cannabisnews.com: Drug Czar Delivers Anti-Pot Speech





Drug Czar Delivers Anti-Pot Speech
Posted by CN Staff on October 12, 2002 at 08:03:49 PT
By Chris McGann
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer 
U.S. drug czar John Walters practically walked into the lion's den yesterday as he warned of the perils of marijuana in the Seattle area.Washington already has a voter-approved state statute that allows medicinal use of marijuana for a short list of chronic diseases. Seattle is just a three-hour drive from the Canadian province that not only has extremely lax enforcement for crimes involving marijuana but also produces tons of the most potent varieties in the world.
And a proposal before Seattle voters next year known as Initiative 75 would make the investigation, arrest and prosecution of adults for marijuana possession Seattle's lowest law enforcement priority.But Walters drummed a steady beat in an appearance in Bellevue before a sympathetic audience against going easy on pot. It is not benign, he said."For those people who are being told that marijuana is a soft drug -- they are living in a world of falsehoods," said Walters, who oversees the Bush administration's $19 billion anti-drug programs as director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. However, the sponsor of Initiative 75, Dominic Holden, said there is no reason to panic about marijuana. Legalizing the drug, he said, would prove more effective at protecting children than continuing to outlaw it.Walters spoke in Bellevue yesterday to a group for whom the pain of addiction needed no explanation -- about 400 recovering drug addicts and alcoholics in town for a national convention. "We're tired of picking up the pieces of people whose lives should never have been shattered in the first place," Walters said.He said he didn't come to the Northwest because of Initiative 75 but because he had promised to speak at the convention months ago. However, he said he felt that it and other marijuana initiatives in Arizona and Nevada, which he's visited on his trip West, undermine the administration's efforts to identify and reduce the threat posed by drugs to the American people, especially children.Holden, chairman of the board for Sensible Seattle Coalition, which is sponsoring I-75, said Walters' visit is part of a well-funded national campaign and in line with the drug war. Snipped:  Complete Article: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/90916_drugczar12.shtmlSource: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)Author: Chris McGann, Seattle Post-Intelligencer ReporterPublished: Saturday, October 12, 2002Copyright: 2002 Seattle Post-IntelligencerContact: editpage seattle-pi.comWebsite: http://www.seattle-pi.com/Related Articles:Naivete Aids Backers of NV Marijuana Initiativehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14433.shtmlMarijuana Initiative Qualifies for Arizona Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13727.shtml I-75 is Not a Superfluous Haze http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13708.shtmlMarijuana Measure May Be Superfluous http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13546.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by Sandino on October 12, 2002 at 23:05:43 PT:
A Letter From Todd
I recieved a letter awhile back form Todd McCormick Dated 9/26/02 and will share it with you all at this time:Hey Homes, Sorry I don't write more, I've been distracted in fighting for my release. Still don't know when I'll be out of here! It's getting annoying.Still no word on my appeal. They have no time limit to answer. Some crual joke.My dog died of cancer I just learned, that bummed me out a lot. His name was Indica, he was a Rott we got from the pound back in 95. Such a beautiful soul.I'm still working on "AHEMP" Did I send you an operating analysis? If not tell me so and I'ii send out my 1st rough draft.What part of the movement interests you the most?Peace, Hope & Happiness! ToddIf any of you would like to drop Todd a line and some good vibes, his address is:Todd Patrick McCormick
P.O.W. 11071-112
fci
P.O. Box 3007
Terminal Is., CA 90731 
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Comment #9 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on October 12, 2002 at 14:53:58 PT
LTE
Sirs,  When John Walters says, ""We're tired of picking up the pieces of people whose lives should never have been shattered in the first place," is he referring to people like Clayton Helriggle, who was gunned down by police during a raid over a misdemeanor's worth of marijuana? Does he mean someone like Todd McCormick, who is serving a lengthy sentence in federal prison because the federal court refused to hear his defense of medical necessity? Is he referring to patients at the WAMM hospice center, and other medical patients around California, who have to buy their medicine from criminals because John Walters doesn't believe it works?  No wonder John Walters walked into a lion's den when he came to Seattle. He is the thorn in the lion's side. And, to rub salt in the wound, the lion pays his salary and travel expenses.
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Comment #8 posted by karkulus on October 12, 2002 at 14:22:35 PT
CHRIST is his SATAN..
And SATAN is his CHRIST..And that's why his FACTS,are so SLICED AND DICED!
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Comment #7 posted by Renerk on October 12, 2002 at 12:12:43 PT
I'm Sure
That the vast majority of peoples lives that are shattered are shattered because of the Drug War not the marijuana itself.
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Comment #6 posted by The GCW on October 12, 2002 at 10:47:24 PT
His quotes, not mine.
"For those people who are being told that marijuana is a soft drug -- they are living in a world of falsehoods," said Walters, What would distinguish it as hard versus soft drug? Is cannabis addictive? According to Addictive Qualities of Popular Drugs at: http://www.drugwarfacts.org/addictiv.htm, caffeine is twice as addictive as cannabis. The addiction rates of nicotine which is legal, is higher than heroin. Can someone overdose and die using cannabis? No, it hasn’t happened in over 5,000 years of documented use. Does cannabis impair users any more than any alcohol product? No, in fact alcohol use overwhelms most of the effects of cannabis and nicotine offers almost as much Intoxication. (see web chart) Does cannabis induce harmful behavior? No, in fact initial prohibitionist rhetoric, police and all studies indicate cannabis users are peaceful citizens.
 
Walters isthe one “living in a world of falsehoods”, and is also connected to SWAT teams, that use those hoods to cover their faces, when they break into homes with assault weapons drawn, killing even innocent citizens at the wrong addresses in as little as 11 seconds, over a plant. 
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Comment #5 posted by canaman on October 12, 2002 at 10:25:45 PT
Biggest liar in U.S. talks about "honesty"
>"We can't face the drug problem without dealing with marijuana," Walters said. "Americans must begin to confront drug use -- and therefore drug users -- honestly and directly."Walters in the morning is not good for digestion...excuse me I need to run to the toilet!
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Comment #4 posted by Number 7 on October 12, 2002 at 10:17:59 PT
woof, woof
Ah yes, the PI. The kinder, gentler lap dog to the Seattle Times. To have a chance to vote yes on this makes me almost regretful to have moved away from Seattle. Almost...
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Comment #3 posted by Had Enough on October 12, 2002 at 10:08:58 PT
Statements
As stated in this article.“He said he didn't come to the Northwest because of Initiative 75 but because he had promised to speak at the convention months ago.”This statement below appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal September 18, 2002At a news conference, Walters said he spoke in Las Vegas this summer against marijuana, "and I'm going back again." "I am going into every state that has a ballot initiative and working with people in community coalitions," Walters said.Click link below to see for yourself
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2002/Sep-18-Wed-2002/news/19658143.htmlVOTE VOTE VOTEDo not forget our friends at http://www.nrle.org They need money, a lot of it and now. Send them anything. Every bit helps. 
Nevada is taking a big step for man and a huge gigantic leap for mankind.
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Comment #2 posted by observer on October 12, 2002 at 09:50:02 PT
Walters and The Big Lie
' ' He also takes issue with the contention circulated widely among those who advocate legalizing marijuana, that jails are overflowing with low-level, non- violent offenders who use marijuana. That is a lie, he said. Most of those in jail for possession of marijuana plead down to avoid stiffer sentences for harsher crimes, he said.' 'Walters is the liar here. The laws are on the books. They are enforced. If they are not being enforced, as Walters disingenuously claims, then what's the problem with codifying this into law? Walters is lying. Arrests are being made every day for simple possession. People go to jail for this. Walters can't have it both ways. His own figures show he's the liar:http://www.drugwarfacts.org/marijuan.htm646,042 arrests for simple possesion in 2000 alone.(Good to see this sucker driven out from under the bushes and forced to deal with the issue of jail, even though he can hardly get through five words without whoppers a-plenty. Keep talkin' Walters. You are our best man!)
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Comment #1 posted by BGreen on October 12, 2002 at 08:17:16 PT
The Rest Of The Story
He said that "continuing to give distorted facts about marijuana and making large arrests don't address the problems associated with drug abuse.""One of the battle cries for this anti-marijuana campaign is 'what about the children,' " Holden said. But he and others in the national movement to decriminalize marijuana say that a much more effective way to keep the drug away from children would be to regulate it much like alcohol."And it would generate enormous local tax revenue," he said.Holden said Walters won't have much effect on Seattleites, who turn out 100,000 at a time for Seattle's annual celebration of marijuana, "Hempfest.""Adults that smoke marijuana are not criminals, and it's a waste of time and law-enforcement resources," he said.Walters maintained that marijuana is the single biggest source of addiction this country faces. Of 6 million people who could benefit from treatment, 62 percent are dependent on marijuana, Walters said.He also takes issue with the contention circulated widely among those who advocate legalizing marijuana, that jails are overflowing with low-level, non- violent offenders who use marijuana.That is a lie, he said. Most of those in jail for possession of marijuana plead down to avoid stiffer sentences for harsher crimes, he said."We can't face the drug problem without dealing with marijuana," Walters said. "Americans must begin to confront drug use -- and therefore drug users -- honestly and directly.""There's no question of the flow of high-potency marijuana from B.C. is a threat. We are working with authorities up there," he said. " I've asked them to consider learning the lesson we've paid such a high price to learn . . . More drug use is bad for every family, every city, every country."
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