Drug WarRant

In today’s Washington Post: Study Focuses On Marijuana Use by Teens

Researchers at the University of Maryland’s Center for Substance Abuse Research [CESAR] recently developed a set of warning signs to spot teenage use of marijuana, a popular recreational drug that often leads to experimentation with other illegal substances, officials said.

The study, released in late July, based its findings on a statewide survey conducted two years ago. The warning signs and recommendations were applauded by state educators and juvenile services officials, who said the findings validate their long-held ideas about ways to detect drug use among teenage students.

Well, I figured that a comprehensive study based on a statewide survey, and two years of analysis by a crack university research center probably came out with some amazing stuff, so I rushed over to their site to learn the final NINE warning signs of early marijuana use: [drum roll, please]

• Behaviors
• Cigarette use before age 15
• Alcohol use before age 15
• 20 or more unexcused school absences
• Drug arrest
• Alcohol arrest
• Attitudes/Opinions
• Smoking marijuana is safe
• Smoking cigarettes is safe
• My parents think it’s okay to smoke marijuana
• My parents think it’s okay to smoke cigarettes

That’s right. If your child has been arrested for drugs, that’s actually a possible warning sign that they might have experimented with marijuana! Whoa, I would have never thought of that!
If your child has any of the first five signs, then marijuana use may actually be the least of your problems.
Oh, and if your child has any of the last four “opinions” (and they actually share it with you) don’t break out the drug testing kit. Have a talk with them.
I don’t even want to know how much was spent on this.

“This kind of tool is critically needed, because research shows that early marijuana users are far more likely to go on to use harder drugs,” says CESAR director Eric Wish.

Of course, this is the usual misleading gateway statement that has no basis in causality (as is noted elsewhere in the CESAR web sites), yet the director of this research center is willing to sell it to the press anyway. And I wonder about a research director in this field who is listed as an Associate Professor (not Full Professor) in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at University of Maryland. I’m also curious as to the field of his doctoral degree, and why it’s not listed in his university bio. Just wondering.

Jack Shafer does a nice job of taking on Dennis Hastert on Dope at Slate.

If both Bush and Cheney were to suddenly drop dead, the law would transfer the presidential powers to a man who proved himself an absolute nut job on the Aug. 29 edition of Fox News Sunday: Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.

Shafer gives a recap of Hastert’s slander of Soros (see my earlier posts) and then notes:

Hastert states in a Sept. 1 letter [pdf] to Soros that he never referred to drug cartels on Fox News Sunday, that Chris Wallace did. The “drug groups” Hastert claims to have had in mind were the “Drug Policy Foundation, The Open Society, The Lendesmith [sic] Center, the Andean Council of Coca Leaf Producers, and several ballot initiatives across the country to decriminalize illegal drug use.” On this score, Hastert’s letter is completely disingenuous. These groups are beneficiaries of Soros wealth: He’s given them money. In the program transcript, Hastert is clearly asking about the source of Soros’ money for his political and social campaigns, and then he asks the leading question, is it from “overseas or from drug groups”?

Shafer finally concludes:

Whatever the reason behind his eruption, Hastert has answered the question of who is screwy enough to run on this year’s LaRouche ticket. “LaRouche-Hastert in 2004,” anyone?

If you’re in Washington, DC, check out the new ads on the Metro starting tomorrow with the words: “Marijuana Laws Waste Billions of Taxpayer Dollars to Lock Up Non-Violent Americans.” (click on the picture for a larger version)
These are the ads that Representtive Istook tried to stop by passing legislation that would deny funding to metro systems that accepted ads based on a particular point of view. The court in June rightly found that Istook was full of… the legislation was unconstitutional, and now the ads begin to air.
Drug WarRant past posts on the topic here.
Kudos to ACLU, Change the Climate, Drug Policy Alliance, and Marijuana Policy Project for their efforts.

“How does he do it?” you ask. “Didn’t he just finish the Virginia voting guide last night?”
OK, so I picked a small state (in number of House districts). I’m still exhausted from California’s 53.
Thus, I give you… Montana.

Josh Marshall notes:

You’ll remember a couple days ago we noted House Speaker Denny Hastert suggesting that George Soros may get his money from drug cartels or other such groups.

I’ve talked to reporters who’ve asked Hastert this around the convention hall. And he’s been aggressively restating the ‘charge.’ I’m told he even shoved his finger in the chest of one of them when repeating it.

Unbelievable.
Soros has responded with a letter (pdf) which includes:

Dear Mr. Speaker:
Your recent comments implying that I am receiving funds from drug cartels are not only untrue, but also deeply offensive. You do a discredit to yourself and to the dignity of your office by engaging in these dishonest smear tactics. You should be ashamed.
For the Speaker of the House of Representatives, even in the midst of an election season, to descend to a level of political discourse where innuendo and slander replace reason, truth and argument is unacceptable. …

.. voters.
Be sure to get out there and vote this November, and Drug WarRant’s new Virginia voting guide will help.
It was a little depressing putting this one together – more tough negative choices than touch positive choices, and a lot of candidates avoided filling out position questionnaires.
Still, we can learn a few important things about Virginia, like the fact that Bob Goodlatte is neither a frothy coffee and milk drink, nor is he “good” at drug policy. And the candidate with the name Al Weed actually looks and acts as far from a long-haired pot-smoking hippy as is humanly possible, yet still garners Drug WarRant’s endorsement. I also learned that there are no Libertarian candidates for Congress in Virginia.
More state guides coming. Let me know if there’s a state you’d like me to tackle next.

These are the qualifications for Speaker of the House?
There’s some discussion of this at Talking Points Memo and Political Animal.
As reported in Lloyd Groves’ column in the Daily News:

On “Fox News Sunday,” [Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert] insinuated that billionaire financier George Soros, who’s funding an independent media campaign to dislodge President Bush, is getting his big bucks from shady sources. “You know, I don’t know where George Soros gets his money. I don’t know where – if it comes overseas or from drug groups or where it comes from,” Hastert mused. An astonished Chris Wallace asked: “Excuse me?” The Speaker went on: “Well, that’s what he’s been for a number years – George Soros has been for legalizing drugs in this country. So, I mean, he’s got a lot of ancillary interests out there.” Wallace: “You think he may be getting money from the drug cartel?” Hastert: “I’m saying I don’t know where groups – could be people who support this type of thing. I’m saying we don’t know.”

My response:

I don’t know where Speaker Hastert gets his kicks — if it’s from having intimate relations with goats or some other kind of animal. I’m just saying we don’t know.

That statement has as much validity as Hastert’s. Maybe more, since it’s very unlikely that “drug groups” would fund Soros. Since George Soros is a philanthropist who has advocated legalization of medical marijuana and eliminating the failed war on drugs, he would be very unpopular with drug traffickers.
You see, legalization would take a huge chunk of the massive profits now part of the illegal drug trade, and require those selling drugs to become legitimate – paying taxes, following regulations, insuring the product is safe, not selling to children, accepting legal competition’s efforts to drive down prices, etc. No drug cartel is going to support Soros’ efforts.
If a “drug group” is going to support anyone with contributions, it would be a drug warrior like Dennis Hastert, not a legalizer like Soros.
And, as it turns out, we know that there are “drug groups” that fund Dennis Hastert. Noted right here, in the 2003-2004 funding cycle, Dennis Hastert received $114,500 from the Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry.
There are two kinds of drug groups:

1. Those who deal in drugs (some safe, some dangerous) that have been deemed illegal by the government. These groups make huge profits (that far offset risk costs) with limited competition because the product is prohibited.
2. Those who deal in drugs (some safe, some dangerous) that have been deemed legal by the government. These groups make huge profits (that far offset research costs) with limited competition because the product is patentable.

Both these groups wish the drug war to continue as it has. One of them, for sure, contributes to Dennis Hastert.
I’m just sayin’…
By the way, if you live in the Illinois 14th District, you might want to support Ruben Zamora, who is running against Hastert.
Update: Thanks to War Liberal who points out Soros’ ideas (from a Salon profile):

“I would establish a strictly controlled distribution network through which I would make most drugs, excluding the most dangerous ones like crack, legally available. Initially I would keep the prices low enough to destroy the drug trade. Once that objective was attained I would keep raising the prices, very much like the excise duty on cigarettes, but I would make an exception for registered addicts in order to discourage crime. I would use a portion of the income for prevention and treatment. And I would foster social opprobrium of drug use.”

Nope. The drug cartels would not like Soros. Hastert, maybe.

Senate candidate Barack Obama has admitted to the youthful indiscretions of using marijuana and cocaine. This should be an inspiring story. Young man from difficult youth, experiments with drugs, but takes a positive route, working his way to being the keynote speaker at the Democratic convention and the new rising political star.
Unfortunately, instead it’s a tale of political hypocrisy as usual. You see, Obama wasn’t caught, so he was able to get to where he is today. If he had been jailed, the tale would be different. Yet he works to imprison and ruin the lives of other young people with youthful indiscretions who happen to be not as lucky as Barack Obama.
And he’s proud of it. From Barack Obama’s own website (in the August 19th entry):

During 8 years in the state senate, Senator Obama has repeatedly voted for tougher penalties for drug offenders. [HB 3387, 5/13/03; P.A. 93-0546; SB 1793, 3/21/03; P.A. 93-0223; HB 2347, 5/6/99; P.A. 91-0336; HB 3170, 5/7/98; P.A. 90-0674; HB 1278, 5/14/99; P.A. 91-0403; SB 0105, 3/23/99; P.A. 91-0263; HB 2843, 5/20/03; P.A. 93-0596; 93rd GA, SB 2447, 3/25/04; P.A. 93-0884; SB 1578, 3/24/03; P.A. 93-0297; SB1028, 4/2/98; SB 1028, 5/19/98, SC HA1,4; P.A. 90-0775; HB 0070, 5/16/97; P.A. 90-0382; HB 2844, 5/13/03; P.A. 93-0340; HB 3073, 4/4/00; P.A. 91-0802; HB 0252, 5/7/99; P.A. 91-0366; HB 5652, 5/9/02; SB 1332, 2/24/00; P.A. 91-0899; HB 4245, 5/7/02; P.A. 92-0698; SB 0014, 5/20/97, SC HA1; P.A. 90-0397; SB 0003, 4/6/01; HB 2015, 5/9/97; P.A. 90-0164; SB 1011, 4/5/01; SB 1224, 3/24/98; HB 2030, 5/15/97; P.A. 90-0557]

We don’t need tougher. We need smarter. Obama should know better.
What about Alan Keyes? Don’t make me laugh. His view seems to combine government prohibition to enforce drug morality combined with the execution of international smugglers.
Jerry Kohn, on the other hand, quoted at Vote-Smart:

The ” war on drugs” is a war on people who harm no one but themselves. End criminal penalties for the use of drugs.

Is Jerry Kohn going to win? No. Obama will win handily. But here’s a chance to put in a vote for drug policy reform without worrying about throwing it away, or being a spoiler.
If you live in Illinois, vote Jerry Kohn for U.S. Senate.
For more races in Illinois, see the voting guide.

A proper editorial in the Myrtle Beach, SC Sun News

Absence Of U.S.æ Charges Doesn’t Justify Drug Raid

The U.S.æ Justice Department says last year’s police drug raid at Stratford High School in Goose Creek didn’t violate the civil rights of the students, whom police confronted at gunpoint – and 18 of whom police handcuffed.æ The case, said the department last week, is closed.

Maybe so.æ But even though Attorney General John Ashcroft’s S.C.æ representatives could find no violation of the federal civil rights stature, most South Carolinians know deep down that the raid, which netted no illegal drugs, was a travesty.æ Most would agree that the students, especially the blacks singled out for rough treatment, will go into adult life with an indelibly cynical view of “the system” that treated them so shabbily.

The law may exonerate police and school officials for staging the raid.æ But no one should pretend that the grave injustice they perpetrated upon Stratford students has been remedied.

NORML takes on the Drug Czar with their newest release discussing the DOJ’s new report (pdf).

New Federal Report Contradicts Drug Czar’s Claims

Washington, DC: A newly released federal report refutes claims by US
Drug Czar John Walters that the United States is being inundated with
Canadian pot, that the drug’s potency is dramatically rising, and that
marijuana poses a greater public health threat than heroin or cocaine.

According to the US Department of Justice report, “National Drug
Threat Assessment 2004,” the overwhelming majority of commercial grade
marijuana consumed in the US comes from California and Mexico. The report
further adds that Hawaii, not Canada, is the US’ “leading source of high
potency marijuana.” The report estimated that between 10,000 and 24,000
metric tons of marijuana is available in the US.

In recent months, Walters has testified that the US marijuana market
is being inundated with high potency cannabis from British Columbia,
dubbing it the “crack of marijuana.” Most recently, Walters has claimed
that this influx of Canadian pot is directly responsible for sending
rising numbers of Americans to the emergency room.

According to the DOJ report, however, increased mentions of marijuana
during emergency room visits “in recent years have not been significant,”
and account for less than ten percent of all drug mentions. The report
further stated that the average THC content of US commercial grade
marijuana is around five percent, despite claims by Walters that today’s
marijuana potency levels are “10 to 20 times stronger” than they were a
generation ago.

Authors of the report note that despite federal and state anti-drug
efforts, marijuana remains “widely available” in the United States, with
“98.2 percent of state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide
[describing] marijuana availability as high or moderate.” Nevertheless,
only 13 percent of state and local law enforcement agencies identified
marijuana as “their greatest drug threat,” and less than five percent
identified pot as “the drug most contributing to violent crime in their
areas.”

The release of the DOJ report came on the eve of an announcement from
the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy that the
administration plans “to shift some of the focus in research and
enforcement from ‘hard’ drugs such as cocaine and heroin to marijuana.”