http://stopthedrugwar.org/...
It looks like Obama has picked a drug czar!
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske will likely be Obama’s nominee for director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, commonly referred to as the drug czar. It appears that we may soon be faced with the most promising drug czar ever to occupy the position.
To be clear, Kerlikowske is not a friend of drug policy reform to any extent I’m aware of. What matters here is that I see no evidence that he is a vicious drug warrior of the sort commonly associated with the drug czar post. Given that ONDCP is mandated to oppose reform efforts and has typically embraced that role, a less confrontational and reefer madness-driven drug czar is really the best case scenario from a drug policy reform perspective.
Under Kerlikowske, Seattle has been a model for sensible marijuana policy, including the famous Seattle Hempfest at which the Seattle Police Department performs a public safety role while declining to make marijuana arrests. Following the passage of a 2004 lowest priority initiative, the city’s already-low rate of marijuana prosecutions fell even further, suggesting that Kerlikowske was responsive to the will of voters.
In that sense, he offers a dramatic departure from ONDCP’s shameful history of undermining state medical marijuana laws and inserting itself into state politics for the purpose of thwarting reform efforts. In an office typically run by military officials and political hacks, Kerlikowske would bring expertise in community policing and public relations.
As drug czar, I have no doubt that Gil Kerlikowske would oppose drug legalization and serve as our primary opponent on many issues. Nevertheless, at first glance, my gut instinct is that after several drug czars from hell, a guy from Seattle doesn’t sound so bad.
So lets talk about this for a little while. Obama recently came out with his statement that he wanted the DEA to end raids on medical marijuana facilities in California, keeping true to his promise on the campaign trail. The DEA, however, has lately not been listening to Obama, raiding multiple medical marijuana clinics only a few days ago. It looks like Obama is going to fire back in this appointment.
Obama's pick draws a distinction between archaic reefer-madness based drug laws and reformers of the system by hiring a drug czar that actually listens to the people and respects their own voices. It is music to my ears that the new Drug Czar actually listened to his own voters after they mandated that marijuana be given a lowest-priority designation, and the marijuana arrests actually dropped the next year.
What's got me really happy is that the guy supports medical marijuana and states rights. This is a clear distinction from the current DEA under the previous Bush administration. While the previous "Drug Czar" was against the use of medical marijuana, we should begin to see change and an end to raids in states who have decided to allow it in its own borders. This goes a long way for us marijuana activists, and while medical marijuana is only part of the push to finally legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana, this is one of the most important first steps. If nothing ever gets done, at least THIS will get done, and for that, I am happy.
Many marijuana related diaries have appeared on the front page lately, so on the off chance that we decide to further discuss Obama's new pick for Drug Czar, I've included a poll to get a feel for the view of the Kos on this matter.
Here's to progressive picks!
Update
I want to make it clear that I am fully for legalization of mj. I recognize, however, that Obama is not. Given that, it is best that we have a drug czar that won't trample on what voters decide is best for their own states. I think this opens the door for state laws like in Massachusetts new decriminalization law to be enacted without interference from the DEA. This guy will probably focus on the drugs that matter... meth, heroin, etc.
Legalize it. Tax it. Regulate it.