DHS' Kelly, Changing Course: Marijuana Is 'A Potentially Dangerous Gateway Drug'

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo



By MATT SHUHAM Published APRIL 18, 2017, 1:54 PM EDT

Two days after saying that marijuana was “not a factor” in the in the drug war, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security warned that it was “a potentially dangerous gateway drug” and said his agency would pursue the enforcement of laws against it.

DHS doesn’t have much legal authority to pursue drug-related arrests of U.S. citizens, if they aren’t involved in transnational crime — that responsibility falls to local law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the FBI and others.

But the agency pursues the flow of illicit drugs into the United States through U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and considers past drug charges and convictions in the cases of undocumented immigrants who could be deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In an interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd Sunday, DHS Secretary John Kelly said that marijuana was “not a factor” in the drug war (methamphetamines, cocaine and heroin were, he said). He seemed to change his tone Tuesday in a speech at George Washington University, according to a copy of prepared remarks provided by DHS.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/kelly-marijuana-potentially-dangerous-gateway-drug-dhs

[Cryptoad]

1. "That some serious shit, man"!

time warp

[50 Shades Of Blue]

2. But of course! Private prisons need fodder!

[Plucketeer]

18. Not to mention

the deluge of Phone calls he got from BIG PHARMA!

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Alcohol is the most common gateway drug.

It's widely available and legal to buy and use if you are over the minimum age set by law.

[LakeVermilion]

5. If you want to bring down the debt,

legalize it and tax it. People will pay the tax or not buy it. In fact, increase the tax so much, that it is prohibitive!

[MindPilot]

14. Fuck that!

First of all over-taxing something simply creates another black market.

Secondly fuck sin taxes. I am not your revenue stream.

[appal_jack]

23. I second MindPilot's point.

A small tax is OK: seems to be working well for CO. I hear that OR just raised taxes to a point some view as extreme / nearly prohibitive.

The point is to reduce harm, not find new ways to create it!

-app

[safeinOhio]

4. The flow of cannabis across the boarder has

started to change direction. High quality smoke from the US is starting to show up in Columbia.

Mexico may want a wall to keep drugs and guns from coming across the boarder.

[Wawannabe]

6. It's been back and forth...

...Since Sessions was sworn in. They are partaking of some serious good weed man. They can't remememememember day to day or get their shit together.

[SamKnause]

7. I am sick of the FUCKING lies !!!!!

I am sick of the politicians that lie about cannabis.

I am sick of law enforcement that lie about cannabis.

I am sick of my country lying about cannabis.

They KNOW they are lying !!!!

The government of this country can not be trusted to tell the truth about anything.

The government is CORRUPT !!!!

They sicken me !!!!

LIARS, they are all fucking LIARS !!!!

I have 41 years personal experience with cannabis.

When will it lead to harder drugs ???

I don't drink.

I don't take any prescription medications.

Fucking LIARS and frauds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jazzcat23]

22. I'm with you Sam!

I've got more years than you and it never was a gateway for me to anything else! When I gave it up and started drinking, I felt worse, I spent more money, I had hangovers and upset stomach. Went back to weed and it's all good now, once again. I actually get more restful sleep again with it. If we all smoked weed, there would be far less anger, and wars would be few and far between. Just sayin"....

[LiberalLovinLug]

8. the Fundie wingnut moonbats and Sessions must have had a word with her

Meanwhile....in Canada weed will soon be legal across the country for both medicinal and recreational use.

[Achilleaze]

21. The Great White North will probably speed things up

in the Land of the Sensible.

[teezy]

9. This ought to make border crossings from Canadians an even bigger shitshow than it already is.

We're supposed to legalize weed country-wide in July 2018. Watch the stupidity get worse.

[leftyladyfrommo]

10. If that were true me and most of my friends

would be dead addicts by now.

We aren't. We are all perfectly functional individuals that contributed to this society for 60 years.

[Wawannabe]

24. Hey leftladyfrommo

Me too!
Tho I am a WAwannabe.
Leaving MISERY by the end of the month!
Gave notice at the flea market I have a booth. Went in yesterday and was asked by one of the co owners where I was moving to. Told him WA and he didnt have good to say. Then other owner walks up and says "where r u going"? Guy #1 replies for me - "leftcoast".

[leftyladyfrommo]

30. My family lives on Spokane.

They are liberal but I don't think everyone is. They are really close to northern Idaho and lots of gun but types up there.

I grew up in Spokane. But I like Kansas City. I have lived here almost 40 years.

[Wawannabe]

31. Go Chiefs!

[leftyladyfrommo]

32. I am not a sports person.

I am an old hippy thst lives pretty much off the grid except for my smartphone.

Spokane never has had a booming economy. Salaries are pretty low compared to Seattle. Prices are about the same as here. Seattle and Portland are expensive.

But Spokane is beautiful. The air is wonderful.

[lark]

11. L.I.A.R

They know Sessions (and probably Drumpf) are heavily, heavily invested in private prisons and marijuana use is the thing that fills up jails. This has exactly zero to do with his explanation, which is really no excuse at all, just a pretense. Colorado has proven that using marijuana SIGNIFICANTLY lowers crime rates from opioid abuse, DUI's, and assaults. These horrific Repugs are willing for many people to die and for others to have their lives totally fucked up forever by the felony arrests and to prevent tons of young people (especially brown ones) from voting. They are totally despicable, every single solitary one of them.

[jmowreader]

12. The most prominent "gateway drug" isn't even scheduled

Here it is:


It is EXTREMELY rare to find someone who uses illegal drugs who didn't start out as a cigarette smoker. I don't care what the drug is - be it cannabis, opiates, uppers, downers, all-arounders, PCP, cocaine products, diverted prescription drugs, whatever - if there's someone using it, that "someone" started out with a cigarette.

Now understand, cigarette use doesn't always lead to heroin use. The path from drug virginity to hard drugs has several steps, though, and that first step is always "hey, you wanna try a cigarette?"

If you're going to win the "war on drugs" you first have to start by winning the war on cigarettes.

[pansypoo53219]

13. dumb ass. CIGARETTES are the gateway drug.

or the medicine cabinet at home.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

20. Cheese. Every hard drug addict has eaten cheese, usually a lot, in the leadup to their addiction. nt

[DemoTex]

15. He was warned, so he did not persist.

Kelly is back on script. Like a good little petrushka.

[Wawannabe]

25. Good one!!!!!

We see a lot of this do we not?

[truthisfreedom]

16. 45's administration is so ridiculously predictable. If anyone says anything reasonable,

thoughtful, intelligent or scientific, it gets walked back fiercely within a couple of days.

Laughable.

[groundloop]

19. 45*'s administration will certainly be remembered for Lies and Flip-Flops

[riversedge]

26. My bet is that Sessions had a long chat with him.

[secondwind]

27. The most flip-flopping Admin ever ..

[randr]

28. Gearing up for police state

First they came for the Muslims, then they came for the immigrants, next were the those with health issues, and of course the women. Now they want the stoners; who will be next?

[dembotoz]

29. Could be a good issue for us

Perhaps folks who ignore the desecration of civil Rights will care about their weed.

Should I add the sarcasm thing????
No I will let this stand as is