FDA development is impossible.

“If there’s one thing on which supporters and critics of medical marijuana agree, it’s the need for FDA studies,” said Gieringer. “This appointment calls into question whether the administration has any desire to move towards FDA regulation or abandon the bankrupt policies of its predecessors.”

California NORML is calling on the Senate to reconsider Leonhart’s nomination in light of her ongoing opposition to medical marijuana research.