cannabisnews.com: McCaffrey: Pot is a Burning Issue McCaffrey: Pot is a Burning Issue Posted by FoM on October 23, 2000 at 23:02:46 PT By Pedro Ruz Gutierrez of The Sentinel Staff Source: Orlando Sentinel Advocates of medical marijuana are clever, White House drug-policy chief Barry McCaffrey told an Orlando audience Monday, but he predicted efforts to decriminalize hemp will fail nationally. "These people are very smart," McCaffrey said of groups that have campaigned successfully for legalized marijuana use in at least seven states. "The initiatives are very compelling. Some of it looks like I wrote it." Since 1996, voters in Alaska, Arizona, California, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have approved use of marijuana as medicine. Hawaii joined the list this summer with a similar bill signed into law by its governor.McCaffrey acknowledged that components of marijuana can provide relief to patients with pain, but said there is no evidence the drug cures anything or is a preferred method of treatment. He said the medical applications are a ruse used by pot advocates."We don`t want it legalized or grown in the woods," said McCaffrey, who opposes any effort -- including a push to allow industrial production of hemp -- that might weaken the federal law that prohibits marijuana. "It`s not going to happen, and the chances of getting that [federal law] repealed is zippo."McCaffrey spoke before the umbrella group Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities (TASC), which gave him a leadership award at Orlando`s Radisson Hotel.The group emphasizes alternatives to prison for drug problems. McCaffrey urged members to organize and seek funding at the state level. He also encouraged counselors to continue helping addicted offenders "break the cycle" of repeat drug use and crime."That`s a system we`re trying to build on," McCaffrey said.McCaffrey, a retired highly decorated four-star general, is leaving the drug post in January. Although early reviews of his tenure are mixed, his office cites a 26 percent decline in marijuana use among ages 12 to 17 since 1998 as proof that its anti-drug media campaigns have worked.The numbers are exactly the opposite for the 18 to 25 age group, which saw a 28 percent jump and poses a "worsening problem," he said.McCaffrey`s tough talk on marijuana has earned him harsh criticism from marijuana advocates.David Borden, executive director of the Drug Reform Coordination Network, published an editorial on the Internet last week accusing McCaffrey of fostering "a destructive drug policy that goes so far as to persecute medical marijuana patients . . . "Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)Author: Pedro Ruz Gutierrez of The Sentinel StaffPublished: October 24, 2000 Copyright: 2000 Orlando Sentinel Address: 633 N.Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801 Fax: (407) 420-5286Contact: insight orlandosentinel.com Website: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ Forum: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/interact/messageboards/ Related Article & Web Site:Drug Reform Coordination Networkhttp://www.drcnet.org/Saying Goodbye And Good Riddance To A Drug Czar http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7394.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by mungojelly on October 25, 2000 at 00:55:40 PT: i'd like to see a photo I'd like to see a photo of the coffee-maker at the ONDCP. I'm sure there is one. I guess the irony doesn't occur to them, though, eh? mungojelly [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by tIm on October 24, 2000 at 11:40:17 PT: DOES HE DRINK ALCOHOL iF HE DOES, THEN LETS THROW IT IN HIS FACE! [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 24, 2000 at 10:48:57 PT Zippo - NOT! We'll just see if our chances are Zippo! I think he's wrong! We are an industrious, intelligent, passionate bunch! You can't beat that! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by fivepounder on October 24, 2000 at 07:22:46 PT fool on the hill What a self serving ass. That's all the words this fool is worth! [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Dan B on October 24, 2000 at 06:28:23 PT: Even if Pot Use Were Down... ...teen prescription drug use is up more than 500%, according to the article linked at the bottom of these comments. Does this jerk really consider that to be a victory? Use of the relatively harmless marijuana is down, while far mor dangerous drug use (Xanax, Vicodin, Ritalin, etc.) is up more than five-fold. Too bad this guy is incapable of admitting that he has been an enormous failure in every respect.I'm glad he'll soon be gone.Dan B Teen Prescription Drug Use Article [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by bcg on October 24, 2000 at 05:55:58 PT: These people are very smart... These people are very smart...some ...look like I worte them.Well, sounds like someone has a very HIGH opinion of himself! LOL [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Frank on October 24, 2000 at 05:34:53 PT Drug Czar Falsehoods All the facts and figures put forth by this “Drug Czar” are manipulated and based in falsehood. It is estimated that there are 80,000,000 pot smokers in the United States. With this massive amount of people smoking pot you would think that there would be many more problems than there are. Most of the problems associated with marijuana stem from police departments – shooting people in the back or beating them severely with a truncheon for the possession of this harmless substance. The problems associated with marijuana are legal and political and nothing more. In regards to the “Drug Czar” No fool like an old fool. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Kanabys on October 24, 2000 at 05:22:51 PT Famous Last Words >>"It`s not going to happen, and the chances of getting that [federal law] repealed is zippo."Too bad the idiot won't be there in office to see it freed!!Oh, but he'll see it and I'll be laughing....... [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by mungojelly on October 24, 2000 at 02:11:11 PT: did he really use the word "zippo?" I don't think that Prop 215 "looks like [McCaffrey] wrote it." That's quite a strange statement for him to make, in fact. If only we did have a Drug Czar who would write such a thing! mungojelly [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: