Here's how it benefits politicians: The politicians know that most American voters are CATTLE. They know that most American voters don't know ANYTHING about the nuts and bolts of major issues. That's because the media, for the most part, takes the lazy approach and emphasizes sensationalism over research. American politicians KNOW that prohibition doesn't work, that it never has and that it never will. Therefore, they are losing the War On Drugs to such an extent that they will do ANYTHING to APPEAR "hard on drugs" to the uninformed, uneducated voting public.

So, since the W.O.D. has almost negligible effects on the importation of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, etc., and since the politicians know this, they go after EASY targets: doctors who are compassionate with their pain patients; on-line pharmacies and doctors; NROPs, IOPs, etc. That way the politicians get the ALL IMPORTANT headlines and can say, "See, I'm fighting DRUGS!" Then, your average uneducated, ill-informed voter will vote for the politician under the mistaken assumption that the politician is "fighting drugs." The uninformed, uneducated voter SORT of knows that "drugs are bad," and that "fighting drugs" is good. They're not exactly sure WHY they know this, but it's been drummed into their heads by the politicians and the media so they have an ill-formed and nebulous viewpoint.

In a nutshell, this is how fighting pain doctors, pain clinics, OPs, etc. enhances the politicians' appeal to the uneducated, ill-informed voter. And believe me, the more uneducated, ignorant and ill-informed you are, the better the American politician likes it. Makes his or her job a WHOLE lot easer if he or she can just go on TV or radio and spout platitudes rather than talk facts. Facts bore the average American voter. Sensationalism doesn't. Sad but true.