̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶w̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶b̶i̶p̶a̶r̶t̶i̶s̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶u̶n̶a̶n̶i̶m̶o̶u̶s̶l̶y̶.̶
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̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶E̶A̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶J̶u̶s̶t̶i̶c̶e̶ ̶D̶e̶p̶a̶r̶t̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶o̶p̶p̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶e̶n̶a̶c̶t̶e̶d̶.̶
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̶P̶r̶e̶s̶i̶d̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶O̶b̶a̶m̶a̶ ̶s̶i̶g̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶l̶a̶w̶.̶
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̶I̶t̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶p̶u̶r̶p̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶a̶n̶c̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶e̶n̶f̶o̶r̶c̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶p̶a̶t̶i̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶a̶c̶c̶e̶s̶s̶,̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶w̶e̶a̶k̶e̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶D̶E̶A̶ ̶a̶u̶t̶h̶o̶r̶i̶t̶y̶.̶
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̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶“̶6̶0̶ ̶M̶i̶n̶u̶t̶e̶s̶”̶ ̶f̶r̶a̶m̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶t̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶c̶r̶i̶t̶i̶c̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶g̶u̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶s̶i̶m̶p̶l̶i̶f̶i̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶p̶l̶e̶x̶ ̶r̶e̶g̶u̶l̶a̶t̶o̶r̶y̶ ̶i̶s̶s̶u̶e̶.̶
The law was bipartisan and passed unanimously.

The DEA and Justice Department did not oppose it when enacted.

President Obama signed it into law.

Its stated purpose was balancing enforcement with patient access, not weakening DEA authority.

The “60 Minutes” framing came later, and critics argue it oversimplified a complex regulatory issue.