President Obama's war on marijuana--both medical and recreational--is "totally insane," says Peter Bourne, the director of the National Drug Control Policy under Jimmy Carter. In a brief interview with Newsweek, Bourne voiced support for removing federal penalties for marijuana possession and allowing states to regulate marijuana how they see fit: [Bourne] says the Obama administration's approach to marijuana is “totally insane.†He thinks “they should be bolder,†urging Congress to decriminalize and considering an executive order if necessary. Currently, what they're doing-raiding medical-marijuana dispensaries, defending pot's classification as a drug as bad as meth-“doesn't make any sense at all.†He thinks pot is “overrated†as medicine and should be discouraged in general, which is why he opposes jail time for pot smokers but supports civil penalties, at least at the federal level. The states, meanwhile, should have control over their own pot policies, he says. Just as the Obama administration allows “Neanderthal states†to continue locking up smokers, Bourne believes it would be “wrongheaded†to fight those who want to legalize marijuana, whatever regulatory model they choose. He thinks the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol ballot initiative in Colorado “makes a lot of sense,†even if, in practice, it were to become Sell Pot Like Cigarettes. “The tobacco companies have set up model programs, so that if it were to be legalized, they could immediately jump into marketing,†he says, citing “contingency plans†shared with him by executives who visited the White House. But by far his biggest concern is a Romney regime-and another move rightward, à la Reagan. “It would mean a lot of people being victimized,†he says. And for what? “Nobody dies from marijuana use.†Bourne's concerns about Romney suggest he hasn't read the 2012 RNC Platform. While that's not exactly shocking, it is somewhat ironic. The criminal justice plank of the RNC platform endorses drug treatment programs as an alternative to incarceration, a policy endorsed by Bourne when he was serving under Presidents Nixon and Carter. More ironic still is that the CJ plank was written by Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens, an advocate of the drug treatment model started by Bourne under Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter's Drug Czar Says Obama's War on Marijuana Is
Sounds like a good man. Although he's wrong, in that the Feds actually consider cannabis to be worse than meth. Methamphetamine is a schedule II drug, prescribable for a variety of treatments under the brand name Desoxyn.
When you say Obama's war on drugs, I disagree. This war was rooted into place in the 1930's. This war on drugs like almost everything else was inherited from past presidency's. He will be more pro pot in his second term. He smoked in hs and college, I doubt Mitt has ever lit up.. Pot smoker's don't appeal to president's because we are a small voting block, thats not enough to risk much on.
Another spin by another spinster. Funny how they can dance between the two parties as drug warriors and "see the light" down the road, isn't it? Funnier yet when it supports their goals of licensing the medical patents to their corporate "partners." (Note: the "overrated as medicine" comment. Sure buddy...) Don't allow it to be lost on us that this "treatment model" is also the platform being championed by the current madmen in power as well. All that amounts to is a prison without bars. And it illustrates very succinctly how precious little difference there is under the two political ilks. Its all about control and profits.
Please cite your evidence for the underlined sentence. Btw, it is Obama's war. It was Bush's war, but when Obama failed to end the war, it became his by default.
Not to mention funding increased yet again to historic levels. Training a new crop of troops in California, flying drones, etc. Oh good! Maybe we can have another American-created problem like the Zetas! No, nothing Obama has done comes close to signifying any kind of change other than further escalation of the drug war. Its far too lucrative for them to give it up.
Well, that's a bit tough to prove something with regards to MJ, but how many exiting elected officials do things like go on wild pardoning sprees, releasing tons of people out of jail right before they leave office. I'd say the "got nothing to lose" factor plays a part here (no 3rd term option), as well as the fact that he knows first hand how "deadly" this plant really is, so even deep down, he doesn't believe all the bullshit. But it's not up to him. Never really has been. It was about securing profits back in the 1930's and it continues to be about securing profits in the year 2012, driven by lobbyists.
You seem to have no clue how politics works. Obama will continue raiding dispensaries because its about the money, he doesnt care that weeds harmless.
Have you ever noticed how many of those persons pardoned went to jail as the fall guys for administrations or corporations (same thing, mind you.) It's their get out of jail card for being a useful tool to the administration and their friends, not a reflection of a politician coming to their senses in any way. Your example further exemplifies the corruption.