8 former DEA chiefs warned the federal government Tuesday that it is running out of time to nullify the marijuana laws passed in Colorado and Washington this past November.
The spokesman for the group is Peter Bensinger, former DEA chief under Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Bensinger says the Obama administration is not moving fast enough, and unless they immediately sue the states they'll risk a "domino effect" of more and more states legalizing.
And if more states legalize, then fewer businesses in those states would need Bensinger's product. Bensinger is the founder and CEO of a drug testing company. Bensinger Dupont & Associates provide drug testing management for businesses wishing to drug test their employees.
The ex-DEA heads are issuing their statements through the lobbying organization Save Our Society From Drugs. Preserving their legacy is the obvious reason ex-DEA chiefs would oppose states legalizing marijuana. It's important to point out, however, that they are also speaking from the perspective of persons with an invested interest in marijuana not being legalized.
Legalization opponents like Kevin Sabet like making the argument that their opposition is not impacted by financial interests. Sabet argues that since demand for treatment would only increase if marijuana were legalized, opponents with ties to screening and treatment actually stand to profit from legalization.
In other words, we don't need to worry about Bensinger's ties to the drug testing industry. Once legalized, more companies will want to drug test their employees because marijuana abuse will increase. Right.