DHS secrectary: Marijuana 'not a factor' in drug war

toxic hippie · Apr 16, 2017

via politico:

Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Sunday that marijuana was "not a factor" in the war on drugs and said solving the nation's drug problem was "not arresting a lot of users."

Kelly was discussing his work to stop the flow of drugs into the United States from Central America and Mexico when 'Meet The Press' host Chuck Todd asked if legalizing marijuana would help or hurt his work.

"Yeah, marijuana is not a factor in the drug war," Kelly responded, adding later: "It's three things. Methamphetamine. Almost all produced in Mexico. Heroin. Virtually all produced in Mexico. And cocaine that comes up from further south." Kelly said those three drugs, plus opiates, were responsible for the deaths of 52,000 people in the United States and cost the country $250 billion in 2015.

Kelly said the solution was to lower demand in the United States.

"The solution is not arresting a lot of users," he said.

"The solution is a comprehensive drug demand reduction program in the United States that involves every man and woman of goodwill. And then rehabilitation. And then law enforcement. And then getting at the poppy fields and the coca fields in the South."

Crusader Rabbit · Apr 16, 2017

toxic hippie said:
"It's three things. Methamphetamine. Almost all produced in Mexico. Heroin. Virtually all produced in Mexico. And cocaine that comes up from further south."

Actually, a huge amount of heroin now comes across the Atlantic from northern Europe. The northeast seaboard of the US is awash in the stuff. It originates in the poppy fields of Afghanistan, and is transported north through eastern European smuggling routes before crossing the Atlantic. Strange that our government officials don't want to mention this. The Taliban had eradicated most of the opium production in Afghanistan, but it flourished again once the US invaded under guidance of the CIA. Funny that.

edit; read post #4 before giving rep to this.

Crusader Rabbit · Apr 16, 2017

Coming back to the actual subject of TH's post... Kelly's comments about marijuana legalization show a stark contrast with the views of Jeff Sessions. I think this reflects a tendency on Trump's part to delegate and not micromanage his administration (reasons for this are debatable). So with different people in charge, we can expect things to go in different directions. Sessions seems to be on a moral crusade, while Kelly appears to be rationally focusing upon national security.

Ready4 · Apr 16, 2017

Crusader Rabbit said:
Actually, a huge amount of heroin now comes across the Atlantic from northern Europe. The northeast seaboard of the US is awash in the stuff. It originates in the poppy fields of Afghanistan, and is transported north through eastern European smuggling routes before crossing the Atlantic. Strange that our government officials don't want to mention this. The Taliban had eradicated most of the opium production in Afghanistan, but it flourished again once the US invaded under guidance of the CIA. Funny that.

Happy Easter Rabbit ! That bit about the Taliban "eradicating opium" is a myth. What really happened was there was a huge oversupply when they were in charge, the oversupply was driving down prices.
The Taliban only limited opium production because they were already flooded with supply & wanted to drive up prices for their existing stock. They are responsible for much of what is grown there now, it is their primary source of $$$.
Much of Afghanistan is not under government control. Our military industrial cartel makes trillions off of the endless futile money pit that is Afghanistan, of course their pimps would blame Mexico lol

Gry · Apr 16, 2017

Cannavore · Apr 16, 2017

yeah weed isnt their focus yet their budgets say otherwise lol

mittensmitten · Apr 16, 2017

At least the tool of The Leader of the Cheetos (surpisingly) makes some sense.

toxic hippie · Apr 16, 2017

Crusader Rabbit said:
Coming back to the actual subject of TH's post... Kelly's comments about marijuana legalization show a stark contrast with the views of Jeff Sessions. I think this reflects a tendency on Trump's part to delegate and not micromanage his administration (reasons for this are debatable). So with different people in charge, we can expect things to go in different directions. Sessions seems to be on a moral crusade, while Kelly appears to be rationally focusing upon national security.

if j sessions was to admit weed should be legal and poses no real danger he would be undermining his whole legal career and everything he has fought for. hes not going to sink himself.

C. Breeze · Apr 16, 2017

toxic hippie said:
if j sessions was to admit weed should be legal and poses no real danger he would be undermining his whole legal career and everything he has fought for. hes not going to sink himself.

Bullhonkey. Politicians reinvent themselves all the time. It's the other thing they do. They either entrench themselves bunker themselves in with their "ideology" defending it as unassailable- which Jeffery might do... or they like a weather vain you need only glance at what they are doing to get an idea which way the wind Is blowing- which it seems Jeffery may have taken notice of...

None of it changes anything. The seeds get sewn the crops get brought in, so it goes.

EsterEssence · Apr 17, 2017

If that is where the drug war budget is allocated it won't hurt my feelings...Leave CANNABIS alone.. Oh and j bogart sesh is not gonna change his opinion on marijuana...

rolandomota · Apr 17, 2017

Its just that weed doesnt kill anyone meth heroin and cocaine do kill many people thats why weed is not a problem more like a cash cow

C. Breeze · Apr 17, 2017

EsterEssence said:
... Oh and j bogart sesh is not gonna change his opinion on marijuana...

Correct. But he may navigate toward less murky water... politicians know self preservation... count on them to be self serving.

File me under "watching with curiosity" none of it affects my daily reality- though it definitely affects my state of mind

gtg341w · Apr 17, 2017

Encouraging comments from DHS Kelly, but Sessions as AG will have more of an effect on cannabis policy than DHS.

Midnight Tokar · Apr 17, 2017

gtg341w said:
Encouraging comments from DHS Kelly, but Sessions as AG will have more of an effect on cannabis policy than DHS.

Correct! Unless Trump tells Sessions otherwise, Kelly doesn't have a voice. Sessions is AG and as the top prosecutor his voice is the final word.

Dirt Life · Apr 17, 2017

Lol, sessions, that little teet sucking piglet... Was just looking @ his voting record, ugh. And while theres all this bluster and more flip flopping than the footwear of the same name with these people, they still havent gone after cannabis. Im not advocating to relax and let your gaurd down, quite the contrary, but just maybe on this topic, what has been said about not making MJ a priority, is a possibility. But, like I said, going through his voting record and you want to just puke, and that possibility then seems rather weak.

Dawn Patrol · Apr 17, 2017

mittensmitten said:
At least the tool of The Leader of the Cheetos (surpisingly) makes some sense.

until the private prison lobby comes calling, cash in hand.....

C. Breeze said:
Bullhonkey. Politicians reinvent themselves all the time. It's the other thing they do. They either entrench themselves bunker themselves in with their "ideology" defending it as unassailable- which Jeffery might do... or they like a weather vain you need only glance at what they are doing to get an idea which way the wind Is blowing- which it seems Jeffery may have taken notice of...

you obviously are not intimately familiar with this particular fuckwit. Unless someone in the administration has a close hold on him (and that has not been the mark of this administration) he will never cease to be the racist drug warrior/illegal prosecutor he has been since the 80's.

Google him - he is a shitstain on the legal profession. Think about what that means for a minute.

cryptop · Apr 17, 2017

C. Breeze said:
Bullhonkey. Politicians reinvent themselves all the time. It's the other thing they do. They either entrench themselves bunker themselves in with their "ideology" defending it as unassailable- which Jeffery might do... or they like a weather vain you need only glance at what they are doing to get an idea which way the wind Is blowing- which it seems Jeffery may have taken notice of...

None of it changes anything. The seeds get sewn the crops get brought in, so it goes.

"Jefferson Beauregard Sessions the Third" had his entire legal career decided before he was born.

C. Breeze · Apr 17, 2017

Dawn Patrol said:
until the private prison lobby comes calling, cash in hand.....

you obviously are not intimately familiar with this particular fuckwit. Unless someone in the administration has a close hold on him (and that has not been the mark of this administration) he will never cease to be the racist drug warrior/illegal prosecutor he has been since the 80's.

Google him - he is a shitstain on the legal profession. Think about what that means for a minute.

Oh- I hear you loud and clear- but what I'm saying is, for the first time in his life the nation is hearing sessions loud and clear, and they don't like it, and he has taken notice of that. I don't expect any ideological change whatsoever. We are however talking about a career politician whose life has been spent hiding from the public view in courtrooms and the senate. Now he has "the floor" all eyes on him, all ears listening- and overall none too thrilled with what we behold... he will donwht need sdoong to survive- up to and including not making a public fuss about mj...

Again- this is all simply course of action analysis. Most likely course of action is that sessions will A) not change his position even slightly while simultaneously B) doing whatever he needs to in order stay "in power"

Like most of everyone else I believe it's all about the benjies. Whether or not prohibition is teetering- everyone and that means you, me, them- everyone is grabbing as much money as they can in these final days of the current status quo- and in that light I'm thinking the court and Leo are overall less appealing option stoday than they were 3 years ago but that in 5 we will wonder what the fuss was all about

armedoldhippy · Apr 17, 2017

whether he changes his opinion on weed & its users is irrelevant. he can sit in his office with a loaded pistol & contemplate suicide because we don't follow his lead, but until Trump says "sic 'em" i don't expect him to do shit. too many governors/states/ the public have made it clear that they are tired of his brand of bullshit. as bad as things are going in DC right now, i honestly don't think that going after pot is an idea that Trump will bite on. too many other things on his plate that won't bite him back...

Capt.Ahab · Apr 17, 2017

Stop watching the news and plant some seeds. Do your thing, keep your head down and grow some plants. Until relatively recently,we have weathered these politicians and policy makers for all of our lives, taken our lumps and lived and grown our plants despite it all. Sessions and his type are nothing new. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Keep on keeping on.

DHS secrectary: Marijuana 'not a factor' in drug war

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Well this is some bullshit right here.....

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Feeding the ducks with a bun.