cannabisnews.com: Drug Control Director Talks About Marijuana 





Drug Control Director Talks About Marijuana 
Posted by CN Staff on October 11, 2002 at 08:13:37 PT
By Pedro Morales, Reno Gazette-Journal 
Source: Reno Gazette-Journal 
Organized and well-funded campaigns lobbying for the legalization of marijuana pose one of the biggest threats to the safety and health of the nation’s teenagers, said the nation’s drug czar said Thursday night in Reno. “By stimulating the use of drugs, we make all other institution of society more difficult to carry out,” said John P. Walters, director of the National Drug Control Policy. “No school will be better with drug use, no family will be better with drug use.” 
Walters was a guest of two treatment organizations — Join Together Northern Nevada and the Nevada Alliance for Addictive Disorders, Advocacy, Prevention and Treatment Services — which oppose the Nov. 5 ballot question to legalize the possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana for adults. He cited figures that show that 59 percent of youths age 12 to 17 admitted into a drug treatment program had used marijuana. He also said that the younger the marijuana smoker, the more likely he or she would be dependent on marijuana as an adult. His numbers also showed that delinquent behavior among youths was linked to frequent marijuana use. “More crimes are stimulated by people under the influence of drugs, who become more violent, dangerous and paranoid,” Walters told about 50 invited guests at the Airport Plaza Hotel. Walters came to Reno after a Las Vegas appearance and had visited the state in July, saying Nevada shouldn’t become the center for drug tourism. Walters said he decided to speak against marijuana initiatives in Nevada and other states because he feared lies perpetrated by supporters were gaining acceptance as the truth. Complete Title: National Drug Control Director Talks About Marijuana InitiativeSnipped: Complete Article: http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2002/10/10/25745.phpSource: Reno Gazette-Journal (NV)Author: Pedro MoralesPublished: October 10, 2002Copyright: 2002 Reno Gazette-Journal Website: http://www.rgj.com/Contact: rgjmail nevadanet.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Drug Czar's Visit Prompts Rallies http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14425.shtmlDrug Czar Says State Faces Liability http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14418.shtmlWhy Question 9 is Bad for Nevadahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14401.shtml
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Comment #4 posted by Prime on October 11, 2002 at 10:46:59 PT
Scare Tactics...
You gotta give these guys credit. After decades of political deception and propaganda, they know how to frighten people.Lets tell them that marijuana addicts will be running loose on the streets murdering children and raping white women. Then they will break into your homes and steal everything you own so they can secure their next fix. And if you try to stop them they will stab you with a marijuana needle and make you an addict just like them, and the monsters in Night of the Living Dead.Where is the data to back up physical marijuana addiction? I thought rats on cannabis just got fat and showed little if any physical addiction. The exact opposite of what John P Goebbels is saying.I also disapprove of not allowing the public access to these federally paid for events. 50 invited guests? Control your audience. If they are on the side of the truth, then what do they have to hide?Hope everyone can see through this masquarde. God I hope this vote is overwhelming in approval. That will be the kiss of death for prohibition.
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Comment #3 posted by canaman on October 11, 2002 at 10:39:07 PT
Seek the truth and it shall set you free!
--The czar of bizarre said,“I do not believe the truth can be silenced and I do not believe they have truth on their side.”--Believe it your biczarness! How could you possibly have "truth" on YOUR side when all you do is lie? If you have nothing to hide have an honest too goodness open discussion on the "facts" of the matter! YOU CAN'T!! Because YOU are a lying hypocritical fearmongering propagandist! End the war on Americans! Give peace a chance!
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Comment #2 posted by druid on October 11, 2002 at 09:18:46 PT:
National Marijuna Conference in 4 weeks
Dear Friend:How should children be treated in the war on drugs? That question is
the title of a three-way debate at the Marijuana Policy Project's
first-ever conference, to be held in Anaheim, California, on
November 8-10.Mike Males, Ph.D., of the National Youth Rights Association advocates
that minors not be punished for using marijuana; in fact, he
criticized MPP's Nevada initiative for maintaining penalties for
minors. Ginger Katz, who sits on the advisory board of Partnership for
a Drug-Free America, will represent the prohibitionist side of the
debate. In the middle will be Marsha Rosenbaum, Ph.D., a researcher-
activist who advocates harm reduction strategies for children who use
drugs.Our conference agenda now also includes panels on: * DEA's war on medical marijuana patients in California
 * law-enforcement officers speaking out for reform
 * dissecting government propaganda
 * millionaires and billionaires who are funding reform
 * music and the drug war
 * celebration of ballot initiative victory in Nevada?The opening reception for this conference -- which is being co-hosted
by Students for Sensible Drug Policy -- will take place on November 7.Please see http://www.mpp.org/conference for everything you need to
know, including: * Featured speakers include Dr. Joycelyn Elders, author Mike Gray,
  producer Aaron Russo, and singer/actress Michelle Phillips. * Conference registration is $175. Students with financial need can
  register for less. This price includes admission to three days of
  panels, lectures, and workshops, as well as two luncheons with
  featured speakers. * Our conference hotel -- the Hilton Anaheim -- has agreed to a
  $115/night special rate, which is available from November 5-13. * Southwest Airlines is offering a 10% discount on travel to our
  conference. * Because Monday, November 11, is a federal holiday, many of us will
  be using the day after the conference to visit Disneyland, which
  is one block from our conference hotel. If you order Disneyland
  tickets at our Web site when you register for the conference, you
  will get $9 off the regular admission price of $43. * Display tables are only $300, and this includes a free conference
  registration for one person.Please visit http://www.mpp.org/conference for details on all of the
above.We intentionally planned it so that the conference would be held right
after Election Day, in the hopes that the national news media would
attend. If the Nevada marijuana initiative passes on Election Day, you
can be sure that our conference will be mobbed with reporters and
activists alike.We are limiting conference registrations to 1,000 -- probably 300
students and 700 non-students. If you want to join us for what will be
a moment in history, please visit http://www.mpp.org/conference to
register today.I hope to see you there!Sincerely,Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.P.S.   Please forward this message to your family and friends,
     especially if they live in southern California.P.P.S.  To register by mail, specify how many registrations and how
     many Disneyland tickets you want to purchase, then mail a
     check to MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Washington, DC 20013.P.P.P.S. Whether or not you plan to attend the conference, you can be
     a part of MPP's struggle by donating to our Nevada campaign
     at http://www.NRLE.org .
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Comment #1 posted by Dankhank on October 11, 2002 at 08:32:15 PT:
rest of the story
“We saw the problem that marijuana was massively underestimated in the public mind and if we didn’t do anything it would grow,” he said. “I do not believe the truth can be silenced and I do not believe they have truth on their side.”He said a common lie is that marijuana is not addictive, when in fact it is. He said marijuana on the street these days has higher levels of THC, which make it both more addictive and more detrimental to health. Walters also dispelled critics’ claims that taxpayers spend money for prisoners incarcerated for marijuana possession. He said almost that all inmates serving time for marijuana-related convictions were drug traffickers. But Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, said the numbers presented by Walters were misleading. She cited a 2000 study by the Institute of Medicine commissioned by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which said underage smoking and alcohol drinking typically precede marijuana use, and that marijuana is rarely the gateway drug. Giunchigliani, who chairs the statewide steering committee for Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, said supporters of Question 9 never said marijuana was not addictive, just that it is the least addictive of current illicit drugs. “This does not advocate drug abuse, what is says is that we want to remove it from drug traffickers,” said Giunchigliani.
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