Obama Drug Policy Reform To Be Outlined By Gil Kerlikowske, Nation's Drug Czar

[Oldgamer]

Link to Huffpost article

By BRIAN WITTE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — President Barack Obama's new strategy for fighting the nation's drug problem will include a greater emphasis on using public health tools to battle addiction and diverting non-violent drug offenders into treatment instead of prisons, under reforms scheduled to be outlined by the nation's drug czar Wednesday.

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the National Drug Control Policy, is scheduled to release Obama's 2013 blueprint for drug policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Millions of people in the United States will become eligible in less than a year for treatment for substance abuse under the new health care overhaul.

"We know that if drug treatment is done early it is usually more effective, and it's usually less costly than longer term, because drug addiction is a progressive disease," Kerlikowske told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of Wednesday's announcement.

The strategy also includes a greater emphasis on criminal justice reforms that include drug courts and probation programs aimed at reducing incarceration rates. It also will include community-based policing programs designed to break the cycle of drug use, crime and incarceration while steering law enforcement resources to more serious offenses, according to details of the strategy released by Kerlikowske's office.

"I think the important part is that a lot of criminal justice experts and police chiefs and sheriffs – my colleagues for many years and myself included – recognize that with a drug problem you can't arrest your way out of the problem, and so we really need to be smart on the drug problem," Kerlikowske, a former Seattle police chief, said.

Kerlikowske will be joined by Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Tony Batts, Baltimore's policy commissioner, and Dr. Eric Strain, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and Research at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

 

[Smoblikat]

Just legalize weed...........for the love of all that is holy just DO IT!

 

[fskimospy]

I feel like people have been saying this for years. It sounds good and is sensible policy, but when congressional elections are looming and people fear attack ads about how you filled the street with crackheads they always seem to lose their nerve.

 

[Oldgamer]

I found a number of news article on Portugal, the Netherlands and many others who decriminalized all illicit drugs and most of their major crime went way down, and so did the addiction rate (which I find interesting). Here is one article which is pretty recent about Portugal from Forbes on their decriminalization of all drugs and the effects 10 years afterwards:

Link to article click here to read

Drug warriors often contend that drug use would skyrocket if we were to legalize or decriminalize drugs in the United States. Fortunately, we have a real-world example of the actual effects of ending the violent, expensive War on Drugs and replacing it with a system of treatment for problem users and addicts.

Ten years ago, Portugal decriminalized all drugs. One decade after this unprecedented experiment, drug abuse is down by half:

“There is no doubt that the phenomenon of addiction is in decline in Portugal,” said Joao Goulao, President of the Institute of Drugs and Drugs Addiction, a press conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the law.

The number of addicts considered “problematic” — those who repeatedly use “hard” drugs and intravenous users — had fallen by half since the early 1990s, when the figure was estimated at around 100,000 people, Goulao said.

Other factors had also played their part however, Goulao, a medical doctor added.

“This development can not only be attributed to decriminalisation but to a confluence of treatment and risk reduction policies.”

Many of these innovative treatment procedures would not have emerged if addicts had continued to be arrested and locked up rather than treated by medical experts and psychologists. Currently 40,000 people in Portugal are being treated for drug abuse. This is a far cheaper, far more humane way to tackle the problem. Rather than locking up 100,000 criminals, the Portuguese are working to cure 40,000 patients and fine-tuning a whole new canon of drug treatment knowledge at the same time.

None of this is possible when waging a war.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

There are a million people in jails and prisons in America right now for marijuana related offenses. If you want to be a man of peace, you want to do what is best for the people, the obvious answer is to end this business as usual attitude with marijuana.

 

[dank69]

There are a million people in jails and prisons in America right now for marijuana related offenses. If you want to be a man of peace, you want to do what is best for the people, the obvious answer is to end this business as usual attitude with all drugs.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Fixed it for you.

Marijuana is where you start. No need to give Granny a heart attack.

 

[xj0hnx]

Marijuana is where you start. No need to give Granny a heart attack.

There really is no point in just legalizing one of the many drugs that cause problems in society. At the very least they need to legalize weed, and decriminalize the recreational use of the rest, though that is still going to leave avenues for criminal enterprise.

 

[xBiffx]

I say legalize marijuana.

However, say its now legal, now what? Who here has a job that is going to allow them to use it?

People seem to overlook the problem that just because its legal doesn't give you cart blanche ability to use it.

So now that its legal, we have replaced one set of problems with others. The root cause is still the drug/drug use.

 

[xj0hnx]

I say legalize marijuana.

However, say its now legal, now what? Who here has a job that is going to allow them to use it?

People seem to overlook the problem that just because its legal doesn't give you cart blanche ability to use it.

So now that its legal, we have replaced one set of problems with others. The root cause is still the drug/drug use.

It's the same as alcohol, except you don't get thrown in jail for possession of a sixer.

 

[umbrella39]

Just legalize weed...........for the love of all that is holy just DO IT!

Totally agree. But until such time I'd much rather people have the option to either do jail time for that joint we found on you or go to NA meetings and have your paper signed just like the drunk drivers do with AA meetings (who never go and just have random people at their work put down their names).

 

[xBiffx]

It's the same as alcohol, except you don't get thrown in jail for possession of a sixer.

Ah but alcohol doesn't remain detectable in your system weeks after using it. Therein lies the problem.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I say legalize marijuana.

However, say its now legal, now what? Who here has a job that is going to allow them to use it?

People seem to overlook the problem that just because its legal doesn't give you cart blanche ability to use it.

So now that its legal, we have replaced one set of problems with others. The root cause is still the drug/drug use.

My employer wouldn't care, as long as I didn't come into work in a way that kept me from doing my job.

Alcohol is legal, but employers will can you if you come in drunk. Same deal could be applied towards marijuana. It should be up to the individual to assess whether their employment is tolerant of the use. And if not, their only risk should be their jobs or criminal prosecution if they harm someone else when they were high.

With it legal, what problem did we receive for what problems we gave up?

 

[Oldgamer]

Well one thing if marijuana becomes legal federally, then you have the problem of companies still wanting to do drug tests. Marijuana stays in your system for a lengthy period of time. Unlike alcohol that gets pissed away within hours. So if its made legal, and you smoke one in your own residence legally, then 3 days later your company does a piss test on you.. and you fail, then what? How do you explain, "hey, I didn't smoke while on the job"? Most of these companies are going to have to do away with the cannabis test then, and realize that people could fail the drug test in this manner

 

[xBiffx]

Most of these companies are going to have to do away with the cannabis test then, and realize that people could fail the drug test in this manner

Or they keep it and prohibit failure of the test for continued employment as it is today. Pretty much means you can't smoke even though it may be legal.

Doesn't bode well for those who can't wait to light up when it becomes legal. Gives them something to think about in the meantime.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Well one thing if marijuana becomes legal federally, then you have the problem of companies still wanting to do drug tests. Marijuana stays in your system for a lengthy period of time. Unlike alcohol that gets pissed away within hours. So if its made legal, and you smoke one in your own residence legally, then 3 days later your company does a piss test on you.. and you fail, then what? How do you explain, "hey, I didn't smoke while on the job"? Most of these companies are going to have to do away with the cannabis test then, and realize that people could fail the drug test in this manner

This is a non issue. Businesses can do what they want. If you want to smoke weed but the business will test for it, you're free to quit the drug, or pass on the job.

Many places are already testing for nicotine. My dad's employer (hospital) gave them a firm date when they need to be prepared to pass a drug test which includes nicotine.

He's trying to quit, but the time is approaching so he might have to find another job if he can't quit in time. Thems the ropes!

 

[dank69]

This is a non issue. Businesses can do what they want. If you want to smoke weed but the business will test for it, you're free to quit the drug, or pass on the job.

Many places are already testing for nicotine. My dad's employer (hospital) gave them a firm date when they need to be prepared to pass a drug test which includes nicotine.

He's trying to quit, but the time is approaching so he might have to find another job if he can't quit in time. Thems the ropes!

I think nicotine stays in your system for awhile, doesn't it?

 

[IronWing]

Any pot legalization law will need to address second hand smoke. Just as tobacco smokers are indifferent to their impact on those around them and therefore in need of legal restraint I think it is reasonable to conclude that legalized pot would produce similar behavior from pot smokers and legal protections for non-smokers will be necessary.

 

[Moonbeam]

Any pot legalization law will need to address second hand smoke. Just as tobacco smokers are indifferent to their impact on those around them and therefore in need of legal restraint I think it is reasonable to conclude that legalized pot would produce similar behavior from pot smokers and legal protections for non-smokers will be necessary.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

[IronWing]

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Yes, it is, but we have a lot of no-brainers among us. Look at the decades it has taken to enact the very limited protections non-smokers have today.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Fucking eh' We pay for them to be in prisons, now we pay for treatment? Something tells me the latter will be more expensive, with more contracts from more corporations that will take advantage of this shit. Deadbeats are deadbeats, and to be frank, all the people that I have ever seen go to drug therapy have all gone back.

We should be legalizing + taxing the weaker drugs (weed), and trying to make money off these situations, not spending it. Though, I guess thats the liberal solution to everything

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Yes, it is, but we have a lot of no-brainers among us. Look at the decades it has taken to enact the very limited protections non-smokers have today.

Like I said, make another revenue generating situation out of it. Smoking in public roads that people walk by? $100 ticket. Basically, make it a ticketable offense to smoke anywhere but either A) Designated areas or B) Your home

 

[EagleKeeper]

Just legalize weed...........for the love of all that is holy just DO IT!

As if putting a weed smoker into rehab will do anything to deter.

If anything, recurrent rehab attempts may show that such a policy is a failure, justifying prison time because rehab is a failure.

 

[xj0hnx]

Ah but alcohol doesn't remain detectable in your system weeks after using it. Therein lies the problem.

And? Come to work stoned, get fired ...or don't if they don't care.

Fucking eh' We pay for them to be in prisons, now we pay for treatment? Something tells me the latter will be more expensive, with more contracts from more corporations that will take advantage of this shit. Deadbeats are deadbeats, and to be frank, all the people that I have ever seen go to drug therapy have all gone back.

This is fundamentally wrong on every level. First treatment would be WAAAAYYY cheaper than imprisoning people, not too mention the societal value of having productive people instead of prisoners and ex-cons with records. The whole idea of "treatment" for pot is just funny to me, not too mention if it were legal, the only real need for "treatment" would be those rare people that can't get it out of their head that they need to be stoned to function. Where treatment would really be needed is with the harder drugs that actually have physical, and psychological dependence.

 

[Oldgamer]

This is a non issue. Businesses can do what they want. If you want to smoke weed but the business will test for it, you're free to quit the drug, or pass on the job.

Many places are already testing for nicotine. My dad's employer (hospital) gave them a firm date when they need to be prepared to pass a drug test which includes nicotine.

He's trying to quit, but the time is approaching so he might have to find another job if he can't quit in time. Thems the ropes!

yea I get that, but seems like a double standard, and hypocritical.. why not apply the same rule to alcohol? They could say, if your caught in public or anywhere drinking alcohol we have the right to fire you.. same affect.

I guess what I am saying is, if it becomes the norm, and people are legally allowed to consume cannibis as they are alcohol, then businesses will have to consider carefully how they approach their drug testing policies given that the drug lingers in your fat cells for like 20 days, and in your urine for about 24-48 hours I think. I will have to check online for that.