Open Letter to the New "Drug Czar" from Another Top Cop: End the Drug War

Dear Gil:

Congratulations on your confirmation as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Bit of an irony, isn't it? Two Seattle police chiefs on opposite sides of the drug war? As "drug czar" (please retire that ill-begotten label), you are responsible for advising the president and vice president on drug control programs, and for coordinating drug policies among all federal agencies. I, on the other hand, as a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, am devoted to ending the drug war, along with the prohibition model on which it's based.

But how far apart are we, really?

During your tenure as police chief you either championed or tolerated sensible policies such as methadone treatment, clean needle exchanges, medical marijuana, and a Seattle voter initiative requiring you and the city attorney to make simple adult marijuana possession your lowest enforcement priority (lower, indeed, than jaywalking). You also continued the practice of assigning police officers to Hempfest, knowing your cops would make no arrests for possession of marijuana, thus ensuring a safe and peaceful event. These modest steps represent progress, and they position our former city as a leader in local reform.

But I'd be less than honest if I didn't point to some genuinely worrisome positions you've taken recently.

In responding to written interrogatories from Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee you claimed there is no scientific consensus supporting medicinal marijuana; announced your opposition to legalizing marijuana; and defended the classification of pot, along with heroin, PCP, and GHB, as a "Schedule 1" drug--which means, I guess, that you believe it is highly addictive and possessed of no medical value.

Sadly, these views put you in league with your ONDCP predecessor, John Walters--he of the magnificent obsession with "killer weed"--who during his tenure silenced science, lied habitually, and refused to debate those with opposing views.

How much of your stance on these issues falls into the category of confirmation politics? How much represents your true feelings? Either way, your early public comments are disconcerting, coming from an administration headed by a president who's proclaimed the drug war an "utter failure," and who has advocated more of a public health approach to drug control.

Still, you did stand up to the shriller apostles of the drug war.

You wrote, for example, that needle exchanges are "not a cause of significant public safety problems," that they are part of a "comprehensive approach for drug abuse prevention, treatment, and care, including efforts to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases."

You share Obama and Biden's position that sentencing guidelines for crack vs. powder forms of cocaine are "wrong and should be eliminated."

And I loved your reply to Senator Grassley's question of whether marijuana is a gateway drug: "Often, marijuana is the first illicit drug that young people use. I support efforts to educate young people about the dangers of illicit drugs, including marijuana." In other words, Senator: No. Pot is not a "gateway" drug.

Likewise, your answer to the Iowa lawmaker's query about whether the medical marijuana case of Gonzales v. Raich was a proper decision. "...the Supreme Court's decision...is the current law of our land. As a result...I am duty bound to honor it and so I [will] until such time as the supreme law of our land on this subject changes." The "subject," simplified, refers to whether the federal government should trump the states on marijuana enforcement. Sounds like another "no" to me.

You oppose "mandatory minimums" which have resulted in millions of nonviolent drug offenders going to prison for very long stretches. "...I understand and respect the ability of states, under the longstanding principles of federalism," you wrote, "to make state policy decisions within the scope of their authority and jurisdiction." Sounds like you're fully on board with the president and Attorney General Holder in calling off the DEA raids on medical marijuana dispensaries. (Federalism. Smart invocation, Gil. Appeals to many Americans, including thoughtful conservatives of a "dual federalist" stripe.)

So, how open will you be to new ways of looking at old, disastrous drug policies? You claim to support "evidence-based," data-driven solutions. You have, in your own words, "long recognized that to be successful as a police chief you have to rely on and work collaboratively with...other governmental and non-governmental entities." You pledged to "re-establish valid working relationships with non-governmental entities and stakeholders."

Drug policy reformers, mushrooming in strength and number every day, are committed to sensible drug laws, Gil. We will support your every worthy incremental step on the road to rational government policies. Of course, some of us, like LEAP members, will not be content with anything less than an end to the drug war, and the replacement of prohibition with a regulatory model based on sound public health principles. But that shouldn't stop you from making a place for us at the table. We are, after all, stakeholders too.

Finally, as we begin this new era of drug policy debate, is it too much to ask that you vanquish the vocabulary of "war"? We all know that when Richard Nixon labeled drugs "public enemy number one" and vowed all-out war on them he was in truth declaring war on us, the citizenry of the United States--especially the young, the poor, and people of color.

In an April 20, 2009 proposal to end the drug war, the Drug Policy Alliance urged us to recognize that while "DPA's work is all about drugs on the surface, dig down a little deeper and one finds it's not really about drugs at all." It's about "much larger struggles in American and international society--over the extent and limits of individual freedom, what it means to be a free society, and how we deal with both phantom and real threats to health, life, and security."

You have been given what DPA calls a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to help us reclaim our freedom as Americans, and to live safer, healthier lives.

Please don't blow it, Gil.

Warm regards,
Norm

Norm Stamper was Gil Kerlikowske's immediate predecessor as Seattle's chief of police, having served from 1994-2000.

Comments

[IntellectuallyHonest]

I used to work in law enforcement, and I agree with the views of LEAP. Everybody in law enforcement knows that drug enforcement is a waste of time.

[Jason Hollis]

It's SO refreshing to see Law Enforcement speaking out against this travesty, this colossal waste of taxpayer dollars and LEO time and energy.

Mr Kerlikowske, LISTEN TO HIM.

[myzenthing]

An excellent post, Norm! Would that all of our public officials spoke with such wisdom and sanity.

[CaptD]

Mexico's Congress just passed a bill decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of drugs (see San Diego Union Tribune) and that will set an example that American should consider when we begin having "open" discussions as Governor of CA and others have called for. BTW: folks that are fearful of publicly commenting on these US policies can comment on the Mexican policies without similar concern; which is a major plus for freedom of speech!

The amount of cash generated cannot be ignored in "these tough times" and may prove to be the incentive for more realistic policy "changes", which will lead to a much lower number of people being jailed at huge expense and also reduce the amount of money going to Drug cartels...

As far as the medical uses go, anyone actually interacting with those folks with MAJOR health/pain problems will understand just how bias these "studies" have been and how it has changed the quality of life for the elderly and chronically ill (FOR THE BETTER); despite what Big Pharmacy and the Private Jail Lobbies say!

[Brinna]

We all owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Norm Stamper, and the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice System members of LEAP, who have put their names and reputations on the line in defense of Truth. I, for one, have become a citizen supporter and I encourage everyone who reads this article to do the same. If you believe, as I do, that the War on Drugs has long ago lost any claim to the promotion of public welfare; that the WOD is a self-serving and self-perpetuating tool of oppression which damages the very soul of our nation, we must put our money and our resources where our hearts lie.

Thank you, Norman, and thank you LEAP, for the incredible work that you all do.

[yukondiva]

Go Norm We are with you in Alaska. Thank goodness for LEAP

[Woofer58]

I think the government needs to do this-

Commission a 'blue-ribbon" commitee to look at a federal drug policy 'from the ground up'.

Its' mandate will be to write a drug policy that will presented to Congress for voting into law.

Include- researchers, psychiatrists, social workers and doctors. Also DOJ, IRS and Dept. of Commerce. Perhaps others, but no members of congress or PAC reps.

Look into the pros and cons of legalization of various drugs and/or re-classifications. Look at 'taxibilty' issues and routes of commercialization. Take a long look at hemp as a commercial set of products.

Take a very strong stance on all medical applications of drugs and their usefulness as to the guarantees of the 'right to happiness' parts of the Constitution.

Time for Americans to get drugs that work as opposed to only 'drugs that make profits'.

[Dram5780]

Great Post.

[Woofer58]

Thanx

[MyMindSpray]

Once again, Norm Stamper is kicking ass. Great letter, and here's hoping he reads it with an open mind.

[worldlyhick]

Gil should check out this interesting study about cannabis use by some very sick patients. So should President Obama.

http://www.medicalcannabis.com/PDF/Chronic_Cannabis.pdf

The cannabis came from the University of Mississippi.

[Alex5ive]

It's mostly ignorance.
I challenge everyone who thinks marijuana is evil to go do some research. Alcohol has terrible health implications and yet that's legal.
In my opinion, and I've done quite a bit of research on the matter, marijuana is less harmful then cigarettes. It's about the equivalent of caffeine, but more fun!

I think it comes down to the fact that people are afraid of change and very reluctant to admit that they were wrong. If all of the money we were spending on locking up people who got caught with a joint went into education, maybe we could start producing more engineers then massage therapists in this country. All of the money that would not be spent on criminalizing marijuana might just be enough to help turn this economy around. Not to mention the fact that we could tax it. TAX IT! I really don't see what the problem is here.

[worldlyhick]

If Gil Kerlikowski sincerly believes cannabis is addictive and needs to be classified on a "Schedule" he has done no independent research on the matter.

You would think just some random curiosity would lead these people to look a little more deeply into this issue which affects a lot of people and their rights or lack of them.

So these folks are either intellectual dead weight or they're just mouthing words and doing whatever to avoid making any major decisions based on integrity. Either case is not too pretty.

Anyway, thanks to Mr. Stamper for the articles and continuing attention to this matter.

[Tom Kenneally]

Way to go Norm. Sensibility is the name of the game.

[BusGreg]

To put things into perspective…
One trillion dollars (plus) has been wasted on the failed drug war. A one dollar bill is 6.375 inches long, so if you do the math and multiply 6.375 inches by one trillion and then divide the result by 12 you get 531 billion 250 million feet and divide that by 5280 you come up with (drumroll please)
100,615,530.3 miles
The money wasted on the drug war if laid out in one dollar bills would make a line..
onehundred million sixhundredfifteen thousand and fivehundredthirty miles long….
According to wikipedia the distance from the earth to the moon (center to center) is 384,403 km or 238,856 miles.
That means the dollars wasted on the drug war would stretch from the earth to the moon 261.75 times!
WOW!

[Malkin71]

Do you think we'd ever get statistics of such depth and quality AND total irrelevance to anything without pot?

That or music, comedy, etc.

[fredamae]

Actually, This report demonstrates a Slightly Higher Doillar Amount invested in the WoD's at $2.5 Trillion!
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1887488,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-sidebar

[PatA]

My daughter's father is an alcoholic in the strictest sense. Drinks all evening but still gets up and goes to work the next day. Drinks to oblivion at the OU ballgames...you get it, right?

Condemns his daughters for smoking pot..condemns them to hell in a handbasket. (He is a DA)..wants every pot smoker in the state to be in prison for life. I worked in a prison and it breaks my heart to see how many lives have been ruined, or at the very least...put on hold, due to being incarcerated for possession of pot.

I've never known of anyone smoking pot and causing a 10 care pileup on I-35~

[wietog]

Yep. Somehow alcohol "isn't a drug", right? I believe that the churches are at fault partly, since wine is used in sacred rituals. That's how my dad rationalized his severe, debilitating and relationsh­ip-ruining alcoholism!!!

Anything can be a drug! Any substance or activity can become detrimentally addictive. Yet, some are WAY MORE INNOCUOUS than others.

You'd be more likely to find a pothead driving in the slowlane than the fast lane, that's for sure (if at all).

Criminalizing a WEED is INSANE. You can be imprisoned if it grows in your yard even if you had no idea!

Maybe there should be a huge underground movement to grow pot EVERYWHERE. I mean, make it flourish like crazy, to the point where authorities couldn't haul it all if they tried. Public lands, parks, forests, abandoned lots, etc. Or, even better, a plant is hybridized to look identical to marijuana (without the THC) and is then planted on all kinds of private property as well!

This has got to be the WORST waste of time for our law enforcers.

[hippynanainblingland]

Hemp will do, don't you think?

[MrEZ]

Thank you Mr. Stamper for all the hard work you've done for us. I just feel that the Obama administration is going to make life harder on Cannabis smokers than ever before.

I'd sooner believe we'll put a human on Neptune, before Cannabis is recognized for the boon that it is.

[Nommo]

I love the irony of your last sentence.