« An Overview of (Recent) Human History | Main | Annals of Human Folly »
October 07, 2012
The Worst National Disgrace since Slavery
That America's Controlled Substances Act is the perfect trifecta: a national, international and species disgrace, perhaps the worst bit of public policy since American chattel slavery led the nation into a near-fatal Civil War in 1860. There is simply no excuse in 2012, to take its central prohibition of Marijuana seriously. Yet the federal agency created by Nixon in 1973 as his personal drug police force is such a colossal failure at “controlling” any of the illegal markets it aspires to shut down, the DEA should have zero legitimacy (are they just stealing the money?). Yet the "heroic" agency continues to wreck young lives and spew incoherent propaganda to the diminishing number of people who take it seriously.The DEA's most noticeable failing is that it can't articulate a coherent theory of drug use for any "drug of abuse." They are stuck with Mitchell's mandate, but they have no clinical research of their own, just the usual vague incoherent garbage they've been spouting ad nauseam since 1973. Their ignorance should be embarrassing, but it isn't because they simply don't know how ignorant they are.Almost as bad, although it has been taking a lower profile since the odious Alan Leshner moved over to the AAAS (!) is NIDA- another agency Nixon created via Executive Order; not to arrest people but to shill for a policy they are literally paid to block all honest research into, misrepresent data from, and never say anything good about. That they can claim to support "evidence based" policy boggles the mind.
The list of drug policy dupes and knaves is as long as it is dishonorable. My particular villains are the wannabe docs who have decided, on the basis of zero medical training or clinical experience that they can recognize "legitimate" pot users from across the street because they aren't wearing a cast, limping, or appear to be dying.
Before closing, I should probably explain why I am so exercised. It's because another general election appears to be slipping by without any discussion of either the drug war or medical cannabis. Given their history and social implications, I don't understand the disinterest. Also,given Obama's paternal history, for him to dodge the issue is as puzzling as his earlier silence on DEA raids and the aggressive new campaign his "Justice" Department dragon lady is waging against dispensary landlords. As a physician who has taken careful histories from thousands of patients, I know there are many who are placed at real financial, time, or personal safety disadvantages by Ms Haag's malicious dispensary closures.
Doctor Tom
Posted by tjeffo at October 7, 2012 11:02 PM