Drug Czar Gets it Wrong — “Medicinal Benefit” of Marijuana is Clear
July 23rd, 2009Posted by Kris Hermes
Gil Kerlikowske, the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the country’s new Drug Czar was in Fresno, California this week for Operation S.O.S. (Save Our Sierras). The multi-agency effort to eradicate marijuana in eastern Fresno County has nothing to do with medical marijuana. However, that did not stop Kerlikowske from declaring (erroneously) to the Fresno Bee that marijuana “has no medicinal benefit.”
Certainly, Kerlikowske should have limited his public comments to the (non-medical) marijuana being pursued by local and federal agents under Operation S.O.S. But, if he really felt compelled to stray from the issues of recreational marijuana enforcement to comment on the medicinal use of marijuana he should have at least done his homework.
With a simple Internet search, Kerlikowske would have learned that studies in the United States, backed up by countless studies around the world, have shown marijuana to have medical efficacy for a number of illnesses and chronic conditions. The Drug Czar appears to be abandoning a rational approach espoused at the time of his appointment by President Obama in favor of an approach more akin to his predecessor John Walters. Kerlikowske, like Walters, has blurred the lines between medical marijuana and marijuana used recreationally. They are not the same and should not be treated the same.
Instead of endangering the hundreds of thousands of medical marijuana patients in the United States and ignoring a mountain of medical evidence, Kerlikowske should draw a clear line between the two uses for marijuana. This would not only allow states to continue to pass sensible medical marijuana laws without fear of reprisal from the federal government, but it would also allow the federal government to adopt a much needed comprehensive policy that took into account the benefits of this promising medicine.
July 24th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
My name is Tommy Hawkins Jr., and I am a medical marijuana patient living in Fresno, CA.
I am appalled that our Drug Czar, Gil Kerlikowske, has come to my home town and declared that “marijuana is a dangerous drug and has no medical value.”
President Obama has told us that there will be a policy change that will recognize medical marijuana users as legitimate in states with such laws.
When will this happen so that we don’t have to listen to the same tired old rhetoric?
Once again, I am very disappointed with our Drug Czar, and I feel that he should return to Fresno and correct his false statements so that patients like myself will be properly represented.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
I got my comments published as a LTE in both the online and print versions of my local newspaper, The Fresno Bee.
The only difference is that they changed the first line to read simply’ “I am a medical marijuana patient”.
I also e-mailed and called the ONDCP and left that same message.
Hope this helps.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Congratulations Tommy!
July 30th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Well said, and keep up the activism!
August 30th, 2009 at 6:51 am
When Drug Czar, Gil Kerlikowske speaks against marijuana, we know he is lying because Mother Jones (July 2009) exposed the legal requirement that the Drug Czar must always lie about legalizing any Schedule I drugs like marijuana. It is clear that no one should expect a single word of truth from Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske or anyone else associated with the ONDCP about marijuana or any other prohibited drug. The Drug Czar is required by law to oppose any effort to legalize marijuana for medical use regardless of scientific and medical evidence.
According to Title VII Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998: H11225: “The Director– [...] (12) shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall be expended for any study or contract relating to the legalization (for a medical use or any other use) of a substance listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812) and take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance (in any form)” (see The Drug Czar is required by law to lie http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2007/10/09/theDrugCzarIsRequiredByLaw.html)
Everyone should be clear in the knowledge that the Drug Czar will lose his job the instant he speaks the truth about marijuana.