On 40th Anniversary Of War On Drugs, Cops Decry Obama's Drug Policy

[DeSwiss]

Source: The Huffington Post

On 40th Anniversary Of War On Drugs, Cops Decry Obama's Drug Policy

Lucia Graves | Huffington Post | First Posted: 06/15/11 06:56 PM ET Updated: 06/15/11 10:51 PM ET



WASHINGTON -- Forty years after President Richard Nixon first declared a war on drugs, the officers who fought in it are calling for a truce. Former law enforcement officials gathered in the District of Columbia on Tuesday to announce their new report. It details the failures of the government's long battle against illegal drugs and denounces the Obama administration's current drug policies.

"Since President Nixon declared 'war on drugs' four decades ago, this failed policy has led to millions of arrests, a trillion dollars spent and countless lives lost, yet drugs today are more available than ever," said Norm Stamper, former chief of police in Seattle and a speaker for legalization-advocacy group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

"President Obama's drug officials keep saying they've ended the 'drug war,'" the LEAP member said. "But our report shows that's just not true, and we'll be hand-delivering a copy to the drug czar in hopes he'll be convinced to actually end this war, or at least stop saying he already has."

The officers' announcement came just weeks after the Global Commission on Drugs -- which includes former United Nations chief Kofi Annan and past presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia -- released a report urging a non-criminal approach to world drug policy.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/15/40-anniversary-war-on-drugs-cops-obama_n_877702.html

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DeSwiss

The first marijuana law in America was enacted in Jamestown colony in 1619. It ordered all farmers to grow Cannabis. More mandatory hemp cultivation laws were enacted in Massachusetts in 1631, and in Connecticut 1632, and the Chesapeake Colonies. Meanwhile in England, the crown decreed that any foreigners who grew Cannabis would be rewarded with full British citizenship, while those who refused to grow hemp were often fined. Cannabis was even recognized as legal tender in most of the Americas from 1631 until the early 1800's, mainly to encourage farmers to grow more. Americans could even pay their taxes with Cannabis for over 2 centuries. http://www.420lawyer.com/Marijuana_vs_Hemp.html">link

[defendandprotect]

1. kr

[L. Coyote]

2. Nixon's war on political enemies now being waged by Dems alike.

Whatever it takes to fight those damn pinko liberals, Constitution be damned, because they oppose illegal wars and killing people of other colors!

[Grassy Knoll]

3. Failed Policy ?..........

Nice Headline Huffpo, you have turned into a right wing rag.

[SoapBox]

4. Super DITTO.

I hate HP...

I was banned a couple months ago. My "crime" wanting to know why there were always 4-6 Crazy Palin (or Crazy Palin FAMILY) articles on their front page...my question was, why did they continue to constantly and consistently give free promotion to Crazy Palin.

They said that I "had a thing" about Crazy Palin and also a "thing" against the Right.

No Sh*t Sherlock!

So for that...I was banned.

[ixion]

5. Are you saying the so-called 'drug war' is a succuess?

because it seems as though that's what you're saying.

If so, please provide evidence about how jailing non-violent drug offenders has been successful in stemming the flow of drug use. Otherwise, you have to admit that the WoD has been a complete and utter failure and should be stopped.

[Uncle Joe]

9. The War on Drugs is a Hindenburg crashes in to the Titanic failure.

There is no logical, ethical, moral, economic or common sense reason to wage it.

[christx30]

12. You forgot to add...

while "Gigli" is being shown on either vessel to describe the failure.

[krabigirl]

17. .......

[Occulus]

22. There are no other words for it. The policy has, by every measure possible, failed.

The policy has been a failure since the Marihuana Tax Stamp Act.

That's certainly not solely Obama's fault, so don't go about trying to make it so. Turkeys that fat just don't fly.

[Le Taz Hot]

31. What's inaccurate about it?

Obama is continuing the same policies as previous administrations, both Democrat and Republican. Where's the inaccuracy?

[tclambert]

6. The CIA still cannot locate the hiding place of Cheech Marin.

[MadMaddie]

7. This is another policy that President Obama inherited

It's a horrible policy and a failure. My question is out of all of the priorities that all the DEMS want which takes highest priority? All the shit that's broken can't be fixed at the same time fuck HP.

[Rageneau]

8. And it is another policy he has enthusiastically continued.

The stupid 'drug war' could be over this afternoon if Obama would keep his campaign promise to 'let science determine the debate.' Instead, he deiberately continues the brutish, belligerent, bellicose, bull-headed policies of the buffoons before him -- only he is WORSE than they were, because he knows better.

GW Bush and his bozo Gonzalez at least left the States alone to determine their own marijuana policies (as the Constitution stipulates), but Obama and Holder insist on doing all they can to stamp out medical marijuana, regardless of the good it does, regardless of the will of the people, and -- above all -- in defiance of all the SCIENCE.

Obama did not "inherit" this problem. He willingly embraced it and is deliberately exacerbating it.

[CrispyQ]

13. +1

Someone posted a story this week about prison populations & the jobs they do for slave wages for some American corporations. Wish I'd saved the link. It was infuriating to read & a testament as to why the war on drugs will not be dismantled.

[boppers]

26. Link to a case where a legal state grow or dispensary was busted for pot alone?

I've seen lots of claims that Obama is anti-MMJ, but it's usually followed up by some guy with an illegal grow (not licensed), some dispensary raking in piles of cash (in a non-profit MMJ state), etc.

Growing pot isn't a license to break any other laws as the grower/dispensary sees fit.

[Le Taz Hot]

32. . . .

"Obama did not "inherit" this problem. He willingly embraced it and is deliberately exacerbating it.

:applause:

[wordpix]

15. true, O inherited a huge pile of it when he took office but by now, things should be changing

the WoD is still going on, as is the one in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. sigh :banghead:

[MadMaddie]

18. I agree they should be changing no doubt

but how can any change be made with the Republican House?

[Mimosa]

24. A lot of 'drug enforcement' policies are made at executive level

This is one where Republicans aren't solely 'to blame.'

Anybody who reads 'conservative' boards will see that Republicans and Democrats aren't disagreeing on this issue. Most middle class people want to see marijuana legalised, for instance. Most people, despite party affiliation, are very concerned about the militarisation of police departments which has been connected to their roles as DEA ancillaries.

[RainDog]

29. exactly. this is Obama's choice to maintain this failed and expensive war on American citizens

as noted below.

[RainDog]

28. things could change TOMORROW

Holder, as AG, could take cannabis off the schedule of drugs because there is clear and undeniable evidence that cannabis does not belong in the schedule III classification.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/21/811b.html

(a) Rules and regulations of Attorney General; hearing
The Attorney General shall apply the provisions of this subchapter to the controlled substances listed in the schedules established by section 812 of this title and to any other drug or other substance added to such schedules under this subchapter. Except as provided in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, the Attorney General may by rule—

(1) add to such a schedule or transfer between such schedules any drug or other substance if he—
(A) finds that such drug or other substance has a potential for abuse, and
(B) makes with respect to such drug or other substance the findings prescribed by subsection (b) of section 812 of this title for the schedule in which such drug is to be placed; or
(2) remove any drug or other substance from the schedules if he finds that the drug or other substance does not meet the requirements for inclusion in any schedule.

This is what should happen.

In order to explain this situation, the Obama administration can call upon the lawyer who prosecuted Marc Emery to testify that this same man supports legalization, as do a wide-range of former law enforcement officers (via an organization known as LEAP.) The leading pharmacologist in the UK could repeat his call to treat cannabis like alcohol and cigarettes, as he did in 2010.

Numerous doctors and researchers who have dealt with cannabis, and who reside in places like Israel, Spain, the U.S., Canada and Portugal could testify about their research.

Doctors could testify about marinol and note its scheduling compared to cannabis. The 65 law professors who signed a statement in support of legal cannabis in CA during the last election cycle could testify about the failure of the drug war and the problems with current scheduling.

MMJ patients with MS, CP, glaucoma, cancer and other illnesses could testify about the positive outcomes of their mmj therapy and bring along video to document these changes (for people with CP and MS, for instance.)

Holder could cite this report:

The International Centre for Science in Drug Policy, based in Vancouver, Canada, highlighted that while the budget of the US Office of National Drug Control had increased more than six-fold to $18bn over the past two decades, cannabis seizures had jumped four times.

The study is the most comprehensive attempt to analyse, using government data, the failure of US policy to reduce the use of cannabis through its criminalisation.

...Dr Evan Wood, founder of the centre, said: “Data collected and paid for by the US government clearly shows that prohibition has not reduced cannabis consumption or supply. Scientific evidence clearly shows that regulatory tools have the potential to effectively reduce rates of cannabis-related harm.”

This is a situation that does not require an act of Congress. It does require some backbone, however.

Holder, at Obama's direction, could change this situation tomorrow.

And he should - but I doubt he will b/c there is no adequate leadership in this area.

[Mimosa]

30. This timidity may be due to fear of what Limbaugh, O'Reilly, et al, would say.

Remember the photo of cool looking young Obama with a joint?

[Le Taz Hot]

33. If he doesn't have the gonads to stand up

to Right Wing paid shills, he shouldn't be in the White House. (I know, I know, "Name Removed.") :eyes:

[RainDog]

34. The right wingers have already demonstrated they will attack no matter what

since an overwhelming majority of Americans support a change in MMJ laws in this nation - Obama, then, is pandering to the extreme right wing?

...in order to...

what?

Win them over? (won't happen)

Remain within the majority position (the right wingers aren't in the majority on this or hardly any other issue)

or... what?

There is no rational, medically-warranted, scientifically-valid reason for Obama to continue this failed war on drugs.

Unless he somehow benefits at the expense of the American people.

Reminds me of the banker bailout - big money gets a pass for bad laws and actions - the American people don't seem to matter.

[Scuba]

10. "There's a war, and people on drugs are winning it." - Bill Hicks

[Blue Owl]

11. Let's just allow the insane RW lunatics to decide the policy

n/t

[Occulus]

23. The problem is, we've been doing exactly that.

People hear "drugs" or "potheads" or "stoners" and they become instant rightwing lunatics every damn time.

It's the fear card. Fear that guy- he smoked a joint! Fear that guy- he just ate some acid! Fear her- she took some heroin last night!

You know what I think? I think the fact that people are ruled by fear when it comes to deciding drug policy means that the rightwing lunatics are making the policy.

Why?

Fear is the card the people on the right play. All. The. Time.

[Mimosa]

25. RWers tend libertarian on drugs.

Anybody who wants to know more, PM me and I can provide a link or two to 'conservative' boards. (I'm not a conservative but I have familiarised myself with rightwingers.)

On the issue of drugs conservatives and liberals aren't all that different.

[LetTimmySmoke]

14. This is another example of Obama taking a "nuanced" position to try to please everyone.

And he ends up pleasing no one.

End the War on Drugs. Legalize marijuana. Do it now.

[badgerpup]

16. Why don't they just declare "Victory!" and then pull out?

Worked last time...:shrug:

[felix_numinous]

19. K&R

[inwiththenew]

20. Shoot, and we were just about to win that damn war too

:sarcasm:

[EFerrari]

21. Kick

[entanglement]

27. The drug war made big time $$$ for Wachovia bank.

They were found helping the Sinaloa cartel hoard drug money, and settled out of court with the federal government in 2010.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-drug-gangs?Hellscargo

I don't recall reading a single report about it in our celebrity and scandal obsessed media.

[Mimosa]

35. Wow. Supports theory that all wars are basically about money.

Thanks, Entanglement. I never read it either.