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source: Myspace.com Blogs - Hell Freezes Over: White House Drug Czar Backs Decriminalization - Jack Herer MySpace Blog

It appears that Walters has seen the damage done by by the mexican drug war. he supported a drug decriminalization proposal which would decriminalize small amounts of cannabis, cocaine, and heroin! I personally think that the cocaine and heroin bit is un-necessary, but hey, what the hell.

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king cola

Decriminalization just means you will get a ticket. It's not making anything legal. I'm not into the hard drugs but why should it matter if cocaine or heroin is decriminalized? People that are in jail still get drugs inside the jails from family, friends, prison guards, or in some cases cops. Hard drugs put people through hell but people can also die from withdraw symptoms of alcohol and some people spend every day of their life getting drunk and battling alcohol addiction. Alcohol is a hard drug, maybe not as potent as small amounts of heroin or cocaine but alcohol can still be a fatal drug. I suspect that one of my friends, not too good of friends with him anymore, has a cocaine addiction. Hes into it pretty bad. Some of my other friends that use it don't do it all the time, they use it on the weekends. If I do any drug on the weekend it's usually some marijuana or a few beers. If someone is addicted to a drug I agree with drug treatment but the person needs to accept that they have a problem and they need to want to get the help.

Marijuana is a drug that should be legalized.

ITG

I think the government shouldn't have a say at all in what we put in our bodies, so I think they should all be legalized.

Perhaps marijuana is the only one that DESERVES to be legal, but they should all have the RIGHT to be legal, for a little bit of personification...

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I need LUNCH

My reasoning being opposed to the legalization of drugs such as cocaine and heroin, are that Iv done them; I would hate my younger sister to ever try them. on the other hand, I do believe that every human should have the opportunity to make mistakes, and administer whatever they like into their own bodies. (I know I kind of contradicted myself, sorry, mixed high thought processes.)

dirtbomb

I had to check to see if this didn't come off the Onion.
With only a couple of weeks left in office, he can pretty much say anything he likes at this point. Kinda like Jocelyn Elders exiting her post and coming out for Pot afterwards.
Enjoyed the comments section, too. "Wildly indignant Cannabis users against Junkies!"

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king cola

Decriminalizing a drug isn't legalization though, the cops can still confiscate the drugs and the person might get a infraction/ticket for it. I think if someone has a pound of marijuana or a kilo of cocaine they are still going to be in some serious shit with the law.

I agree with you that I wouldn't want my sister or any other family members messing with heroin or cocaine either. Unlike marijuana drugs like heroin and cocaine are very dangerous drugs and body weight also plays a role in those drugs. The way I think heroin and cocaine should be regulated is under the control of physicians, not under the control of illegal dealers. Drug addiction is a health problem. It might be possible to use hard drugs in moderation without developing an addiction but it's easy for someone to lose control and get hooked or overdose. The people that are addicted should get a medical card. They go to the doctor to get their heroin or cocaine but the doctor could try to get the person treatment. If they want the help they will go, if they want to continue their drug use then they could continue to get their drug through a doctor. Their health can be checked and their drugs will be regulated with the doses they give the patient. Under a doctors control the heroin or cocaine would be pure because it would be legal medically. If someone goes to a doctor for their drug they might live longer than if they go to a alley and buy their drug with who knows what's in it. Illegal drug dealers don't care about the customers health or addiction. The more drugs bought from the dealer, the more money they make. It's safer to just go to a physician. If you really want to push for the freedom of hard drug use then let the person go to a physician to buy the drug if they have an addiction or not but they will get a regulated dose and if they start to develope symtoms of an addict the physician can find out before it's too late. Keep the drug use on file with how often the person gets the drug. With hard drugs which are dangerous substances I do believe in some sort of control.

Marijuana doesn't need that type of regulation because you can't die on it. You could probably go through marijuana withdraws if you smoke heavily and try to quit but I don't think it puts someone in a life threatning condition.

The article was just about decriminalizing drugs though, not about legalizing them.

SpiralArchitect

Yup., I saw this and my JAW DROPPED.

Here is the original article.
Hell Freezes Over: White House Drug Czar backs Decriminalization

John Walters Backs a Mexican Proposal Far More Sweeping Than U.S. Measures He Has Opposed

(Washington, D.C.) The Marijuana Policy Project today congratulated White House “drug czar” John Walters for backing a Mexican government proposal that would remove criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana.

“I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but John Walters is right,” said MPP executive director Rob Kampia. “We heartily second his support for eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana users in Mexico, and look forward to working with him to end such penalties in the U.S. as well.”

On Oct. 22, The New York Times reported Walters’ public support for a drug decriminalization proposal by Mexican President Felipe Calderon, quoting Walters as saying, “I don’t think that’s legalization.” Under Calderon’s proposal, individuals caught with small quantities of marijuana would receive no jail sentence or fine and would not receive a criminal record so long as they complete either drug education or, if addicted, drug treatment. Unlike proposals supported by MPP, the Mexican president’s proposal would also decriminalize possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.

“It’s fantastic that John Walters has recognized the massive destruction the drug war has inflicted on Mexico and is now calling for reforms there, but he’s a rank hypocrite if he continues opposing similar reforms in the U.S.,” Kampia said. “The Mexican proposal is far more sweeping than MPP’s proposals to decriminalize marijuana or make marijuana medically available, both of which John Walters and his henchmen rail against.”

In a March 19, 2008, press release from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, deputy director Scott Burns called a New Hampshire proposal to impose a $200 fine rather than jail time for a small amount of marijuana “a dangerous first step toward complete drug legalization.”

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king cola

If drugs like marijuana do get decriminalized in the U.S it will make it easier for states to push for legalization of marijuana in the future.

Neko150

Wow - this is fantastic to hear, but seems a bit of a "lame duck" statement. He won't make any major changes. He's out in under two weeks.

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ITG

Did I miss something? Why is he out in two weeks? I thought he stayed on until Jan. 20, when the administration in general changes.