cannabisnews.com: Drug Control Strategy Launched





Drug Control Strategy Launched
Posted by CN Staff on February 09, 2006 at 07:50:39 PT
By Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times
Source: United Press International 
Denver -- The Bush administration yesterday announced its 2006 National Drug Control Strategy in the first city to legalize marijuana, a decision that wasn't entirely coincidental.   John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, who selected a youth drug treatment center here as the site for the announcement, said Denver represented "a model of what we see and what we're trying to face."
"We really came here because they had many of the elements we were looking for: the federal-local partnership, they've faced problem with methamphetamine labs, they've faced the problem with drug trafficking from the southwest border," Mr. Walters said.   "At the same time, I certainly don't shy away from going to places where [millionaire campaign financier] George Soros tells people that using drugs [is] safe and that drug use should be legal," he said.   The 2006 strategy calls for a continuation of the Bush administration's balance of reducing demand through, among other things, drug-prevention campaigns, and reducing supply by securing the Mexican border.   Mr. Walters described the strategy, implemented in 2001, as a success, pointing to studies showing that overall teenage drug use has dropped since then by 19 percent. Use of methamphetamine, LSD and steroids also have declined, he said.   "What we've learned is that treatment and education can work," said Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, a Republican who appeared with Mr. Walters at the press conference. "A lot of times we're told it's an unwinnable battle, yet the numbers are clear -- we are winning."   Denver stunned the nation in November when voters approved an initiative decriminalizing adult possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana, the most liberal such law in the nation. Legalization activists now are working to put a similar measure on the statewide ballot, a proposal Mr. Owens and state Attorney General John Suthers have vowed to defeat.   Mr. Walters said his office would support the effort to defeat the initiative if it wins a slot on the November ballot. "We've decided to stand with the people who provide treatment," said Mr. Walters. "Marijuana is the single biggest cause of treatment in this country by far."   Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer Alternatives for Enjoyable Recreation, accused Mr. Walters of using federal funds to campaign against the initiative by bringing his anti-drug message to Colorado.   "I obviously think it's pretty ridiculous that they've called in the federal government to do their dirty work for them," said Mr. Tvert. "It's unfortunate the drug czar is willing to spend federal money to fly to Denver and strategize against future ballot measures."   Mr. Tvert, the mover behind the successful Denver measure and now the statewide proposal, said that Mr. Soros, a critic of the federal war on drugs, has given no money to either marijuana-legalization campaign.   Legalization advocates say marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol and deny that pot is a "gateway drug" for more dangerous narcotics. Source: United Press International (Wire)Author: Valerie Richardson, The Washington TimesPublished: February 9, 2006 Copyright 2006 United Press InternationalWebsite: http://www.upi.com/ Contact: nationaldesk upi.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Safer Coloradohttp://www.safercolorado.org/White House Unveils Anti-Drug Policyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21581.shtmlPot Advocates Push Statewide Legalizationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21462.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by b4daylight on February 09, 2006 at 18:19:07 PT
123
"Marijuana is the single biggest cause of treatment in this country by far."and alcohol would be if you thought use was abuse. 
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on February 09, 2006 at 09:58:00 PT
Soros is a man to be blessed.
I, for one, love and appreciate George Soros.He helped give common people a voice that they couldn't afford. Even if some of us aren't crazy about Bruce...he's a force, a voice that is saying what many of us have wanted to say but had no widely heard voice. A "voice" generally costs money in today's world. Soros has given a helping hand to the downtrodden, the persecuted, the suffering, the poor, the sick, the discounted, and the despised. Soros and Lewis have helped the people that seem to be thought of as actually less than common people, since so many "common people" are so easily taught to despise anyone who uses drugs differently than prescribed by the government and pharmeceutical companies. The government rigidly controls the doctors. The government tells them exactly what they can or cannot do to help alleviate their patients' pain or misery...like the government knows better than a doctor in any individual situation.Jesus hung out with those "despised" by the self righteous and uppity "higher ups"...who thought Jesus should be honored to visit in their homes...if they should stoop so low as to have him. His friends and followers were the tax collectors, prostitutes, the social outcasts, the sick, the helpless, the despised, and the poor. Hmmm...thinking about that Jesus that I've studied and believe in ...who would he prefer to spend a pleasant evening with? Soros and Lewis are more like the guys Jesus would have hung around with. Hastert, Souder, Sensenbrenner, and the rest of those puritanical monsters are more like the leaders of the Pharisees and Sadducees that despised Yeshua so much...enough to kill him.
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Comment #3 posted by jared3602 on February 09, 2006 at 09:16:23 PT
Liar
Soros tells people that using drugs [is] safe and that drug use should be legalI don't think anyone of us has ever said that drugs are safe. What we keep saying is that we should be alowed to make our own decissions on what we put into our own bodies.
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Comment #2 posted by runderwo on February 09, 2006 at 09:13:01 PT
Walters opens mouth, inserts foot
"We've decided to stand with the people who provide treatment," said Mr. Walters. "Marijuana is the single biggest cause of treatment in this country by far."How much more blatant of an admission can you get than that? The profit motive of the treatment centers is behind keeping prohibition alive and well. Of course they wouldn't want marijuana legalized or seen as anything but a drug of abuse of which any use requires "treatment" of some sort. Walters wants to imply here to the layman that the treatment centers want his help in putting themselves out of business. Fat chance!
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 09, 2006 at 08:16:03 PT
Related Article from Snipped Source
Colo. at Front of U.S. Drug War ***February 9, 2006By Dave Curtin, Denver Post Staff Writer White House czar says marijuana threatens kids. John Walters launched his national policy from the state because of Denver's recent vote legalizing possession of small amounts of pot.Complete Article: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3489218
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