cannabisnews.com: Hutchinson Lauds Balanced Attack On Drug Use 





Hutchinson Lauds Balanced Attack On Drug Use 
Posted by FoM on January 14, 2002 at 11:06:20 PT
By Ron Wood 
Source: Morning News
America's lead drug warrior told local lawyers Wednesday that he and the Bush administration will continue to pursue a balanced attack -- including treatment, education, enforcement and interdiction efforts -- to fight American drug use. Asa Hutchinson, chief of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told a gathering of the Washington County Bar Association that education and the use of treatment programs -- particularly drug courts -- are mainstays of the administration's war on drugs. 
But, he said, enforcement and interdiction efforts will be stepped up. Drugs courts are "a new approach that's making a difference," Hutchinson said. "I believe in that," he said, specifically citing Washington County's implementation of a drug-court system for nonviolent offenders. "I think it is a good alternative. Instead of sending someone that has an addiction problem to prison when they're a nonviolent offender, you can keep a heavy hand over them -- accountability -- and help them redeem their life. That's what drug courts are designed to do. That's something that this administration supports." The administration will continue to support education as a part of its balanced approach to fighting drugs, Hutchinson said. "I believe in the president's balanced approach, emphasizing education," Hutchinson said. "In fact, we have doubled the number of our demand-reduction coordinators in the DEA, for we're an enforcement agency, but we're expanding our education programs as well as support that we give communities. That's a new initiative that I have in this administration. I think it's very important and shows the balance that we have in our anti-drug efforts." Hutchinson said that, despite what critics may say, the war on drugs is working. In that vein, he said he is interested in carrying on the public debate, using his debate with New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson on National Public Radio and C-SPAN and at Harvard University as an example. While Johnson believes the drug war is an abysmal failure, Hutchinson pointed to the progress that has been made in the past 15 years, including reducing cocaine use by 75 percent -- about 4 million fewer users -- and reducing overall drug use by 50 percent. "That's extraordinary progress on a significant social problem," Hutchinson said. Johnson also believes that legalization of drugs would remove the economic benefit and force the drug cartels out of business, Hutchinson said. But that legalization argument generally stops at marijuana, he said, with even advocates of legalization calling cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy and other drugs too dangerous for this. "If you legalize one substance, marijuana, you've accomplished nothing in the economic model because the cartels will be engaged in methamphetamine and heroin and any other type of illegal substances they can bring in," Hutchinson said. "So you do not prevent the enforcement along the border, you do not prevent the necessity for the court system and law-enforcement operation unless you legalize everything, and no one really advocates that." The public debate is also important because people need to think through U.S. drug policy, Hutchinson said. "Yes, people get a little bit frustrated, but you have to learn from history," Hutchinson said. "We have not been engaged in the anti-drug effort for 20 years. Some, with short memories, think we started this with Nancy Reagan's 'Just Say No' policy. That's not true. We've not been engaged in it for 20 years, we've been engaged in it for 120 years." In the 1880s, there was drug legalization. Cocaine, heroin and other opiates were legal substances, and the result was the highest per-capita heroin addiction in U.S. history, Hutchinson said. Those drugs were then regulated and, eventually, made illegal, because of the crime and human suffering they caused, he said. "We have to learn from history and think through where we're going. I think we have a very reasonable approach in looking at enforcement and education and a treatment perspective," Hutchinson said. Hutchinson said he also thinks there has been a change in cultural attitude since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, resulting in new "national responsibility" and a realization that drug trafficking funds violent terrorist groups around the world. But while the drug war may focus on education and treatment on the home front, the battle to extradite international drug dealers will continue, Hutchinson said. The DEA has offices in 56 countries and may soon open one in Kabul, Afghanistan, in an effort to thwart the flow of opium and heroin from that country. Hutchinson, a Benton County native and former Republican congressman for the 3rd District of Arkansas, was appointed by President Bush to head the DEA in August. Prior to that, he had served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, the youngest federal prosecutor in history.Note: DEA Chief Supports Treatment, Education, Enforcement, Interdiction. Newshawk: Nicholas Thimmesch IINORML Media & CommunicationsSource: Morning News of Northwest Arkansas (AR)Author: Ron Wood Published: Thursday, January 10, 2002Copyright: 2002, Donrey Media GroupContact: news nwaonline.netWebsite: http://www.nwamorningnews.com/Related Articles:CannabisNews Articles - DEAhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/DEA.shtmlDEA Head Debates Pro-Legalization Governorhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11365.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #6 posted by DdC on January 15, 2002 at 18:10:48 PT
Cannabis in Japan Cannabis(Taima) / Hemp(Asa) |8)
Hemp has an important function in the mythology of Shinto, the "Way of the Gods", as the ancient indigenous religion of Japan is known. Hemp was used to purify, to drive out evil (exorcism). Hemp seeds were used in Shinto marriage ceremonies. In some ceremonies hemp leaves were burnt as an "invitation to the spirits". (Moore) Even today there are shinto ceremonies at major shrines such as Ise Jingu in Mie prefecture and other shrines that involve the burning of taima (marijuana).The priests' clothes were made from hemp linen and and bell ropes in shrines (see image to the right) were made from hemp too. Hemp for bell ropes is still grown in Nagano prefecture today. Several hemp fields are cultivated on Shikoku (one of the four main islands of Japan) to make ceremonial linen clothes for the Imperial family and for Shinto priests.Hemp fibre attached to a wooden stick called a gohei is used in Shinto cleansing ceremonies, such as Shichigosan. Hemp ropes and hemp paper are often seen as decorations in shrines as they are believed to keep away evil.At Japanese weddings so called Shishimai dragon dances are sometimes performed. The thick white "hair" of these dragons is hemp fibre, and so is the "hair" of fox masks and other costumes worn at o-matsuri (festivals). The heavy carts pulled trough villages in o-matsuri are pulled on hemp ropes.Believers in Shinto sought the protection of a certain group of gods, the Sahe no Kami: "Travellers prayed to them before setting out on a journey and made a little offering of hemp leaves and rice to each one they passed." (Moore) We are not surprised that rice was a standard travel fare, but this passage tells us that medieval Japanese used to travel carrying hemp leaves, nowadays called marijuana. If travellers were to practice their religion this way today they could face as much as 5 years in prison. continued...
http://www.taima.org/en/main.htmUniversal Declaration of Human RightsArticle 18.
"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance." Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948Asa no ha
http://www.taima.org/en/asanoha.htm
Asa no e: Ukiyoe
http://www.taima.org/en/ukiyoe.htm
HEMP (asa)
A general term for: taima ["tall hemp"]Liberation from Occupation!From an interview with Pon (Yamada Kaiya)
"Well, the prayer given at the Ise Jingu, which is the shrine to Amaterasu, the founding god of the imperial family, is called taima, or marijuana. Hemp and rice are two sacred things which are part and parcel of the rites conducted at Ise Jingu. This is because hemp and rice were the staple products of the Jomon and Yayoi cultures, respectively. This means they were the most sacred things to these people. The imperial tribe, which was an invading people, took possession of these two sacred things and made them into instruments of control."
Yamada Kaiya in the December 1995 issue of Jiyu Ishi translated version in Tokyo Observer 15Hemp Culture in Japan
http://www.taima.org/en/hemplib1.htmHemp in Japan Library
http://www.taima.org/en/hemplib.htmHere Asa isa Assa ¶8)
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionprohibitionistwodjunkies.showMessage?topicID=31.topic
Cannabis in Japan
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by Dark Star on January 15, 2002 at 02:49:56 PT
Incorrect Interpretation of History
"Those drugs were then regulated"Wrong. There was no regulation. Some people got hooked on patent medicines that contained heroin, cocaine or others because of this.Regulation is necessary to the extent that the drug supply should be clean and safe. In other words, organic cannabis, and pure drugs should be available in a medical context as is being achieved in Europe. Prohibition leads to elevated prices, graft, corruption, violence and insoluble medical issues such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. The situation can be changed rapidly if the populace is educated, and demands reform as a prerequisite to political election.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by herbdoc215 on January 14, 2002 at 22:11:40 PT:
Of course the Cocaine King will cuss Cannabis!
Hutchinson has his job as a direct result of Mena,Arkansas and he represents the Cocaine industry. If anyone who reads this doesn't believe that cannabis eats into Cocaines market share they are not living in the real world. The Sandanista's of the world are NOT funded by cannabis because it is too knowledge and work based, these gangsters are expecting quick, easy profits from coke. He lies, steals, cheats, whatever it takes to maintain the status quo. These people are after your soul and nothing less, these are the modern day thought police who have destroyed the very meaning of language through their double-speak. This destruction of language is what is driving this banality of empathy that is strangling America and dividing her people more everyday to facilitate their total enslavement. Look up the term Oligarchy, do you think they will ever just GIVE your rights back and say 'sorry' we now free you?
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by The GCW on January 14, 2002 at 15:03:30 PT
fulcrum point
quote: "If you legalize one substance, marijuana, you've accomplished nothing in the economic model because the cartels will be engaged in methamphetamine and heroin and any other type of illegal substances they can bring in," Hutchinson said. "So you do not prevent the enforcement along the border, you do not prevent the necessity for the court system and law-enforcement operation unless you legalize everything, and no one really advocates that." I disagree.   If you Re-legalize cannabis, the war on drugs, will become more effective, because there are presently too many citizens that are hip to cannabis, and are not assetts in a war. If America had more support for a war on drugs, it would be different. If America looses any more support for a war on drugs, things will be different. If America does not legalize cannabis, then all drugs may well be legalized.Cannabis is the fulcrum point! Smart forward thinking prohibitionist (oxymoron) would see full on drug legalization coming and would see the need to Re-legalize cannabis, to stop the hard drug presence. America has always enjoyed prohibition and would need to not let up completly, (for sport), So rather than replace it with another prohibition, just subdivide the present prohibition.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by freedom fighter on January 14, 2002 at 14:59:19 PT
No more 700,000 pot arrests
will be an accomplishment. I wondered why he just do not get it.Asa needs to be force to watch this movie over again and again. http://www.crrh.org/hemptv/misc_reefer.html 100 years of failure! Asa is just another sponge sucking money from hard working people...ff
Reefer Madness
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by JOse Melendez on January 14, 2002 at 11:25:10 PT:
human suffering?
120 years? And you STILL insist that illicit drugs cause human suffering while ignoring the harm caused by legal substances?PLEASE learn from your history, Asa. The drug war is a profitable industry, not a policy. And as we are seeing in Florida, eventually funds for "treatment" get cut, while we spend exponentiallly more on prisons.Drug laws are arbitrary, capricious and unconstitutional. To borrow from Robert Sharpe,"America can either be a free country or a "drug-free" country, but not both." 
Jose Melendez
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment