Oct. 28, 2007 -- Washington, DC: US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Karen Tandy announced this week that she will be stepping down as the agency’s first female director.

Tandy, who headed the agency for the past four years, will become a senior vice president of the Motorola Company. Motorola, a leading wireless and broadband communications firm, is the chief financial sponsor of the DEA’s controversial exhibit "Target America," which argues that illicit drug use sponsors international terrorism – including the September 11 attacks on New York City and Washington, DC.

During Tandy’s tenure, DEA officials dramatically stepped up their efforts to target and federally prosecute medical marijuana patients and providers in California, as well as other states that allow for the drug’s use under state law. In 2005, Tandy authored the DEA white paper, "Marijuana: The Myths Are Killing Us," which states: "We need to put to rest the thought that there is such a thing as a lone drug user, a person whose habits affect only himself or herself. Drug use, including marijuana use, is not a victimless crime. … [M]arijuana kills … innocents."

Tandy also led extradition efforts against Canadian publisher and marijuana law reform activist Marc Emery, along with two colleagues, on charges that they distributed cannabis seeds to US citizens. Tandy called Emery’s arrest "a significant blow" to the "marijuana legalization movement," noting that Emery financially sponsored various drug liberalization campaigns in the United States. Extradition hearings for Emery remain ongoing.

Neither the Bush Administration nor the DEA have issued a public statement regarding Tandy’s successor.