I received an update from @NatlNORML on Twitter regarding Attorney General Eric Holder’s statements during a press conference today. The press conference was meant to give America an update on the progress of Operation Accelerator which targeted the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, the US, and Canada [link]. Afterward, Eric Holder answered any questions. I wanted to share some of the responses I had to the post on NORML’s Daily Audio Stash.
My first response
Did anyone notice he didn’t mention how much marijuana was retrieved? Listen to how he lays out the numbers in the first 2 min of the conference.
- 50 members of sinaloa cartel
- 21 months
- US, Mexico, Canada
- 750 ppl
- $59,000,000
- 12,000 kilos of cocaine
- 1200 pounds of meth
- 1,300,000 extasy pills
- 160 weapons
But, there was no mention of marijuana. Maybe it was a slip? But, these guys are smart. This is not the Bush administration. I think he may have left out that figure on purpose. Maybe an early attempt to disconnect marijuana from big drug cartels in a way to eliminate ammo of anti-marijuana groups.
I think too much. What do you guys think?
“Radical” Russ responded to my comment
No, I think you’re on to something – the lack of a marijuana mention was notable. I think it may be more that it isn’t positive PR to note that you’re spending money eradicating weed.
Cocaine is less harmful than marijuana!
Later I came back to read any new comments and one stood out to me from Robert Petricci (NIMO):
I hope it is true but It seems to me Carl makes a lot of sense. The scheduling law doesn’t pass the smell test. It is obvious that marijuana has had and does have medical use in the United States. That being the case legally it can not be a schedule one drug by the governments own definition. That brings us to how do you trust a government that harshly enforces laws that are not legitimate? Courts continue to find excuses to send people to prison in obvious violation of the law. Obama and Holder simply need to enforce the law not pretend to do us a favor wink wink. The entire justice system in the U.S. operates in an unjust manner, it appears to me to be broken. This just shows one example of that.
It made me think about how the DEA’s posturing on marijuana may be more harmful than they realize. So, I responded:
I think this brings up deeper issues as it pertains to drug use in general. If the government is absolutely lying about marijuana and blatantly so, what’s one to think about other substances, especially those that are schedule 2. This goes directly to individuals who don’t know any better.
It’s only in practice a person NOT in the know would ever find out that marijuana is not the demon weed the DEA makes it out to be. If marijuana isn’t that dangerous yet is considered dangerous, it’s not exactly far fetched for one to extrapolate that cocaine or even heroin is not only not dangerous but most likely safer than marijuana.
It’s my opinion that the DEA’s erroneous prohibition classifications do absolutely more harm to the American public than any drug pusher ever could. If I was a drug dealer wanting to move cocaine and heroin, I’d use the DEA’s own argument to push that drug harder.
“Hey no one’s ever died from marijuana use and millions of people are saying that marijuana isn’t addictive, look at your friends. Come over here and try this cocaine. I’ve got some heroin for you as well. Remember, even the DEA thinks cocaine and heroin is safer than marijuana. Try it out!”
Of course I caught my mistake:
I goofed, heroin is schedule 1.
US Citizens need some perspective
Outside of the heroin flub, I believe my point is still valid. Does the DEA believe that cocaine is safer than marijuana or less harmful? If so, isn’t it a logical conclusion to believe that, if anything, that cocaine should probably be legal before marijuana?
Let’s stretch this even further. In the United States and rest of the world, tobacco and alcohol are legal. Both are addictive, both are carcinogenic (cancer causing), and both are responsible for millions of deaths around the world every year.
AND THEY ARE LEGAL KILLERS.
Yet, no one – no agency, no doctor/scientist/researcher, no police officer, no FBI/DEA/CIA agent, no community leader, no anti-drug organization, AND no government official – can point to, in the history of human marijuana usage since before and INCLUDING the times of Jesus Christ, ONE death attributed to marijuana use. NOT ONE!
One has to ask if there’s something very wrong with this picture. How is it that marijuana is considered a dangerous substance, Schedule I, according to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 [DEA | Wiki], yet all of these other substances enjoy not only lower classifications as in the case of cocaine (Schedule II) but complete legalization and regulation as is the case with alcohol and tobacco?
Am I wrong to ask such a question? Is it even more wrong for the DEA to let American citizens believe that cocaine, a chemical concoction that I have personally seen destroy entire communities, is safer than marijuana?
The citizens of the United States needs some perspective and common sense on this issue.
