Drug Czar Kerlikowske: I meant “smoked marijuana” is dangerous and has no medicinal value

(KOMO) Less than three months into his job as the nation’s Drug Czar, and former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske found himself under fire, quoted as saying “marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit.”

Back in Seattle for a roundtable discussion on drug policy, Kerlikowske sat down with KOMO News and addressed the comment.

“I certainly said that legalization is not in the president’s vocabulary nor is it in mine,” Kerlikowske said. “But the other question was in reference to smoked marijuana. And as we know, the FDA has not determined that smoked marijuana has a value, and this is clearly a medical question and that’s where I’ve been leaving it.”

Asked if he regretted what he said, Kerlikowske said, “Sometimes you make a mistake and you work very hard to correct it. That happens. I should’ve clearly said ‘smoked’ marijuana and then gone on to say that this is clearly a question that should be answered by the medical community.”

So, then, are you admitting that eaten, vaporized, or topical marijuana preparations do have a medical value?  Seems to me the mistake Director Kerlikowske made was not having his reefer madness talking points properly memorized before press conferences.

Kerlikowske’s stand on legalizing marijuana for everyone is more clear-cut.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy, by law, actively works against legalizing drugs.

“You know from the University of Washington, the number-one call from young people for treatment here, after alcohol, is marijuana. So I’m not seeing the benefit to society with legalization at all.”

Yes, because the criminal justice system has sentenced 58% to mandatory drug treatment when they are caught with marijuana.  Another 28% are referred by their employer or school or other source where their choice is to go to rehab or lose their job or scholarship or financial aid.  Only 15% of the people seeking treatment for marijuana are there because they admitted themselves and many of them also are attending only because of coercion.

For comparison’s sake, for that number-one drug, alcohol, 28% admit themselves to treatment and only 43% are admitted through criminal justice.  For those who use alcohol with a “secondary drug”, those numbers change to 32% self-admissions and 35% criminal justice admissions.

I do want to give props to KOMO in Seattle for pointing out that the ONDCP by law must oppose legalization, no matter what the science and public opinion may say on the matter.  There is no other federal government agency I can think of that is mandated by law to specifically oppose a public policy option.