drug hawks' worst nightmare: Kucinich hearings will raise a ruckus

[Algorem]

Kucinich takes over a new House subcommittee, signaling changes in national drug policy

http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=4969&IssueNum=191

~ By DEAN KUIPERS ~


The Democratic sweep in the 2006 mid-term elections has done more than finally install a woman as speaker of the House. It has also put one of the most vocal critics of the ill-starred “War on Drugs” in a position to affect federal drug policy. On January 18, Ohio Congressman and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, one of the most progressive Democratic voices in the House, was appointed as chair of the new House Government Reform and Oversight subcommittee on domestic policy, causing drug reform organizations coast-to-coast to rejoice in hopes that a moment for significant change may have finally come.

This subcommittee replaces the now-defunct Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources subcommittee, which was headed up by staunch drug warrior, Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN). Kucinich will assume many of his oversight duties, including policy oversight of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and appointed Drug Czar John Walters. One commentator on Stopthedrugwar.org crowed that “the responsibility of overseeing the ONDCP has effectively been transferred from Congress’s most reckless drug warrior to its most outspoken drug policy reformer” .

“He is certainly the polar opposite of his predecessor, Mark Souder,” says Allen St. Pierre, spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML. “Since the time the was created in 1988, there have always been friendly people in that subcommittee and the ONDCP has always been able to get what they want under the guise of protecting children and saving America from drugs. But Kucinich doesn’t believe any of that. Any of it!”

For instance, St. Pierre notes, Kucinich is a supporter of industrial hemp, the non-psychoactive product of the cannabis sativa plant. He is also a supporter of medical marijuana and of the federal rescheduling of marijuana, where it is currently illegal as a Schedule I drug, classified as having “no medical value.” This classification clashes with states such as California, which have legalized medical use of marijuana, and leads directly to the current rash of raids on medical marijuana dispensaries by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. Kucinich is expected, St. Pierre says, to be a sponsor of a new bill to be introduced in March that would decriminalize pot...

[Mojorabbit]

1. Fingers crossed! n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

2. If he really pushes back hard on this

He's GOT my vote in the Primaries. No question.

It's well past time someone started calling bullshit on the idiotic fucking $40 Billion a year drug war.

[ms liberty]

3. K&R n/t

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

4. K&R

[femmedem]

5. O Kucinich!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...:loveya:

[NotGivingUp]

6. the drug war...locking up good people for bad reasons...and bashing into people's homes

go dennis!

[Pawel K]

7. I hope they will actually do what they say

we need theses laws to be reformed and we need it done quickly.

[Cassius23]

8. If he cosponsors a bill to decriminalize...

I will volunteer on his campaign, I will tell my friends, I will vote for him.

I might even set up a little shrine in my room.

Wow.

Just.

Wow.

[bamacrat]

9. I hope this gets the ball rolling on legalization.

Some people think that it wont matter if pot is legalized and taxed, people will still buy from dealers. This is stupid, how many people do you know who buy bootlegged liquor, very few. Why go through the trouble of finding a "guy" and taking the chances of getting caught of jipped if you dont have to. If there were a store down the road with pre-rolled joints or blunts of good quality weed to love and enjoy. There would come a point where the dealers wont be able to compete with the legit stores prices and give it up.
I can dream cant I.

[Hun Joro]

10. Go Dennis!

What a great man he is.

[MaggieSwanson]

11. Error: You've already recommended that thread.

Fine, then. K&R.

:patriot: Go Dennis!

[Cobalt Violet]

12. MJ has medical value.

I hope he can get this done. I like him for so many reasons and this is one of them.

[enfield collector]

13. war on (some) drugs is really the war

on liberties. I hope dennis will do the right thing here and end it, for the children's sake.

[NorthernSpy]

14. I (heart) the Kooch!

Lord, please let him win the primaries! He is a good man, and he'd make a great president.

[wildbilln864]

15. I agree 100%!

Kucinich in 08!

[bamacrat]

16. Kucinich is our only hope in todays government.

We need to ultimately legalize marijuana.