Drug Czar Decries Teen Marijuana Use, But His Policies Cause Increase OpposingViews / MPP / 10,14,2010 In a statement today, Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, decried recent data showing that American teenagers are using marijuana at younger ages and in greater numbers. In response, the Marijuana Policy Project, the nation's largest marijuana policy reform organization, called on the drug czar to abandon the failed policies of marijuana prohibition, and instead embrace the regulation of marijuana, accompanied by science-based education campaigns, as the only sensible strategy for reducing teen marijuana use. “After decades of the same ineffective approach, it's more clear than ever that our government's current policies have failed to reduce marijuana's use or availability among young people and that a change is needed,†said Steve Fox, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Unlike alcohol and tobacco – which are sold by licensed, tax-paying vendors who are required to check customer ID – marijuana use continues to increase among young people largely because it is sold in an uncontrolled, unregulated criminal market by drug dealers who are perfectly happy to sell to minors. "By refusing to admit reality and work to bring the sale of marijuana under the rule of law, the federal government, and the drug czar in particular, are helping to keep marijuana readily available to America's youth.†Last week, the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy issued a report based on 20 years of U.S. government data, which found that despite drastic increases in U.S. marijuana enforcement efforts, including near record-level arrests and seizures, marijuana remains almost “universally available†to young people in the U.S. A 2009 government survey found that more than 80% of American 12th graders said marijuana was “easy†to get, and that tobacco use among U.S. teens is on the decline, while marijuana use continues to rise. According to a 2008 World Health Organization survey, the overall rate of marijuana use in the Netherlands, where marijuana is sold in regulated establishments to adults who have to show proof of age, is less than half what it is in the United States. Additionally, only 7% of Dutch teens have tried marijuana by age 15. In the U.S., as many as 20.2% of teens have tried marijuana by age 15, according to government estimates. On November 2, voters in California will consider Proposition 19, a ballot measure that would tax and regulate marijuana.
What happend after MPP presented it... are we just handing them signatures and information that they are tossing in the garbage and ignoring again and again?
The Director can't help it. It's in his job description to resist any effort to change current drug laws. I almost feel sorry for the guy. I think he's a decent bloke but yet he's forced to lie to the American electorate. Like Colin Powell arguing WMD in front of the UN General Assembly. Taking it for the team. I've had to do it for a job. It sucks.
While I agree that Collin Powell took it up his ass,to justify Bush's oil/contractor money distillation war,the Drug Czar is supporting the prohibition of marijuana so stringently that they will not allow the tests necessary to prove/disprove that marijuana or tinctures and extracts of cannabis are a cancer cure or preventative agent,thus possibly allowing millions of Americans to suffer from,die from and face financial devestation because of cancers. Our society faces a 1 in 3 chance of contracting some form of cancer in our lifetime. Cancer treatments(chemo) cost 10's of thousands of dollars,per dosage. At what point does the job end and crime begin? PS: and that is on top of all the shit they have put marijuana users through for the last 40 years
Stopping any attempt to do research on a schedule 1 drug is also one of the job requirements of the drug czar. He could be blazing at home everyday and he'll get fired if he even makes a peep about it. I feel bad for the guy. Hopefully people will just ignore him until its no longer a schedule 1 drug i'd be interested in what he has to say after that
I was doing my job is not legal defense according to the Nuremburg trials when your actions cause death and destruction to your fellow man,even if all you did was hold the door to let the victims walk into gas chamber.
To hazeguru19, This is my way of fighting the war against the war on drugs. I don't have the monies to donate to the noble and worthy organizations but I have time. I post all the news I can find about marijuana on all the sites that I can and add links to blogs,respond to prohibs and do this so that the people that are either working or have other duties do not have to search for the latest news on the very fast moving front line. Yes,anyone can search out every one of these articles,but I try to make it where you don't have too. I try to keep anyone interested in our cause,including the opposition, to see that we,the tokers nation,keep updated and informed on every tactic and nuance of this war. The only stupid question is the one no one asks.