Drug Czar Blasts Proponents of Pot Legalization

Las Vegas Sun ^ | 7/24/02 | Ed Koch

[WindMinstrel]

Proponents of a state ballot initiative to legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana are throwing up a smoke screen when they say the measure is meant to help law enforcement, the White House drug czar said today. "Let's not kid ourselves -- this is about helping the marijuana dealers by making it easier to buy and sell on a wider scale and eventually legalize all drugs," said John Walters, the national drug control policy director and so-called "drug czar."

Walters was in Las Vegas today to address an anti-drug law enforcement convention at the Hilton.

Prior to a news conference, he told the Sun that Nevada is a key battleground in the war on drugs because of the initiative that got put on the November ballot by the Marijuana Policy Project.

Billy Rogers, who is on leave from that organization to organize efforts for local supporters of the measure, Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, said Walters is "out of touch with reality" and doubts he has read the initiative.

"It is not true that our goal is to legalize all drugs," Rogers said.

"And if the drug czar had read the initiative he would not have said that this would aid the marijuana dealers because it says transfer of marijuana in and out of Nevada is strictly prohibited."

Passage of the question in November and again in 2004 would constitutionally protect the rights of people to possess up to three ounces of marijuana.

Rogers' group argues that the police and the courts are clogged with too many minor pot possession cases.

The group also says there are safeguards in place in the initiative that would provide stiff penalties for people who smoke marijuana in public, sell pot to minors or kill people while operating vehicles under the influence of marijuana.

Walters was not impressed.

"We already have stronger prohibitions under current laws," he said. "I would not expect that anyone with common sense would accept that the law would work any better with passage of this initiative because there would be more drugs available and marijuana use would be a lot higher."

Walters said this is an issue that will be highly influenced by marketing. He says proponents will spend a lot of money and use marketing tools to pass the measure.

Walters said he would make another trip to Nevada as election day draws closer to help educate voters.

[Wolfie]

He says proponents will spend a lot of money and use marketing tools to pass the measure.

Unlike the government, which spends a lot of taxpayer money and uses marketing tools to oppose the measure.

[Wolfie]

Dear Drug Czar, try not to wet your pants over this

[WindMinstrel]

I actually posted this because I read the article here about how the NEA is opposing school vouchers. It's really the same thing -- both oppose their targets because they know what's best for America, and because they know they'll lose money.

Why is it that nobody likes freedom if there's money involved? My money, that is.

[vin-one]

I hope that Nevada passes this with a 90% approval rate, then watch the Fed's scramble to correct the voters minds. They will have to get their minds right.....

[Lexington Green]

Czars are bad... mmmm-kay?

[HELLRAISER II]

Because freedom to them is just another commodity to sale to make money.

[WindMinstrel]

Don't they know the truth? That freedom is indeed just another word for nothing left to lose?

[EBUCK]

Beat me to it by an hour and a half! I was thinking the same thing. Damn your quick!

EBUCK

[EBUCK]

Freedom is "everything to lose"! I don't care what Janis (or was it Bobby D. that wrote that one?) says, I know I'm right!

EBUCK

[WindMinstrel]

Ah, well, that freedom word is good enough for me. Good enough for me and Bobby McGee.

I wouldn't continue on with that silly song, but I'm doing so in the hopes that I can excise it from my poor brain. I'm going mad here.

[Wolfie]

It is amusing, isn't it? One of the first criticisms that Prohibitionists unleash is that these measures are "well-funded", as if that is an anomaly in the world of politics. Find me anything, and I mean anything, in the political arena that isn't. At least the reformers have the decency not to use my tax dollars.

[dead]

Drug Czar Blasts Proponents of Pot Legalization

Pampered stars always bitch when somebody threatens to cancel their crappy television show.

They got bills to pay like everybody else.

[dead]

Freedom is "everything to lose"! I don't care what Janis (or was it Bobby D. that wrote that one?) says, I know I'm right!

Kris Kristofferson wrote it.

[Sir Gawain]

{^} J {^}

[Ferris]

It's not about drugs...

Never has been...

It's about power...

Power of the state...

Over you...

[WyldKard]

Boy, Asa must not have any other marketable job skills if he's blubbering THIS loudly about possibly losing his job...

[EBUCK]

At least the reformers have the decency not to use my tax dollars.

Tha fact that they are well heeled yet not tax funded shown the amount of individual support they must have. I bet our Czar would love to get ahold of a list donors. Probly get 8 months of no-knocks out of that list alone!

Have you seen the anti-enviralist sticker I'm going to produce?

EBUCK

[EBUCK]

I didn't know that! Thanks....

EBUCK

[Marobe]

"Let's not kid ourselves -- this is about helping the marijuana dealers by making it easier to
buy and sell on a wider scale and eventually legalize all drugs,"
No its about piggies and storm troopers killing and terrorizing American Citizens while them accept money for
not doing their job. Its about making big money and keeping drug costs high, so lawyers and fat stupid judges can further screw Citizens.