ReconsiDer Tidbits

 

On the subject of drugs, Mr. Clinton, who famously claimed not to have
inhaled, said, "Most small amounts of marijuana have been decriminalized
and should be."  First of all, the first part of his statement is untrue. Decriminalized ?

Most of the US still punishes citizens for possession of marijuana under local laws

and under Federal law, they can arrest you for possession of a joint or even a seed!

The second part of his sentence is certainly true... it "should be.

"Listen," Keith Stroup, head of NORML,  said,  "I feel two ways about this.
First... Where the hell has he been, and why did 700,000 people get arrested
last year if he feels this way?"

"On the other hand," Stroup continued, "we are delighted to have
his support, and we will be using his statement in publicity work
because it is a very powerful statement"

Going further,  Clinton in the interview that mandatory sentences for drug use

should be re-examined along with the distinction in sentencing between crack and
powdered cocaine.

"The disparities are unconscionable between crack and powdered cocaine,"
Mr. Clinton said. "I tried to change that. The Republican Congress was
willing to narrow but not eliminate them, the theory being that people who
used crack were more violent than people who used cocaine.

"What they really meant was: People that used crack were more likely to be
poor - and, coincidentally, black or brown. And therefore not to have
money. Those people that used cocaine were more likely to be rich, pay for
it and therefore be peaceful."

The Clinton presidency has been marked by ever-increasing anti-
drug budgets, huge increases in the number of people sent to
prison on drug charges, and three consecutive years of record
marijuana arrests.  Clinton spent more on "anti-drug" measures in his first

year and a half in office than did Reagan and Bush in their twelve.

During Clinton's two terms in office, the annual number of marijuana

arrests rose from 250,000 to more than 700,000.

"This is typical Clinton," Stroup argued.  "It's a very positive
statement, but it underscores a real weakness, which is his lack
of political courage.  If he had any guts he would have made this
statement years ago."

"But I have to welcome the president's support, even at this late
date," he concluded.

Chuck Thomas of the Marijuana Policy Project was less ambivalent.

"Clinton's drug war has been every bit as vicious as those of his
predecessors," he told DRCNet.  "He's addicted to being well-
liked and plays to his audience.  He wants to come across as a
cool, open-minded guy on the drug issue when he's in Rolling
Stone or on MTV, but if he were talking to scared parents he'd be
talking about how we need to crack down."

"I just hope that anyone who reads that interview realizes that
despite Clinton's misinformed opinion, marijuana is not
decriminalized in the US," Thomas added.  "He's right that it
should be, but that requires more than just yukking it up with a
Rolling Stone reporter."

Our thanks to Rolling Stone and DRCnet for some of the quotes in the above  ReconsiDerTidbit.