* Voters in three states set to decide in November polls
* Holder strongly opposed California legalization effort
(Adds comment from legalization advocates, poll result)
LOS ANGELES, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Nine former heads of the
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration urged Attorney General Eric
Holder on Friday to take a stand against possible legalization
of recreational marijuana in three western states, saying
silence would convey acceptance.
The former officials said in a letter sent on Friday that
legalization would pose a direct conflict with federal law,
indicating there would be a clash between the states and the
federal government on the issue.
Voters in Colorado, Washington state and Oregon are due to
decide in November whether to legalize marijuana for
recreational use and to regulate and tax its sale.
"To continue to remain silent conveys to the American public
and the global community a tacit acceptance of these dangerous
initiatives," they said in the letter, a copy of which was
obtained by Reuters. A spokeswoman for Holder declined to
comment on the letter.
The letter is similar to one they sent Holder in 2010 urging
him to oppose a recreational pot legalization ballot measure in
California. It was defeated with 53.5 percent of voters
rejecting it.
Holder opposed the California measure before the vote,
warning that U.S. officials would enforce federal laws against
marijuana in California despite any state legalization.
Kevin Sabet, a former senior adviser on marijuana issues to
President Barack Obama's administration, said he would not be
surprised if Holder took that same position again.
"Essentially, a state vote in favor of legalization is a
moot point since federal laws would be, in (Holder's) own words
(from 2010), 'vigorously enforced,'" Sabet said. "I can't
imagine a scenario where the Feds would sit back and do
nothing."
Obama administration officials have until now said little
about the upcoming ballot measures, although the federal
government has cracked down on medical cannabis dispensaries in
several states by raiding them and threatening legal action.
PUBLIC SUPPORT
In recent years polls have shown growing national support
for decriminalizing marijuana. In May, an Angus Reid survey
showed 52 percent of those polled expressed support for
legalizing pot. The poll of 1,017 respondents had a margin of
error of 3.1 percent.
Gallup saw support hit 50 percent last year, the highest
number the organization had ever measured on the question.
In the swing state of Colorado, the marijuana measure with
its potential to bring out young voters is seen as potentially
influencing votes for president. Tom Jensen of Public Policy
Polling said earlier this year that marijuana "could be a
difference maker" in the state.
The nine signatories to Friday's letter included John
Bartels, who ran the DEA from 1973 to 1975, and Karen Tandy, who
was in charge from 2003 to 2007.
Tom Constantine, who was in charge of the DEA from 1994 to
1999 and also signed the letter, said the former administrators
hoped it would send a message to voters and alter the public
debate.
He said the letter had been sent so "voters would know in
all fairness that no matter what they vote on in Colorado or
wherever it is, that federal law still prevails."
In response to a 2011 petition to legalize and regulate
marijuana, Obama administration drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said
at that time that federal officials were concerned about the
drug because it was "associated with addiction, respiratory
disease and cognitive impairment."
Legalization advocates say the decades-old drug war in the
United States has failed, and they compare laws against
marijuana to the prohibition of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to
1933. They argue that society would be better served if
marijuana could be taxed and regulated.
While no U.S. state allows recreational use of marijuana, 17
states and the District of Columbia permit its use in medicine.
"Anyone who is objective at all knows that current marijuana
policy in this country is a complete disaster, with massive
arrests, wasted resources, and violence in the U.S. and
especially in Mexico," said Jill Harris, managing director of
strategic initiatives for Drug Policy Action, which has poured
money into legalization campaigns.
(Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and
David Brunnstrom)