Last updated on: 5/13/2008 | Author: ProCon.org

Karen P. Tandy, JD Biography

Title:
Former Administrator of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Position:
Con to the question "Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?"
Reasoning:

“The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, has been accepted as having medicinal value when processed into Marinol. Marijuana itself, however, has not been shown to have medical benefits; accodrdingly, I have no basis for believing that marijuana, and smoking marijuana, has any such benefits.”

Senate Confirmation Hearing, “Responses of Karen Tandy to Questions Submitted by Senator Durbin”
Theoretical Expertise Ranking:
    Experts
Individuals with MDs, PhDs, JDs, or equivalent advanced degrees in fields relevant to medical marijuana. Also top-level government officials (such as foreign leaders, US presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court Justices, members of legislative bodies, cabinet members, military leaders, etc.) with positions relevant to medical marijuana issues.
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations and Public Policy Division, Motorola, Inc., 2008-present
  • US DEA Administrator, 2003-2008
  • Associate Deputy Attorney General
  • Director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), 2001-2003
  • Chief, Litigation Unit, Asset Forfeiture Office, US Department of Justice
  • Assistant US Attorney, 1977-1990
  • Recipient, Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service
  • Recipient, Department of Justice Award for Extraordinary Achievement
  • Recipient, US Attorney Director’s Award for Superior Service
  • Recipient, Public Service Award from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) America, 2005
Education:
  • JD, Texas Tech University Law School, 1977
  • BA, Texas Tech University
Other:
  • None found
Quoted in:
  1. Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?
  2. Has the Government Blocked Clinical Trials of Marijuana?