Drug Czar Gets Humiliated in Rolling Stone Interview

Rolling Stone's June issue takes an in-depth look at the evolving political climate surrounding drug policy (a portion is available online), including a deliciously embarrassing visit with drug czar Gil Kerlikowske. Remember Kerlikowske's recent statement about not calling it a "war on drugs" anymore? Well, guess what he's got in his office:

...despite this sudden outbreak of sanity, rumors of the drug war's death are greatly exaggerated. Visitors to the drug czar's office in Washington — formally known as the Office of National Drug Control Policy — are greeted by the visage of Uncle Sam on a poster declaring, WE ARE AT WAR. ARE YOU DOING ALL YOU CAN?

You really couldn't ask for a better exhibit in the total incoherence and rank dishonesty of the drug czar's claim that our drug policy isn't a war. I don't blame him for trying and it's certainly encouraging that we've reached a point at which the drug war is so controversial that they're trying to change its name. But how could they possibly forget to take down the damn sign? I mean, really, did they forget that Rolling Stone was stopping by?

The story goes on to brilliantly juxtapose Kerlikowske's law-enforcement credentials against his comical inability to answer basic questions about the issues he works on:

Yet when faced with questions about national drug policy, he can turn as evasive as Sarah Palin without a teleprompter. Does the tripling of marijuana arrests since 1990 represent good policy? He'd like to look at the issue more closely. Would the feds respect the laws of states that vote to legalize marijuana consumption for adults? A great question, he says — but one he won't venture to answer. Does the U.S. experience with Plan Columbia provide a template for dealing with the violent cartels in Mexico? He just doesn't know. "After three weeks, I'm still finding my way around the office," he says with a laugh.

The whole thing is a brutal embarrassment and a vivid illustration of the appalling intellectual bankruptcy that characterizes the government's position on drug policy in general. These are extremely basic policy questions, but they have serious implications. If you can't even begin to make informative statements about federal policy, then what right do you have to dismiss calls for reform? Is there even a shred of legitimacy to Kerlikowke's opposition to legalization if he can't even tell us what the current policy is supposed to be?

We spend billions of dollars and imprison millions of people in honor of this great anti-drug crusade and the people running the whole thing in Washington can't even figure out what to call it, let alone give us a straight answer about why any of this is in the best interest of the nation. In fairness, Kerlikowske's reluctance to defend or even discuss drug policy is a product of the reform movement's success at politicizing the issue and his silence likely owes more to caution than bald ignorance. Still, one is generally considered to have won the debate when their opponent refuses to speak.

At this point, I'd only be mildly surprised to see these guys just clam up entirely and announce that our drug policy can't be publicly discussed for national security reasons.


News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Stop the Drug War
Author: Scott Morgan
Contact: Stop the Drug War
Copyright: 2009 StoptheDrugWar.org
Website: Drug Czar Gets Humiliated in Rolling Stone Interview
 
Good article. IMO this indicates even more that BHO is just another Carter, Bush senior, Clinton & baby Bush knock off. Mr. O continues all the important policies of his predecessors that are against freedom & liberty. BO has done NOTHING to shrink the size & power of the fed gov & has OUTSPENT ever Prez in history in their 1st 120 days. BO could pardon all the non violent drug 'offenders', stop arresting & incarcerating them & save a lot of $$. He would also gain a huge upsurge of support, support that is beginning to wane after his BS bailouts. He has taken over the $$ institutions & the auto industry. That is not good. This nationalization smacks of Hitlerian goals of state control of EVERYTHING. Check out how far cap & trade goes...you won't be happy about the feds taking over your home town.

Even AFTER BHO said the raids in Cally would stop they continued. I guess BO forgot to tell the DEA & state LEOs to back off. I doubt that BO will do much to help end the travesty the war on drugs has become. Sure hope I'm wrong

BHO is a liar. So far he has not changed anything much that Bush had done regarding the big picture. Well, that is not entirely true. BHO has ratcheted up the speed at which the USA is being given over to the New World Order Bush sr. was so giddy about. Obama is Bush on steroids.

The fed gov has absolutely NO Constitutional authority to take over any business of any kind. That BHO has roughly tripled the national debt is not a good sign or an indication that he is different from the big spenders in DC that have plagued the US for many decades.

BO has not called for closure of the privately owned 'Fed" or getting rid of the IRS Gestapo. If we do not get rid of the 'Fed' US $$ problems will only get worse. I think that we will be put in so much debt the only recourse will be foreclosure by those to whom US debt has been sold. This should run a chill down all our backs.

mM

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i read that RS article.

it reinforced my opinion of USA drug policy. FAILURE.

i wondered why he scheduled this interview at all. He wasn't prepared, he wasn't articulate, and he came off as uninformed.

i wish RS asked him about HEMP, so he could come off MORE stupid.

BUT>>>

he did NOT spew out the Prohibition Company Lines we are used to hearing from these sorts.

You know, the gateway, not enough studys, etcetc krap.

There are thousands of drugs beings used in society.
About TEN of them cause all this controversy, misery, and expense.

I understand that many folks cannot get their head around legalizing and controlling ALL drugs (heroin maintainence,etc)...

but to lump cannabis into the lot with meth, coke, and heroin displays ignorance, stupidity, and/or corruption.

And to confuse HEMP with it's kissin' cousin is worse!!

It has come to the point where prohibitionists are running out of sound bites.
Yesterday an Illinois politician suggested 25 years prison for growing high% THC cannabis.

The more these ridiculous arguments are made, the more the truth gets out.

For instance..
The stronger the cannabis, the less needed.
TITRATION, in chemisrty, physiology, and immunology, is the process of finding out how much of a certain substance is needed for desired reaction. It is impossible to overdose on cannabis. Aspirin is more dangerous.

Now i CAN see the argument in too high of THC IF the government were to legalize and control distribution so as to increase the tax revenues from more sales.
 
the same way 'war' became associated with Cannabis

" Political language - and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists - is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. " - Orwell
 
Joe Biden was the one who coined the Drug Czar name.
 
Good posts. Great points.

I take issue with two statements. :ganjamon:

"There are thousands of drugs beings used in society.
About TEN of them cause all this controversy, misery, and expense."

Not picking a fight. :grinjoint: But perhaps you should have said "10 illegal drugs...". The kids that did the school shootings around the country are an example. Many of them were on or had been on legal drugs like Ritalin. I have yet to see any of the school shooters connected to MJ.

You can search google for drugs used by school shooters.

I would guess that most folks here already know that Rx drugs are the real killers. The number deaths caused by big synthetic pharma drugs has far out done all the illegal drugs put together. It's even worse for Rx pushers when world wide stats on deaths caused by Rx drugs are thrown in. These dudes kill a LOT of people. No MSM out cry. It's really rather stupid for these killers to walk while they try to tell every one how dangerous MJ is.

"I'm still trying to figure out how the noun Czar,
ever came to be so widely used or even associated with Our Democratic government! "

The USA has never been a democracy. We are a Republic, a Constitutional one. Calling the US a democracy has become the norm in MSM. But it is not true. A bit of research will clear this up. Also there is a difference between the two.

Obama's czars are illegal. He is circumventing the Constitution in an attempt to grab more power for himself. On that one you were right on.

mM

PS: If the link on Rx drugs does not work, go to NewsWithViews & find the search box at the bottom of the home page. Enter "drugs used by school shooters".

Also at NWVs you can enter "USA a democracy or republic".
 
After reading this awesome article I am profoundly aware of the negligence of the DOJ and the drug "czar".. and the overhwhelming presence of lobbyist influence over past and present czars. The article reveals the most obvious, deep pockets from the lobbyist have been buying their way , not only timber, cotton, oil, and tobacco but the prison industry has it's evil grasps on the czars decision making powers. THis guy can't think for himself and so the lobbyist think for him by bribing him and keeping cannabis/ hemp oppressed. Which actually must be a new thing for the new "czar". and he loves it. By keeping drugs illegal he has a J* O * B *. My recent federal tax payment just funded his twisted position. Unwillingly of course.

my 2cents worth of conspiracy theory.

I wish with every cell of my body HEMP was legal.
 
Thank you Sonic420. Obama's campaign staff is right on.

mM
 
So the timber, cotton, oil, tobbaco, L.E.O, & prison, drug & cancer industries all have vested interests in prohibition. I'd bet I'm missing somethings, but this looks like a stacked deck. That's a lot of ricebowls. What could the new world order look like, with hemp and THC varieties fully utilized? Can the baby steps we are taking ever get there? Most people don't yet believe that THC extract cures cancer! HEMP OIL CURES CANCER!
We must be informed. We must speak. We must vote.
PG
 
You ever try to talk to normal people about pot? Their eyes glaze over, their brains freeze up and they become automatrons or borge spouting the latest government or cop propaganda.
They don't read or inform themselves in any way and spout hearsay and lies as if they were written in stone.
They never want to look at the true studies with documentation and ethics.
And when you ask for their documentation on their position it never seems to be written down.
It seems to be just handed down to them from one of their tribe.

Tell me how to fight this and I will follow you.
 
You ever try to talk to normal people about pot? Their eyes glaze over, their brains freeze up and they become automatrons or borge spouting the latest government or cop propaganda.
They don't read or inform themselves in any way and spout hearsay and lies as if they were written in stone.
They never want to look at the true studies with documentation and ethics.
And when you ask for their documentation on their position it never seems to be written down.
It seems to be just handed down to them from one of their tribe.

Tell me how to fight this and I will follow you.
you can't fight stupidity, that's the bottom line. Too many people are too stupid to do their own research and use their own discernment to determine if the information is factual or not.
 
Tell me how to fight this and I will follow you.

I talk to people all the time and find a distribution in the audience. You're right there's people where it's not worth the time - close minded and set in their ways.

My advice is to focus on the middle people - those open minded enough to listen.

I've had the best success not emphasizing pot itself but focusing on freedom (if it's not hurting anyone what gives the government the right), and the benefits for the sick (stick to chemo and the appetite - it's true, and people accept this readily), and the freaking cost 872,000 people arrested last year, 90% non violent posession only offenses, the waste of resources that could be spent on better causes like the feeding the poor or lowering taxes to kickstart the economy.

Between those three arguments I'm usually able to make some headway. I've got to check myself to make sure I'm not getting preachy though ;) Informative and conversational goes over much better.

Humor works pretty good too; Bill Hicks "Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit unnatural"
 
Soniq420 has the right idea. Our battle starts with education. One of the reasons my post count is kinda low here & other sites I am a member of is because I spend a lot of time at sites posting replies to articles about hemp & cannabis. I put up links to truth about MMJ & industrial hemp.

I also post for the only R candidate who would end the war on the Bill of Rights, err, drug war. This one would pardon all non-violent 'drug offenders', work to get MJ RE-legalized along with hemp. This person has been calling for a return to the Constitution & putting the fed govt back under it's restrictions for some 30 years. The person is still in the race, though tactics have changed.

Most media can't be trusted, so you will have to do yer own research on the person.

Keep on educating as many as you can. I was talking to a non MJ user one on one the other day. I am not sure of the reaction, but I gave him some stuff to think about.

I think we are making progress. Stats show lots more people think MJ should be legalized than have in a long time. We are getting there, slow but sure. Seems more like slow more than any thing at times...but forward is forward! :)

mM
 
I also post for the only R candidate who would end the war on the Bill of Rights, err, drug war. This one would pardon all non-violent 'drug offenders', work to get MJ RE-legalized along with hemp. This person has been calling for a return to the Constitution & putting the fed govt back under it's restrictions for some 30 years. The person is still in the race, though tactics have changed.

Most media can't be trusted, so you will have to do yer own research on the person.


Few Americans will research to find integrity; we're lazy. Few Congressman remain unbribed.
Corporations always act with intent to promote their business, as they are required by law.
USA is a corporation corrupted by corporate money. Voting citizens have been disenfranchised.

Voting for a promiser hasn't worked out too well with our smooth-talking President Obama, a liar.

R Paul has not 'flip-flopped' in 30 years. He has few peers because he doesn't take money.
The entire military/industrial complex unites against him. Why?

BTW, drug czar Gil Kerlikowske still has his job. Why?
 
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