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Posted on 04/27/2006 11:31:21 AM PDT by ncountylee
DES MOINES, IA - Sen. Charles Grassley on Wednesday called for President Bush to fire the nation's drug czar, claiming more needs to be done to combat methamphetamine abuse.
John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Policy, has been focusing too much on curbing marijuana use, said Grassley, R-Iowa.
Grassley said he wrote Walters calling for more action on meth and the response he received was "basically, bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo."
"I think the president ought to fire the drug czar," Grassley told reporters Wednesday during a conference call.
"Marijuana obviously is a very big drug problem, particularly with the more pure marijuana that's out there now. But the mind-altering aspects of meth are just tremendous, and the change of personality that comes, and the danger of it that comes, particularly when it's domestically made."
A spokesman for Walters declined to comment.
Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. According to a recent study, his state has the nation's third highest meth treatment rate behind Oregon and Hawaii.
So the more "pure" mj does what exactly? Kills people? Makes them use more? Some people are just so uninformed about basic science.
LOL. A friend of mine smoked some "pure" mj last week, and the next day ... he went to work like he does every day.
Well, sure, at some point in our lives.
Their war on me was short-lived, and ended about 20 years ago.
I don't think it's really a matter of meth getting less enforcement really even a matter of not being concentrated upon properly. At least as far as local law enforcement goes.
Marijuana is simply far more common than meth. However, if you don't think law enforcement realizes how bad meth use is, sit down and have a chat with some friendly officers about it.
They can tell you lots of stories how they busted someone doing something stupid and they were under the influence of or in the posession of marijuana.
The stories about meth and tweakers are much less light hearted. The stuff is highly addictive and does ugly things to those who use it. If you talk to the officers enforcing the law, you'll have little doubt that they are concentrating on leads about meth production and distribution over marijuana production and distribution.
I do know a guy who was a DEA agent for a couple years and from what he's told me it's a really screwed up agency that is always being pulled in multiple directions and having it's effectiveness undermined due to politics.
We'd be better off if the DEA was disbanded and enforcement was handled by local law enforcment in the interior, and have the border patrol, coast guard and customs to deal with the federal issue of smuggling across the border.
I think firing Grassley is pointless. It doesn't matter who holds the title, there's no way they can do the job effectively due to the political environment in which they have to operate. Just eliminate the position and cut back on a little government waste.
Oops, I meant firing the drug Czar, not Grassley.
Makes them giggle and eat Doritos. Off with their heads!
In that case, we should fire the Drug Czar and not replace him. I'm all for that.
A czar is simply a waste of funds.
You would trust the officials in MA to make just laws that apply to everyone?
You know the 'pure' MJ right off the plant. Most people don't even know they are smoking 15% MJ cut with 85% oregano
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Yup! What you said.
You are correct. That's why there shouldn't be a federal drug "czar" at all. Grassley is half right here. Walters should be dumped on his a$$.
Thoughts?
99% of all drug arrests are made at the state or local level. The DEA is mostly involved with overseas drug interdiction and local border patrol.
Grassley's state has a bad meth problem. More federal focus on meth means more federal dollars to fund meth treatment programs in his state.
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