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Hate Pot, Will Travel

Tue, Nov 03, 2009 4:43 pm

more: headline news, medical marijuana, medical news, drug czar, drug policy news

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (aka the drug czar) took his anti-marijuana act on the road this week. Kerlikowske surfaced in Iowa at the same time that the state’s pharmacy board is holding hearings on medical marijuana, with a possible recommendation to lawmakers hanging in the balance.

The drug czar was in town to meet with local law enforcement and treatment providers for input on a national drug control strategy. However, he made sure to weigh in on the state’s medical cannabis debate – without actually officially weighing in.

“I would say that the recommendation for any state that’s considering moving to medical marijuana is to look very closely at what’s been occurring in California,” Kerlikowske said, referring to the Golden State’s booming medical marijuana industry and reports of increased crime around dispensaries in the Los Angeles area.

Of course, prior to being appointed drug czar, Kerlikowske was Seattle’s chief of police. In Washington, the medical use of cannabis has been legal since 1998. So how about his personal experience with medical marijuana-related mayhem in Seattle? According to Kerlikowske, “It was not as significant a problem for law enforcement as it was in, as it is in, Los Angeles.”

Kerlikowske added, "It's very clear that the raw marijuana plant is not medicine. We don't vote on medicines. Whether a medicine is effective or not should be answered by medical science and not a vote.”

While this was not an official recommendation against medical marijuana from the ONDCP, it really might as well have been. Let’s hope Gil’s feelings on the subject aren’t enough to unravel the democratic process in Iowa. …desmoinesregister.com, globegazette.com

» add a comment

anonymous

Nov 13 2009, 12:26 pm

For coming from such an enlightened place as Seattle the drug czar is full of crap. A statement of such broad generalization as that a raw plant cannot produce medicine is an insult to the position he holds and all who hear it. Before the chemical factories of today, medicines derived directly from plants as most people realize I hope. Drug czar, one would think that you of all people would have your definition of medicine right. To a careful observer, it is clear that there are and have always been ulterior motives behind the drug war.

deebard420

Nov 11 2009, 8:14 pm

this guys an idiot before he became one of the million "czars" in the white house...seems like were turning into the soviet union but anyways he was pro marijuana this guys a fuckin tool he should pull the stick out his ass

dreamer1562003

Nov 11 2009, 8:51 am

Legalize marijuana, tax it, and let the ppl. decide who they trust most. Doctors and man-made meds or Yahweh!!!

phil harris

Nov 10 2009, 2:56 pm

Spangler Arlington Brew!?

logic and reason

Nov 7 2009, 1:34 am

The following statement is as laughable as it is disturbing..."It's very clear that the raw marijuana plant is not medicine. We don't vote on medicines. Whether a medicine is effective or not should be answered by medical science and not a vote.”

Is it really possible that our Drug Czar, the man in charge of knowing everything there is to know about drugs, has forgotten about the medicinal uses of marijuana? Although it has not been extensively researched due to the oppression of the government, it has been proven time and time again.

Maybe there is one slang term that our drug czar has missed, "Most medicinal plant on this planet!"

czarkozie

Nov 6 2009, 11:36 pm

lick the sweat of my hairy Mexican balls please

DavidNuttUK

Nov 6 2009, 5:12 am

Make this country a democracy, we need you!
Follow me on twitter -
www.twitter.com/DavidNuttUK

anonymous

Nov 6 2009, 12:43 am

not to France
no one likes a Frenchman

SC guy!

Nov 5 2009, 12:35 pm

I have an idea lets have all of the stoners in America get together and blaze the shit right out in front of the DEA’s headquarters. Saying to the media the whole time that we are fed up with the feds attitude toward cannabis; they can’t arrest all of us!!!! They’ll do nothing and say we are disrupting the flow of commerce in the city and try and disband us but I say to you my fellow stoner until we stand up united under one stony flag the DEA will continue to pick on us relying on our paranoia and lack of involvement in our political system. Its time to wake up smell the coffee ; take a bong rip and do something about this.

UFO's r' us

Nov 5 2009, 12:34 pm

I agree.

They are rascals aren't they.

Smitty

Nov 4 2009, 7:10 pm

I think it's very revealing that tha US govt. was wise enough to secure a patent for marijuana. They want you to think that they do not know anything, and they know very little, but they want that MONEY!!

420Viper

Nov 4 2009, 6:48 pm

"It's very clear that the raw marijuana plant is not medicine... Whether a medicine is effective or not should be answered by medical science..."

It has been answered already and further studies that validate cannabis as medicine would be possible if the DEA prohibitionists didn't give the yea or (almost always) nay.

I agree, its for science to decide. But not law enforcement or government bureacracies.

Coast to Coast AM

Nov 4 2009, 4:19 pm

Coast to Coast am has Craig B. Hulet.

I will listen.

well

Nov 4 2009, 4:01 pm

Coast to coast last nite told the truth of the feds.

Most things they say is a falsehood.

California is doing great.

Sarah Palin

Nov 4 2009, 1:19 pm

vote 4 me in 2012...alaska already has medical mary jane....
i can't "see" russia getting it..

Jeff

Nov 4 2009, 10:03 am

here where i live an independent magazine taling about obama, the monarchy, and hitler but do not say anything about the Jewish, the magazine is from virginia...

Virginia Gentleman

Nov 4 2009, 8:18 am

People are already fed up with Obama and his cohorts .
Never in my life ( and thats a long while ) have I ever seen such blatant diregard for the people who put them in office . People are starting to realize they've been had .
Lucky for Obama ( and unlucky for us ) there is no presidential election today .

the person below me

Nov 4 2009, 8:03 am

is a complete idiot, just like Sarah Palin.

Sarah

Nov 4 2009, 7:15 am

Palin in 2012....
obama mama is jimmy carter all over again.
..haha

Yay !!!!

Nov 4 2009, 5:01 am

Democrats lose out BIG TIME in Virginia elections .
I mean BIG TIME .... even after Obama stumped for the bums .
They'd have done better if he had stayed away . Yayyy Virginia . My faith in people is returning !

anonymous

Nov 4 2009, 1:28 am

its anarchy no one likes a jew

poppa B

Nov 4 2009, 1:18 am

FUCK OFF GIL YOU ASSHOLE. I have been using Medicinal Marijuana for over 10 years and i know that the marijuana plant is just the right medicine for me. I don't wake up in the mornings all sedated/hung over from the pills i once took and can get up in the middle of the night and actually make it to the restroom without falling, stumbling or falling down because of the pills i once took. So don't tell me that Medicinal Marijuana is useless,I know better than that and so does most of America.. So FUCK OFF GIL !!

to piax

Nov 4 2009, 1:02 am

Capitolism. the government is for money. it hasnt been for the people for a long long time. unless you have millions for a campaign contribution, then maby. but the government is not for the people and has not been for a long long time dude. especally if you arent rich.

Piax

Nov 3 2009, 11:33 pm

Wow. Im very annoyed by dumb people.
Shouldnt the goverment be for the peoeple?
Shouldnt the goverment serve us and our needs?
It seems to be quite the oppsite. It seems we are paying for their needs and answering to their demands.
Words of honey actions of destruction.

Piax
Spread the truth, Let the truth be known.
fightersof420@gmail.com

al-ganja

Nov 3 2009, 10:10 pm

First of all you dumb fuck, there is no "legal" problem in any part of California with marijuana. There is a legal problem in the U.S. as a whole regarding marijuana. Since California is in the U.S. the federal swine could arrest law abiding citizens in California (I say could optimisticly). If you really want states to have any autonomy butt out and shut the fuck up.

JMan

Nov 3 2009, 9:51 pm

Why, tell me why does the federal government work so hard to not only keep it illegal but to prevent any medical research on weed? The answer is so simple - $$$$$$$$$

Dank4Sure

Nov 3 2009, 9:29 pm

WOW FUCK YOU AND OUR ENTIRE GOVERNMENT. LEGALIZE IT

ladyblaze

Nov 3 2009, 9:00 pm

"It's very clear that the raw marijuana plant is not medicine... Whether a medicine is effective or not should be answered by medical science..."

Uhhh yeah - pretty sure it HAS been answered by medical science that the raw marijuana plant is VERY effective medicine. Nice to know the drug czar is so knowledgeable...and a fool.

gstlab3

Nov 3 2009, 8:26 pm

DISSENT IS TREASON!!!!!!!!!
THE FEDS HAVE CRACKED THE WHIP OF INTIMIDATION AND FEAR MONGERING BROUGHT TO STEPS OF THE STATE CAPITAL!!!
WITH ALL THOSE SECRET SERVICE GUYS AND PREP FOR HIS ARIVAL GIL., AND THE BIG SHOW OF FORCE THAT BRINGS IS UNMISTAKEABLE.

freedom420FTG

Nov 3 2009, 7:50 pm

Please anyone who knows the CONSTITUTION,tell me what right the president has a right to hire these CZRAS and pay them with TAXPAYERS MONEY?I guess we live in the socialist country of obama with his gestapo czars

hmm

Nov 3 2009, 7:10 pm

1 step ford 2 step back

codependent

Nov 3 2009, 5:20 pm

Oh, yeah he's just going to show up and check them let them know not to even think about it or the feds will bitch slap their Governor, Kerlikowske knows that cannabis is quite benign and people don't overdose on it Professor David Nutt said it better smoking cannabis is no more dangerous than horse back riding if we were to ban everything that kills then the first thing to ban would be driving, nobody has ever died of cannabis smoke, there are thousands dead from car collisions every year, great job high times for this forum and keeps us well informed of the lies he is going to spread.
California Cannabis Initiative 2010 yes we can!

pass ab 390

Nov 3 2009, 5:19 pm

drug czar??? what the fuck waste of money title is that?!! these people know their time is about up so now he's on tour spreading the 40 year old lies to farmers who would benefit from legal weed.. believe it!! pot is not evil, it's these old lame assess who keep spreading their old mantra that are evil and out of touch!! legalize pot now!!

anonymous

Nov 3 2009, 4:58 pm

you all live with dirty souls