Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
In Fresno, California, Wednesday to witness a massive marijuana eradication bust, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP -- the drug czar's office) head Gil Kerlikowske once again revealed a startling gap in his vocabulary. Kerlikowske claimed not to know a word that should be de rigeur in any drug policy debate, and he claimed the president was unaware of it, too.
Gil Kerlikowske
It's not the first time Kerlikowske has relied on that trope. In fact, it appears to be one of his favorite stock phrases.
Not content with displaying his lack of vocabulary, Kerlikowske went on to display an equally stunning lack of knowledge about the emerging consensus on the myriad medicinal uses of marijuana. "Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit," he said, ignoring an ever-growing pile of research finding just the opposite.
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Comments
Kerlikowske comments
re: "Marijuana . . . has no medical benefit".
Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong!
I am 70 years old, not your typical "stoner"; rather, an arthritic but still active "over-achiever", who regularly relies on the soothing benefits of marijuana to help me overcome the limitations of a body suffering from, in medical terminology, "wear and tear", the result of a long, active life. I find it far preferable to the strong, dangerous pain-killers available at the pharmacy, many of which I find debilitating and enervating. We senior citizens who benefit from the medicinal properties of marijuana beg to differ with the clearly ignorant, and I suspect highly biased, drug "Czar". It is counter-productive for those holding office to proclaim their misguided beliefs as fact.
In reply to Kerlikowske comments by Anonymous (not verified)
Thank you! I used to have
Thank you! I used to have Kaiser and my doctor said the same thing, "Marijuana is an illegal drug with no medical benefits!" What an idiot! how did this moron get through medical school and in 8-10 yrs come out with this conclusion? this shows you the type of complete retards working at these major hospitals. He also said my bump on my broken collar bone would go down in a year and it hasn't! His name is "Dr." Edward Reyes he works at Kaiser in Rancho Cucamonga, California. he is a complete and utter moron!
In reply to Thank you! I used to have by Josh Bettar (not verified)
moron?
Your doctor is not a complete moron!? The callus (bump) formed on bone, will often remodel and go way, in about ten years! And, although many of the medical benefits of THC are not proven,except for anecdotal stories, it is well known to specialists, like oncologists, that it can be life saving in patients. It has also been know for over two decades that it can be used to treat glaucoma. So,although your doctor is in denial and misinformed, he is not a complete moron. One does not make into medical school being stupid. But, medical school does not guarantee common sense, or guarantee that he remain informed on this subject! Maybe he just needs a good proctologist. Then he can be a perfect asshole!
In reply to Kerlikowske comments by Anonymous (not verified)
Keep it up, Wise One!
We love you, man! You are just starting to live!
The Gil Kerlikowske Party Line
Gil is "forced" to say that marijuana has no medical value. Otherwise, by definition, the Government would be required to reschedule marijuana out of Schedule One.
In reply to The Gil Kerlikowske Party Line by Greg McKay (not verified)
That's like saying the Pope
That's like saying the Pope has to say that condoms make the AIDS problem worse. Just because our drug czar is mandated not to support legalization does not mean he's mandated to lie or speak out whatsoever.
In reply to That's like saying the Pope by Anonymous (not verified)
is it law?
I have heard, more than once, that he is required, by law, to do anything he can to prevent the legalization of cannabis or other drugs. That includes lying and misleading the public. It is supposedly included in the wording in the act, that created the drug czar, that he must lie!
I don't think that's what he said...
...BEFORE going off to D.C.
He might peruse http://norml.org/ or http://thc-foundation.org/ for a little education as to the medical benefits of marijuana [Medi-juana], as well as http://www.votehemp.com/ for information regarding industrial hemp.
The Drug War is simply one more War. The Business of War must be stopped~ world wide.
Thanks for all YOU do.
Y'all need to get http://addthis.com/ for your loyal readers to be able to share you with ease.
Telling Lies in Public
I wish there were a Law against Government officials making demonstrably contra-factual statements to the public. It would clear a lot of air.
A Czar's entitlement
If Gil ever had a shred of humanity, and I believe at one time he did, it was lost when he was crowned "Czar." Some dictionary meanings indicate a "Czar" is an "autocrat", "autarch", "absolute ruler", "absolute master", "despot", "tyrant", "dictator", "duce", "fuehrer" and a "tin god." Why should a democratic society embrace such oppressive terminology? Even Russia rid themselves of their Czar's.....goodbye freedom...welcome to the New World Order.
Nice way to keep the disempowered in their place...
Individuals rise to positions of power in a democracy based on their willingness and ability to lie with a straight-face.
As Bismarck once told governing elites to reassure them they had nothing to fear from what they perceived as the "mob rule" of democracy, "the important thing is to convey to the people the _illusion_ of participation." Hence, elections.
That said, voters in many instances need reassuring myths. Elected and appointed officials provide them. That is their role.
Until we mature as individuals and learn to live without "reassuring myths," we will be stuck with flacks such as Gil Kerlikowske (who need to _appear in uniform_ to burnish their credentials and "reassure us" and themselves that they _are_ the authority figures "who know best").
Do you really believe anyone joins the ranks of policedom (I won't call this branch of our government's coercive/lethal power "law enforcement," if you will pardon my bluntness) does so with the intentions of _talking_ to anyone they encounter on the beat about the merits of adherence to majoritarian law. Didn't think so. And if they did, police academy quickly clears that Boy Scoutish-meme from their head. It's about force, muscle, coercion and then "civilly" re-inforced by courts.
Drug laws are a nice, clean, socially-acceptable way of sweeping the mentally ill, the poor, minorities, and the young under the rug. Lest their presence make us aware that they are merely symptomatic of a much larger socio-economic malaise.
Ask yourself, when was the last time Barnie Madoff or Alan Greenspan had such a sense of powerlessness or low self-esteem that he felt a _need_ for a "line?"
Prohibition lives on ...
I guess we're not going to see much "change we can believe in" from the looks of things.
Why didn't I think of the rescheduling marijuana issue?
But he should have refused to discuss it, not make such a silly claim. The obvious science based thing for the Obama admin to do is reschedule marijuana. They could still leave it up to states to decide whether to allow MMJ. They're usually more politically astute than this, if nothing else.
-newageblues
In reply to Why didn't I think of the rescheduling marijuana issue? by Anonymous (not verified)
Leaving nothing to the states
Since when did Obama leave anything to the states?
Never mind that the 10th Amendment orders him to leave nearly everything (all medicine included) to the states or the PEOPLE.
Those who have too much power become corrupt. That's why the Federal Government was never meant to rule the states.
But Obama and his "administration" are corrupt. It's too late. They are politicallly adept with their words - but in the end they leave NOTHING to others to decide.
Perfect! Another do and know
Perfect! Another do and know nothing pawn caught up in a hopeless Government illusion of doing the right thing.......................
"Dangerous"?
What "danger"? The "danger of SWAT busting in the wrong door, again? The "danger" of a lying government official, in a capacity to cause harm, and death to citizens, based on those lies? Or, the "danger" of being swept up in a "war" against the populous, based on lies. The "danger" of a government, promoting lies, to "better" the nation?
All that our government does is lie, about everything, I can't believe a single word our government spews. "Change" another lie, this one picked right up where the last liar left off. Seeing this as the new American standard, I don't see why lying to the IRS, or any other government entity, could be wrong, it's their "native language". Isn't it a crime for the government to spread misinformation? Used to be, now it's the norm, how proud to be an American, does that make me, ZERO, nilch, nada, I can't respect this country,between the terrorist actions they inflict, the complete lack of truth, or integrity, this country has slid into third world status, how's that for change?
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