cannabisnews.com: Drug Czar Critical of Marijuana Initiative Drug Czar Critical of Marijuana Initiative Posted by CN Staff on March 12, 2004 at 08:26:50 PT By Juliet V. Casey, Review-Journal Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal The nation's drug czar described as foolhardy Thursday the latest Nevada initiative to legalize marijuana. John Walters, in Las Vegas to push for a crackdown on the abuse of prescriptions drugs, said legalizing marijuana is "not an area for legitimate debate." Walters, who oversees all federal anti-drug programs and spending, said studies have shown that 60 percent of the 7 million Americans who need treatment for addiction are dependent on marijuana. Walters also said people are killing each other by driving under the influence of the drug, which is smoked or chewed for its euphoric effect. "Legalizing any marijuana possession for consumption is fundamentally detrimental," he said. The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana, established in Nevada this year by the national Marijuana Policy Project, will try to make Nevada the first state in the nation to legalize possession of marijuana. Bruce Mirken, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, contended people seeking treatment for marijuana addiction were forced into it. "They were arrested for possession and offered treatment or jail," he said. "It's Orwellian to the point of being creepy, and it's misleading to the public." The 2002 campaign, called Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, qualified a petition with 110,000 signatures seeking to legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana. But a coalition of law enforcement and citizens groups blocked its passage, with 61 percent of voters opposing the measure and only 39 percent supporting it. The new proposal calls for legalizing possession of 1 ounce of marijuana and would increase penalties for vehicular manslaughter and delivery of marijuana to a minor. The initiative would impose penalties of up to 10 years in prison for first-time offenders and life in prison for second-time offenders convicted of delivering marijuana to a minor. It also would impose a minimum penalty of five years to life in prison for anyone convicted of vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance. But even with the increased penalties, Clark County Sheriff Bill Young would oppose the measure. "Sixty to 70 percent of the crimes committed in the county emanates from drug use or abuse," he said. If the initiative qualifies for the November ballot and passes, it would have to pass again in 2006 to become part of the constitution. Jennifer Knight, a spokeswoman for the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana, said the country's drug czar is defending a system that is keeping marijuana use high among teens. "Walters represents what is wrong with our current system," she said. "He keeps supporting current marijuana laws that don't work. Now, he is coming here to Nevada to tell us how to vote on a state initiative while ignoring his own report that shows that 67 percent of teens in Nevada have tried marijuana. Where is his solution?" Walters, during his speech to a small gathering at the WestCare Nevada Center for Women and Children, a nonprofit treatment facility for substance abusers, said his administration is working closely with the Drug Enforcement Agency to eradicate domestic production of marijuana, much of which is grown on public land. He said he also is working with Mexico to stem the flow of opium, poppies and marijuana into the country, and with Canada, where more potent marijuana is being grown. But Candice Kidd, director of the WestCare women's campus, said a greater problem in Nevada is methamphetamine, a stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite. "Methamphetamine seems the be the drug of choice for a lot of women," she said, adding 90 percent of the women in her programs are addicted to the drug. Walters said his administration is teaming up with law enforcement organizations to target methamphetamine mass producers, which often are run by organized crime, motorcycle gangs and operations in Mexico. "We're not so much going after people who just cook it for themselves," he said. Walters said his war on drugs is about public health and safety and is balancing measures to eradicate drugs with treatment for people addicted to them. Tamara Brymer, a 26-year-old recovering methamphetamine addict at WestCare who heard Walters speak, said she was pleased to hear he is focusing on treatment. As a teen she experimented with marijuana before discovering her drug of choice. "I believe drug pushers would think it's a free-for-all if they legalize marijuana," Brymer said. "It's the drug teens focus on, and it's the drug that leads to meth." Knight said the 2004 Marijuana Initiative will reduce teen use by taking marijuana off the streets and regulating it. The initiative also would tax the sale of marijuana, dedicating revenue to drug and alcohol treatment and education.Note: John Walters calls measure foolhardy.Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)Author: Juliet V. Casey, Review-JournalPublished: Friday, March 12, 2004Copyright: 2004 Las Vegas Review-JournalContact: letters lvrj.comWebsite: http://www.lvrj.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:MPPhttp://www.mpp.org/Regulate Marijuanahttp://www.regulatemarijuana.org/High Times - Las Vegas Review-Journalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18387.shtmlPot for Fun Should Not Be Legalizedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18372.shtmlMarijuana Legalization Isn't The Answerhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18369.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #26 posted by jose melendez on March 14, 2004 at 03:45:43 PT question goes unasked Mr. Walters, it's been reported that John Ashcroft is using pain killers to ameliorate symptoms from his gallstone pancreatitis. Do you think he'd feel better on crack, or after a hit of heroin? [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on March 13, 2004 at 05:16:48 PT LTE Sirs, So John Walters is back in town, campaigning against another initiative to legalize adult consumption of marijuana. It must be tough to campaign for a drug war alternative. The reform campaigns are entirely supported by individual donations, while John Walters has access to taxpayer money. And while the reform arguments must have some basis in truth, the General Accounting Office has recently said that it is OK for ONDCP employees to lie in such cases. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) recently wrote the GAO to ask about some public statements made by an ONDCP official regarding marijuana which he felt to be untruthful. He asked if the government should require its employees to tell the truth. In a reply dated March 10th, the GAO declared that the "ONDCP is specifically charged with the responsibility for `taking such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use' of certain controlled substances such as marijuana. Given this role, we do not see a need to examine the accuracy of the Deputy Director's individual statements in detail." The drug warriors have always used lies, but now they can feel free to lie with the federal government's blessing, at taxpayer expense. We have been lied to, in order to perpetuate a war against American citizens. I applaud Nevada's efforts to extract itself from this vicious cycle. I urge everybody, when you hear a drug warrior speaking out against drug-law reform, to remember the words of Timothy Leary: "Think for yourself, and question authority." [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by kaptinemo on March 13, 2004 at 05:08:47 PT: Walters has opened himself up to charges of easily proved hypocrisy, now.Recall, friends, that it was *Johnny Pee* who said that the issue needed to be debated. But when Mr. Mirkin offered to accept his generous invitation, all that was heard was...*silence*. Perhaps, a Fifth Amendment move...as in for fear of incriminating himself? Which he is bound to do eventually the moment medical research is discussed?But one thing ought to rankle, not just citizens of the State of Nevada, but everyone who hears a public servant speak like this:*"I don't believe the people in this state will be fooled a second time," Walters said. "They weren't fooled the first time."* The implication is obvious: he thinks the Nevadans who voted in favor of it to be fools...a sizable proportion of them Republicans. Johnny Pee just spat in the faces of all those hard-corps Republicans who really do believe in 'State's Rights', fiscal responsibility (how much did his *last* dog-and-pony show cost the taxpayers?) conserving personal freedoms, etc. and believed they were responsibly exercising their sovereign franchise as voters.Johnny Pee just called them imbeciles. He's just alienated a large number of voters. In an election year. Amongst his own Party. In an area that traditionally has mistrusted Federal stewardship of the local lands, and with plenty of good reason. If they are following this matter as I believe they are, I imagine a great many people's faces went from indulgent "Here we go again." smiles to frowns to snarls.No one likes to be called a 'fool' for exercisng their right to vote when so many will not, Johnny Pee. What's the matter? Got something against DEMOCRACY, Johnny-me-lad? [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by psthbng on March 12, 2004 at 23:37:40 PT: Marijuana/Nevada Drugs should not be given or sold to a minor, is true but ten years for a first offence and life for the second?!! Besides, everyone knows that marijuana isn't a drug, it's a plant. We can't leave Bush as, nor allow Kerry the presidency. An Independent, whether Nader, Green Party or Libertarian would have to get 10 percent (I believe) of the primary vote to be allowed to participate in the presidential debates. This, my friends, scares the hell out of the major parties. Someone, generally of our ilk, to bring up subjects in the debates that the majors have already agreed not to talk about ie: medical marijuana, the porosity of our borders(Mexico),NAFTA,WTO, the red chinese running the panama canal. I could go on ad naseum. [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by E_Johnson on March 12, 2004 at 21:51:49 PT Hasn't kicked in for me either Right now I'm still at the level of diet cola.Oh well. [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by Universer on March 12, 2004 at 16:35:39 PT I wonder when... ...the whole meth-thing kicks in.I have been using cannabis for the last five of my 26 years. And, I am told by "Tamara Brymer, a 26-year-old recovering methamphetamine addict at WestCare who heard Walters speak," that marijuana is "the drug that leads to meth."I wonder when that kicks in. [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by E_Johnson on March 12, 2004 at 14:43:54 PT Bin Laden is rattling me today Why on Earth don't they call off the war on us and do something about that man? [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by FoM on March 12, 2004 at 13:08:51 PT I'm Grumbly Today I'm not in a good mood and I thought I should say why. Yesterday we went to see Neil Young perform Greendale one more time in Cleveland. The place was packed and his music cuts to the bone. He must be super rich because we saw the fleet of coaches and they were beautiful. On the tops of the one coach he has two old 40 or 50 car tops imbedded in the coach. What an awesome thing it was to see. As he left the stage he pointed to us and said Be The Rain! If you know anything about Greendale Be The Rain is about saving Alaska from the oil companies. He will be 60 years old next year and he brought the house down. During the finale his severly handicapped son was brought out in a wheelchair and put in the line with the dancers. On one side of his wheelchair was a Canadian flag and the other side an American flag. This is the culture that I love. Pot smoking, loving their family and still being successful financially. It's time to stop this madness and recognize that we are good people and let us be! There I feel better. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by goneposthole on March 12, 2004 at 12:27:41 PT not legitimate And they make it that way. Therefore, it is an area of illegitimate debate.. They make it that way. Which also makes them illegitimate. If they refuse to legitimize the debate, they are then culpable, also. Where are the areas of legitimate debate? Not in the US of A. Land of the slaves, home of the cowards too scared to debate for fear of losing the argument. Another day in the Homeland.May the bird of paradise fly up your nose. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by observer on March 12, 2004 at 11:44:09 PT pot not an area for legitimate debate John Walters: legalizing marijuana is "not an area for legitimate debate." I think this sums it up rather clearly. That's what Walters and prohibitionists think of reason and debate. That's all well and good -- unless the debate doesn't go the way of the vested interest of government. Then we won't allow debate. That's what these totalitarians think of your rights. When it comes to what they call "drugs", you have no rights. So just shut up. That's what Walters and his ilk want. They want you to shut up and go away. They know all, you know nothing. Whatever they say is law; agree or die. Yeah, just shut up: legalizing marijuana is "not an area for legitimate debate." So much for freedom of speech, eh?Land of the "free"? (chuckle) What flaming liars. http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pot [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by FoM on March 12, 2004 at 11:16:33 PT sukoi That's great news! I hope many people jump in and talk about our issue. Lord knows we need help to bring change. The drug war is accelerating as far as hard drugs is concerned it seems. I'm speaking about hard drugs legal and illegal. We will be lost in the drug war again if we don't stand for reforming laws about Cannabis. I have been doing news long enough to know I'm right on this last comment. I don't want us to fail. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by mamawillie on March 12, 2004 at 11:14:40 PT Vague language.. Cloud7, I see what it says... UP TO 10 years for first offense and (up to) life in prison for second offense. Is that how we're supposed to read it? First offense: 1-10 years in jailSecond offense: 1 year- life in prisonO.K. I get it now. I thought everyone must have had a screw loose.Mama [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by sukoi on March 12, 2004 at 11:10:20 PT Off Topic But I thought that some of you might like to know that a bunch of people from marijuana.com have started posting in the new MJ thread at the Kerry forum. It was started early this morning and is already on page 5 with over 60 posts and over 600 views. There was talk from the moderator that if the subject makes it to 100 pages, then it may be opened on the main issues page. Currently with all three threads combined, we are at 93 pages. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by FoM on March 12, 2004 at 10:38:33 PT mamawillie That is a very definite problem. Kids should NOT do drugs but being young is the time when experimenting happens. Most of the things that young people do they will grow out of but what if they get caught? What a life wrecker that would be! [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by cloud7 on March 12, 2004 at 10:35:48 PT It's NOT mandatory (d) Establish a penalty of one to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 for a person who has attained the age of 18 years who does not own or work at an establishment that is licensed to sell marijuana who is convicted of a first offense of distributing or selling marijuana to a minor, and a maximum penalty of life in prison for a second or subsequent offense of distributing or selling marijuana to a minor.Text of the initiative: http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/04init/index.php?ref=498 [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by OverwhelmSam on March 12, 2004 at 10:35:26 PT: It's Obvious To Me That in ONDCPs zeal to enforce maniacal laws against marijuana, millions of people are turning to dangerous prescription drugs, and illegal drugs that are easier to transport and conceal like meth and crack.If they had any sense and truly cared about the people, they would move immediately to legalize marijuana use for adults in the name of health and safety. But we all know, they just don't care. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by mamawillie on March 12, 2004 at 10:29:58 PT Mandatory sentencing... For some reason, I didn't see the mandatory sentencing before; I didn't catch that till this article. I don't like the idea of life in prison *as a mandate*. I believe all cases should be heard individually, and that's why we have judges. Life in prison? I mean no one wants dealers to sell to minors.. but, again, Jimmy Carter had it right when he said (paraphrasing)... the punishment should be no more harmful to the individual then the use of the drug itself. I'm extraoplating, of course, because he was speaking of drug use as a personal choice.Even used as a minor, life in prison is not the answer. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on March 12, 2004 at 10:05:21 PT About The Nevada Initiative I don't understand it so I can't say I am for it. Who are the ones that will supply the cannabis to sell in certain stores? Who decides that? What about people who don't want to or can't afford to buy inflated priced cannabis? [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on March 12, 2004 at 09:54:31 PT Related Article from The Associated Press Drug Czar Speaks in Las Vegas About Prescription Drug Abuse Thursday, March 11, 2004 White House drug czar John Walters said Thursday that creating an electronic database that doctors and pharmacies can access would help ensure people are not abusing prescription drugs. Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said prescription drug abuse could be curtailed without hurting the people who need the medication. "You reduce demand. You treat those who are dependent and you reduce supply," Wallets told a crowd of several dozen people during a news conference at WestCare Women and Children's Campus, a Las Vegas treatment facility. Walters was in Nevada to tout the Bush administration's new strategy of cracking down and reducing prescription drug abuse through a variety of initiatives. Those include closing illegitimate online pharmacies, working with the Food and Drug Administration to create better medication labels for doctors and patients and furthering education on drug abuse. Walters said prescription drug abuse has spiked in Nevada and across the country. "The problem here, as in other cities, has grown dramatically," he said. The Nevada Board of Pharmacy said in 2002 there were more prescriptions for controlled substances in the state than residents. And narcotic pain killers were mentioned in 153 deaths in Las Vegas in 2001, up from 63 in 1997. Keith W. Macdonald, the pharmacy board's executive secretary, said educating people and helping those with addictions will ease the problem. He said throwing people behind bars is not a solution. "It would double the prison population," he said. "We don't think that is good public policy." Walters also said he didn't support legalizing marijuana in Nevada. The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana, formed in Nevada this year by the national Marijuana Policy Project, wants to make Nevada the first state in the nation to legalize possession of marijuana. In 2002, a similar initiative was rejected by the voters. "I don't believe the people in this state will be fooled a second time," Walters said. "They weren't fooled the first time." Walters also said that "we expect professional sports to clean their act up" in the wake of a steroid scandal that has hit professional sports, including baseball. "We love sports for young people because it teaches them to be healthy," he said. "Steroids teach them to cheat and hurt themselves." Copyright: 2004 Associated Press [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by duzt on March 12, 2004 at 09:26:19 PT nevada I live in Nevada and don't think it has much of a chance. The ballot initiative in Alaska has a much better chance of passing this time around. People in Alaska tend to be more libertarian minded, Nevada (except for Reno for some reason lately) is much more conserative. Alaskas initiative is also written much better as well as it creates a legitimate regulated market which Nevada's initiative won't come close to. Alaska already allows more than the Nevada initiative would allow and it has to be voted on again in 2 years if it does pass so it wouldn't go into affect until 2006 if it passes twice. Alaska will be farming cannabis by then. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by jared3602 on March 12, 2004 at 09:22:24 PT: Learn from the Past If you study all of the facts about alcohol prohibition you will find that MORE people started drinking after prohibition started. This is one of the main reasons why prohibition got repealed. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by dongenero on March 12, 2004 at 09:05:05 PT learn from the past It seems they are always shooting themselves in the foot on these initiatives. The punitive mandatory sentences are just bad. Just regulate it like alcohol! By the way, once this is done, the value goes down and it becomes useless to organized crime. The lessons of alcohol prohibition are there for everyone to see. Just treat cannabis the same way. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by SystemGoneDown on March 12, 2004 at 09:03:18 PT Is this big news? Any predictions on when Nevada will ultimately legalize it? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by cloud7 on March 12, 2004 at 08:56:54 PT CHEWING their kind cud That's hilarious! I was going to say something about this, but I couldnt have done any better! They're so out of touch and it's becoming clear who is winning.This article was very balanced I thought, but only one side looked reasonable (hint..not the side talking about dipping weed). Time to vote the feds out of the states and I think there is a good shot here. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Necriol on March 12, 2004 at 08:48:36 PT: I wouldn't vote for it. If you put a ballot with that initiative on it in front of me, I would vote no in a heartbeat. 10 years for delivery to a minor on your first offense? Life in prison for your second offense? Aren't these the punishments that we've railed against in the past? There's no way anyone should be going to jail simply for delivering some weed to a juvenile. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by aocp on March 12, 2004 at 08:47:49 PT oh, where to begin... Walters also said people are killing each other by driving under the influence of the drug, which is smoked or chewed for its euphoric effect. "People", huh? Don't believe for a second the ondcp wouldn't be all over the actual statistics if this were anything CLOSE to a problem. Instead, they have that one poor kid who was killed by a BAD DRIVER. A bit misleading, but i'm sure the driver was CHEWING their kind cud in order to gain euphoria. What rot.But even with the increased penalties, Clark County Sheriff Bill Young would oppose the measure. "Sixty to 70 percent of the crimes committed in the county emanates from drug use or abuse," he said. I have every reason to doubt your numbers from the outset, narc, but as any moron can tell you, "drug use" is not "cannabis use." However, i'm sure that comes as no shock since your little statement wouldn't have quite the impact if you actually compared apples to apples instead of apples to cement trucks.As a teen she experimented with marijuana before discovering her drug of choice. "I believe drug pushers would think it's a free-for-all if they legalize marijuana," Brymer said. "It's the drug teens focus on, and it's the drug that leads to meth."Legal cannabis will NOT change the laws regarding possession, distribution, and use of any other illicit substance, no matter what the "drug pushers" think. Next time, get a recovering cannabis "addict" to try and push your agenda, narc. A crankhead isn't exactly the same thing and i think you know it. And finally, always remember ...John Walters, in Las Vegas to push for a crackdown on the abuse of prescriptions drugs, said legalizing marijuana is "not an area for legitimate debate."If it's not a legitimate debate, why are you offering up your opinion? Unless you think the people of NV are too STOOPID to make up their own minds? What do you Nevadans out there think? Send this freedom-hating f*** back up the river and get rid of his boss and the whole creepy crew this November. aocp out. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment