Greetings readers...sorry for my absense, but in the process here of trying to get camp open for the summer...a task made more difficult by the fact I have decided to move our site, which means a lot of extra work that I had not planned on. Further complicating things...our camp Internet it turns out is NOT turned on until opening day which is tomorrow. So, I have bee missing in action here.
I am volunteering at a 10K Run tomorrow morning, which means I have to be up in five hours, so this post is going to be short. I know...I wanted to pop on briefly to encourage everyone to really work hard, as we are SO CLOSE (I think) to tipping the scales and seeing our best hope at getting Medical Marijuana legalized nationally, and perhaps even seeing decriminalization of pot. That said, I caution those living in states that have already approved Medical Marijuana to be VERY CAREFUL...there are too many horror stories of innocent citizens being persecuted by the Federal Government which so far seems intent on ignoring state's rights, and state law that contradicts the Federal War on drugs. Even worse, governors in these 14 states refuse to TAKE A STAND, refuse too order the DEA out of their states until they can respect state laws and state's rights.
As example, look at Michigan...just as the state was taking its first steps as a Legal Marijuana state the DEA stepped in and busted a couple even though they (he) were legally entitled to grow medical marijuana for personal medical use.
This article supports a few things. First, pleased to announce that we have launched a new page on Medical Marijuana Society that kicks off a new project. Operation Out DEA...the concept of this operation is simple. The DEA cannot continue busting our Medical Marijuana dispensaries without our help, albeit unintentionally. DEA agents scope out and do undercover investigations of these Medical Marijuana facilities, including sending their OWN PEOPLE into the store. This means store owners need to have doors to buzz customers into the main area...inconvenient, but an extra layer of security.
My thinking...two doors. The first door brings you into a reception area (anyone can enter) where there is NOTHING TO SEE. There the customer must show PROPER ID, and sign a FULL DISCLOSURE FORM that says they are not working for Law Enforcement, or NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT, and are not undercover snitches. If they refuse to sign the paper, and your surveillance camera records that fact, you ask them to LEAVE the premises (make sure to tell them they are NOT ALLOWED BACK so that you can have them arrested if they try to return at a later time to do their surveillance...just call the cops, show them the video), they are NOT given access to the inner sanctum. If they sign paper and then bust you later, they used entrapment I would surmise.
Next, it is recommended that ALL Medical Marijuana facilities invest in outside surveillance cameras...in this fashion, you can A) Keep an eye out for suspicious behavior, B) notice perhaps that the DEA has you under surveillance. You could then have an activist team you call to immediately show up and surround said DEA agents vehicle asking for ID...also, have this team start taking photographs of the DEA...we will post these pictures on our Operation Out DEA page. I am talking peaceful CONFRONTATION HERE, talking about taking the DEA out of the shadows...no shadows, they loose their ability to conduct UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATIONS.
Lastly, educate yourselves about your opposition, know how they operate. To help you with that, here is the link to download the 2002 DEA Operations Manual...it has not changed that much in the past seven years. DOWNLOAD HERE.
Do you like this blog? Want to be one of our Budding Bloggers, a member of our Grassroots Cannabis React Team (GCRT)? Email me today and let me get your blog ready to roll and you can be a Budding Blogger bringing the 420 news from your end of the world...or just tell us about your getting stoned...this is all about community.
Sitting here this evening in a very blue mood as I ponder the fate of Charlie Lynch, wonder what he is doing with what might be his last night of freedom for the rest of his life. I am angry at a government and a court system that could even think of putting this man behind bars for his *supposed* crime. I am angry at a apathetic public that has allowed this drug war to go unimpeded now for over seventy years as 20 million of our citizens have been convicted of Marijuana related criminal charges. I am upset that Governor Arnold is letting this happen in a state that has declared Medical Marijuana Legal. My greatest wraith is reserved for the 90 Million Americans who have smoked pot including President Obama, President Bill Clinton, President George Bush, and every current cannabis smoker who is not doing anything to see this man set free...hello 420 Community, we have 25 Million pot smokers in America, and there is hardly a whisper about what is being done to Charlie Lynch. How hard would it be for each of you to write a PERSONAL LETTER TO, and MAIL President Obama demanding a full pardon for Charlie Lynch and every other Medical Marijuana storefront owner and caregiver currently facing DEA charges related to activities that are legal within the confines of state law.
If Charlie Lynch is out there this evening and reading this...if you are sentenced to prison and need a pen pal, I will gladly volunteer for the job. If you want the story of your life behind bars shared with the world, I'll start a blog and see that your story finds its way into the light of day. You sir are a brave and noble man, and I admire your bravery in this dark hour as you count down the minutes until tomorrow at 3:00Pm when Judge Wu hands down your sentence. Not sure that I could muster up the courage necessary to face what you have so far endured, and what you are about to endure.
Judge Wu...you have a duty to hand down justice...what justice is served in sending this man to prison? What justice was there in keeping him from mounting a adequate defense. Simply stated, I do not respect you, I have no problems here and now labeling you, the entire United States Department of Justice, and every law enforcement agent at the DEA scum...there is something terribly wrong with our Justice system, something terribly wrong with our law enforcement when men like Charlie Lynch are looking at life in prison, yet officers of the law look the other way when illegal aliens and those that hire them snub their noses at the so called "Rule of Law" in America.
Police officers want to know why we no longer respect them...just look at this case, look at the hundreds more just like it, look at the INNOCENT PEOPLE you so callously throw into a rat infested prison in the name of a War on Drugs, in the name of good relations with Mexico...FUCK YOU SIR. You want a clue...with every case like this, America's respect for law enforcement takes another hit, our willingness to be there for you lessens...do members of law enforcement really 25 percent of America's population HATING THEIR FUCKING GUTS, shrugging in a, "who gives a rats ass" manner when one of them is shot? That is where these kinds of wrongful prosecutions are taking us. At this point, at the age of 53 I would not walk out on my front porch to help out a police officer in desparate need...why should I?
To those much closer to ground zero...please take the time to be there for Charlie Lynch tomorrow afternoon. Give him the honor and dignity of knowing he is supported and loved for his ultimate sacrifice in this battle. Make sure that Judge Wu hears your voices...
The Department of justice has made it official that they intend on cracking down on anyone involved in the Medical Marijuana industry, regardless of the states laws on Medical Marijuana.
Needless to say, this is seriously bad news...question is, can the Medical Marijuana Movement do anything if we continue to sit on our hands...letter writing is NOT WORKING, while media coverage WILL WORK. We wrote letters, contacted our elected officials, prayed, and that DID NOT END THE VIETNAM WAR...taking to the streets, being in the NEWS EVERY FREAKING NIGHT ended that war. It will take that same effort to end the wrongful WAR ON DRUGS, and the sooner we come to this realization, the better off we will all be.
We have 25 million cannabis smokers across America...it is my belief, my contention that we are not going to get any POSITIVE forward movement on Medical Marijuana or on cannabis legalization any time soon unless we organize and MARCH, and I am talking in LARGE NUMBERS. You put half a million people on the streets in say five major cities...New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago would work...and you will see movement and action. You have smaller groups of us picking up our protest signs and taking to the streets, and we will get action. You call a million person Woodstock like SMOKE IN down on Washington, DC, and YOU WILL PUSH THE ISSUE.
How many more people need sent to prison before we all wake up to the reality that drastic actions are required here? The war on drugs has lasted SEVENTY YEARS because WE HAVE ALLOWED IT TO LAST. If states have voted to have LEGAL Medical Marijuana, then they have a duty to PROTECT those citizens in their states that did everything by the books according to state law, and that includes using local, state police, and if necessary the State National Guard to evict the DEA from their cities, to chain shut Federal Court Houses. Arnold has the ability in California to DRAW THE LINE IN THE SAND, but he does not have the balls to do it. That leaves it up to the 420 Community to demand real change, to MARCH FOR OUR CIVIL RIGHTS.
Showing up for sentencing on the 23rd of Charles Lynch...that is all nice and well, but it is NOT GOING TO DO ANY GOOD, he is still going to be handcuffed, dragged up to prison for up to ONE HUNDRED YEARS...chain shut the court house, encircle it in PEACEFUL PROTEST with so many people that the courthouse has no choice but to SHUT DOWN, that will get attention on this issue, give these victims of the goosestepping agents of the DEA a fighting chance for justice. Face it people...in WAR YOU FIGHT, OR YOU LOSE.
Obama is not scaling back the war on drugs, HE IS TURNING UP THE HEAT, the DEA and Eric Holder's Department of Justice are looking for the easy to pluck low hanging fruit, and that low hanging fruit makes every Medical Marijuana user, grower, supplier and caregiver A TARGET in all 13 states that have laws allowing Medical Marijuana use. Charles, Tom Kikuchi, Stephanie Landa, Dustin Costa...how many more of your friends, your compatriots are going to be scooped up by the BLACK HAND of the DEA before you realize this is a HOLOCAUST aimed at and against ten percent of Americans Citizens?
We have how many Pot Smokers on TWITTER? Where are my Budding Bloggers, at least one in every state so that we can network and have INSTANT communications to get stories out? Where is every smoker on Twitter joining up and participating in the Medical Marijuana Society Network? We need to GET SERIOUS PEOPLE, and I hope this Blog Message is the start of a NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION.
Sign up, volunteer, get involved...we need ACTIVIST, and being an ACTIVISTS MEANS DOING SOMETHING BESIDES LIGHTING UP A BLUNT.
Places You Can PLUG IN TOO...we can build the tools, but if 420 Folk do not join and use them, what good are they?
Link to this message, cut and paste it to your blogs!
Before you say you are too busy to get involved...what if you are next on the DEA's list as they TARGET OUR COMMUNITY? Short on time...then GIVE MONEY, as it takes money to organize and advertise! Think about it...if every Pot Smoker in America DONATED TEN DOLLARS A MONTH TO THE CAUSE, we would have $250 Million EACH MONTH to wage war against our oppressors...that buys a lot of advertising, hires a lot of lobbyists, and could FUND OUR MARCHES! Yes, I am ANGRY...this war has lasted seventy years, and it is time WE END IT.
But what happens when they do not? What and where is the accountability when politics is allowed to extinguish the flame of truth, when propaganda rather than sound science is allowed to rule the day, dictate policy and shape public perception? Propaganda is a strong word, and therefore one I wish to define...from my perspective, for the purpose of this article, Propaganda is selectively omitting or employing facts to persuade members of the general public to hold a specific view point. All this may not make sense if you are unaware of ASA's (Americans for Safe Access) court case in the Ninth Circuit Court that was heard yesterday. At question...the Federal Government's wrongful position in public discourse that there are no Medical Benefits to be found in Cannabis (marijuana).
In the immediate case, the ASA's challenge of Marijuana being called a Class 1 drug (which means it has no medical value) is relying upon a little known law (Data Quality Act (DQA)) that requires governmental agencies to rely upon Sound Science in effecting/shaping the governments public views/statements on any given topic. You would think this case is a closed book...we all know (even those who oppose legalization) that there is Medical Value to Marijuana. Here's the catch...it is the contention of our government (Eric Holder, Department of Justice, and most specifically, the DEA) that this law does not give citizens the right to CHALLENGE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION they believe to be inaccurate, based on faulty or unreliable data, or simply false as in the case of the DEA routinely putting out Public Service Announcements wrongfully portraying Marijuana as a drug with no social medical value to it.
The ASA's immediate lawsuit does not seek to change law, nor does it challenge the legal classification of Marijuana. What it seeks, is correction of false or misleading information that effects their clients who include seriously ill persons who have been dissuaded and/or discouraged from using Medical Marijuana by the US Department of Health and Human Services long held position that Marijuana/Cannabis the drug has no Medical Value. Interestingly, Health and Human Services declined to respond to the suit under the guise that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) was/is still considering the advocacy group's (ASA) 2002 request to reconsider the status of Marijuana...if the DEA has not been capable of making a decision on a simple request in seven years, they (for political reasons) are not going to make a decision on the request. Further, there is supposed to be a certain autonomy within the various agencies of the Federal Government. A request pending with one Agency should not necessarily negate the duties and responsibilities of another agency to put forth to the public honest, sound medical information that is based upon sound science. More importantly, a request seeking to have the status/classification of a drug changed is UNRELATED to a formal request made to an agency to correct false or incorrect information.
Further, does President Obama's Executive Memo on Scientific Integrity now require the Department of Health and Human Services to correct false material facts about the Medical uses of Marijuana, and if so should ASA be allowed to move for Summary Judgement in the immediate case?
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary _________________________________________ For Immediate Release March 9, 2009
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
SUBJECT: Scientific Integrity
Science and the scientific process must inform and guide decisions of my Administration on a wide range of issues, including improvement of public health, protection of the environment, increased efficiency in the use of energy and other resources, mitigation of the threat of climate change (Think Hemp Biofuels and Composite Hemp building materials such as Hemcrete), and protection of national security.
The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions. Political officials should not suppress or alter scientific or technological findings and conclusions.If scientific and technological information is developed and used by the Federal Government, it should ordinarily be made available to the public. To the extent permitted by law, there should be transparency in the preparation, identification, and use of scientific and technological information in policymaking. The selection of scientists and technology professionals for positions in the executive branch should be based on their scientific and technological knowledge, credentials, experience, and integrity.
A Justice Department lawyer on Tuesday put forth the position that the law relied upon in the case does not allow citizens to seek correction of government misinformation through the judicial process, but instead lays down a perception that administrative remedies were the intended means of seeking redress and correction of misleading or fraudulent information put out by an agency of our Federal Government. It is the position of Alisa Klein, and by PROXY President Barack Obama that the Information Policy Act passed in 2000 requires only that a Federal Agency review such requests from the public. That is not exactly true...if you look at the act, it spells out certain duties and responsibilities:
(B) establish administrative mechanisms allowingaffected persons to seek and obtain correction of information maintained and disseminated by the agency that does not comply with the guidelines issued under subsection (a); and
(C) report periodically to the Director –
(i) the number and nature of complaints received by the agency regarding the accuracy of information disseminated by the agency; and
(ii) how such complaints were handled by the agency.(Simply reviewing and dismissing them is inadequate.)
The language as written shows it was and is the intent of the law/statute to give citizens a means to have incorrect information CORRECTED...in essence, without specifically stating so, it envisions citizens being able to SEEK AND OBTAIN correction of information by whatever steps necessary, and if citizens are unsuccessful in getting an agency to voluntarily correct misinformation, then they are or should be free to take whatever steps necessary to obtain correction, including Legal Action. If you look at the Department of Health and Human Services actions, their own decision to SIMPLY IGNORE a request to have information corrected, the affected clients that ASA represents were left with no recourse but to take further legal action in preserving their rights as outlined in the words, "allowingaffected persons to seek and obtain correction of information" memorialized above. If President Barack Obama were an honorable man, he could easily resolve this issue, make the legal case mute by ordering the Department of Health and Human Services to correct the information. He so far has not done so, leaving no choice but to assume he is a dishonorable man.
The case, from my perspective turns on this...The DOJ wrongfully claims their client's duties and responsibility under the law in question end with a REVIEW OF SUCH REQUESTS (emphasis added), while the above passage makes it abundantly clear that our Congress expected Agencies to take whatever steps were necessary in correcting incorrect information.
The attorney, Alan Morrison, for ASA rightfully argued that the governments contention would defacto make the law meaningless, a red herring with no teeth...I would argue the teeth are clearly there, would state it is the intention of Congress and the law to allow citizens LEGAL RECOURSE if necessary in having false or inaccurate information corrected. It is noted here, that the Department of Health and Human Services did not conduct a review of the information in question, nor make any effort to correct any misleading, inaccurate or untruthful information, thus putting them in violation of the law/statute.
President Obama in his memo spells out certain duties and responsibilities for Federal Agencies, and has gone further in public statements in defining his expectations as America's Chief Executive Officer.
We expect the National Institutes of Health to keep America at the forefront of medical research, and work toward a cure for cancer in our time. And for as long as I am President, these agencies will be led by exceptional individuals who stand on the side of the American people; who push politics aside in favor of proven science; who eschew stale ideology for sound ideas and a focus on what works.
This and other comments by the President have supposedly changed the playing field, seem to put a duty and responsibility on Federal Agencies to come clean, to bring forth and shed light on truth, even when it comes to Medical Marijuana. In this world, at this important time in history, the lies about Marijuana and Industrial Hemp cannot stand. We need to pull back the curtain, need to put Medical Marijuana on the table as we seek to cure cancer, need to look at what Hemp has to offer in solving Global Warming and in creating a sustainable world. The President has called his agencies to action, dictated that they restore public faith by being forthright and honest in their public discourse, in the information they put out to the masses. The Data Quality Act provides a valuable took in seeking out truth, for only with truth can we have Justice and Liberty for all.
Win or lose in the Ninth Circuit Court, one thing is certain...the law requires, in fact MANDATES that false information be corrected. Let us hope that the case in question is reinstated, but if it is not, the Medical Marijuana Community (420) needs to drown various agencies of the Federal Government in citizen requests until such time as this wrong is righted. 25-50 million Americans smoke marijuana at least once a month. If each and every one of us wrote a letter demanding correction of false statements, we have the power to bring the entire Federal Government to a grinding halt until they CORRECT THE RECORD. We talk about a revolution...here is the truth...with our pens, we can START THE REVOLUTION. Even one million certified letters a month coming into Federal Agencies WOULD CRIPPLE THEM!
I woke up this morning to CNN...nothing new there. What was new, was hearing two different segments on Marijuana. The first report was fluff...discussion of Snoop Dogg Shaking and Baking on Twitter, actually getting stoned for the whole world to see. Waves to Snoop Dogg who I follow on Twitter. Sadly, instead of having a serious discussion based on Snoop Dogg's willingness to bring the issue to the forefront by going on Twitter, the conversation was nothing but a fluff piece meant to poke fun at Snoop Dogg...shame on you CNN. (see embedded video below)
The second piece was more hard hitting. A Harvard Economics Professor, Jeffrey A. Morin was championing the legalization of marijuana, and ALL DRUGS. He made some very good points. (see his editorial piece below) For the opposition was a mean spirited, angry cantankerous former DEA Agent who looked like he's not smile since the day he was born, Robert Strang...wonder if he dropped the E? Robert did nothing more than beat the same old tired drums that our government hss been beating since the 30's. There is your commentary folks...A SEVENTY YEAR WAR ON DRUGS HAS NOT WORKED, why continue a war you have not won in 70 plus years?
The host stepped in briefly and pointed out how much drug abuse is costing American taxpayers. She quickly tossed in the figure of $140 Billion when she saw the DEA agent was floundering. How much are we spending on Drug Enforcement? Over a half TRILLION DOLLARS each and every year! How much are we spending locking up people for possession of drugs? Lealizing marijuana and other drugs would create a surplus as we eliminate enforcement and instead turn our efforts towards control of distribution and taxation.
It is obvious that the War on Drugs is heating up. Yesterday I saw a new Anti Drug commercial on television targeted right at Marijuana. This is a clear sign that the Federal Government realizes it is LOSING GROUND, and are scrambling to shore up their crumbling defenses. 90 Million Americans have tried Marijuana. 50 Million Americans smoke dope at least once a month...WE ARE NOT ALL ADDICTS, though the DEA Agent this morning tried to make that argument. Other nations are winning the research wars as more and more Medical uses for Cannabis are found...what happened to us here in America being leaders on the cutting edge of medical research and discovery, especially where Cancer is concerned. With Global Warming a reality, can we afford to ignore the numerous contributions that Hemp can make to solving the issue? Hemcrete is stronger than Concrete, and Bath University has developed a very good composite building material that has a LESS THAN ZERO carbon footprint. So why the war to keep Marijuana criminalized?
We can put the Mexican Drug Cartelss out of business in ONE GROWING SEASON if we legalize Marijuana/Cannabis/Hemp. Cancer research centers like Sloan Kettering could quickly become leaders in finding cancer cures using Medical Marijuana as they began isolating and investigating various cannaboids. Farmers could be growing Hemp to be used as biofuels, for home and commercial green building materials, while food companies could start marketings healthy hemp centered foods, oils and even home care products. The media could be leaders in changing public perceptions, in dispelling the propaganda that has been put out by our government over the last seventy years, or they can continue working with government to turn pot smoking citizens and medical patients into criminals. Lets end the war, just say no to the criminalization of marijuana. Make Cannabis Legal, unchain its potential.
Editor's note: Jeffrey A. Miron is senior lecturer in economics at Harvard University.
Economist Jeffrey Miron says legalizing drugs would greatly reduce violence.
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Over the past two years, drug violence in Mexico has become a fixture of the daily news. Some of this violence pits drug cartels against one another; some involves confrontations between law enforcement and traffickers.
Recent estimates suggest thousands have lost their lives in this "war on drugs."
The U.S. and Mexican responses to this violence have been predictable: more troops and police, greater border controls and expanded enforcement of every kind. Escalation is the wrong response, however; drug prohibition is the cause of the violence.
Prohibition creates violence because it drives the drug market underground. This means buyers and sellers cannot resolve their disputes with lawsuits, arbitration or advertising, so they resort to violence instead.
Violence was common in the alcohol industry when it was banned during Prohibition, but not before or after.
Violence is the norm in illicit gambling markets but not in legal ones. Violence is routine when prostitution is banned but not when it's permitted. Violence results from policies that create black markets, not from the characteristics of the good or activity in question.
The only way to reduce violence, therefore, is to legalize drugs. Fortuitously, legalization is the right policy for a slew of other reasons.
Prohibition of drugs corrupts politicians and law enforcement by putting police, prosecutors, judges and politicians in the position to threaten the profits of an illicit trade. This is why bribery, threats and kidnapping are common for prohibited industries but rare otherwise. Mexico's recent history illustrates this dramatically.
Prohibition erodes protections against unreasonable search and seizure because neither party to a drug transaction has an incentive to report the activity to the police. Thus, enforcement requires intrusive tactics such as warrantless searches or undercover buys. The victimless nature of this so-called crime also encourages police to engage in racial profiling.
Prohibition has disastrous implications for national security. By eradicating coca plants in Colombia or poppy fields in Afghanistan, prohibition breeds resentment of the United States. By enriching those who produce and supply drugs, prohibition supports terrorists who sell protection services to drug traffickers.
Prohibition harms the public health. Patients suffering from cancer, glaucoma and other conditions cannot use marijuana under the laws of most states or the federal government despite abundant evidence of its efficacy. Terminally ill patients cannot always get adequate pain medication because doctors may fear prosecution by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Drug users face restrictions on clean syringes that cause them to share contaminated needles, thereby spreading HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases.
Prohibitions breed disrespect for the law because despite draconian penalties and extensive enforcement, huge numbers of people still violate prohibition. This means those who break the law, and those who do not, learn that obeying laws is for suckers.
Prohibition is a drain on the public purse. Federal, state and local governments spend roughly $44 billion per year to enforce drug prohibition. These same governments forego roughly $33 billion per year in tax revenue they could collect from legalized drugs, assuming these were taxed at rates similar to those on alcohol and tobacco. Under prohibition, these revenues accrue to traffickers as increased profits.
The right policy, therefore, is to legalize drugs while using regulation and taxation to dampen irresponsible behavior related to drug use, such as driving under the influence. This makes more sense than prohibition because it avoids creation of a black market. This approach also allows those who believe they benefit from drug use to do so, as long as they do not harm others. iReport.com: Do you think it's time to legalize marijuana?
Legalization is desirable for all drugs, not just marijuana. The health risks of marijuana are lower than those of many other drugs, but that is not the crucial issue. Much of the traffic from Mexico or Colombia is for cocaine, heroin and other drugs, while marijuana production is increasingly domestic. Legalizing only marijuana would therefore fail to achieve many benefits of broader legalization.
It is impossible to reconcile respect for individual liberty with drug prohibition. The U.S. has been at the forefront of this puritanical policy for almost a century, with disastrous consequences at home and abroad.
The U.S. repealed Prohibition of alcohol at the height of the Great Depression, in part because of increasing violence and in part because of diminishing tax revenues. Similar concerns apply today, and Attorney General Eric Holder's recent announcement that the Drug Enforcement Administration will not raid medical marijuana distributors in California suggests an openness in the Obama administration to rethinking current practice.
Perhaps history will repeat itself, and the U.S. will abandon one of its most disastrous policy experiments.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jeffrey Miron.
As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continues high-level talks with Mexico's leaders this week, her comments about responsibility in the U.S.-Mexico drug trade have struck a chord with officials familiar with U.S. anti-drug efforts.
Mexican federal police have been deployed openly in Ciudad Juarez, which borders El Paso, Texas.
Clinton said the United States' "inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border" was a major contributor in Mexican violence along the border. She went on to say that the United States has "a co-responsibility."
In an interview Wednesday on "American Morning" with CNN anchor John Roberts, former Drug Enforcement Agency special agent Robert Strang talked about the three-pronged approach needed to curb drug use in America and the need to bust distribution rings. Strang is also CEO of Investigative Management Group.
The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity:
John Roberts, CNN anchor: Everybody's blaming Mexico for [the U.S. drug trade], but the secretary of state yesterday said, 'Hey, the United States shares a lot of the blame because of the pent-up demand here, the insatiable demand for drugs.' Do you agree with her? Watch Clinton say, "We have to do a better job" »
Robert Strang, former DEA special agent: Let's face it, the average first drug use is 12 years old in our country. That means kids that are in the sixth grade are trying drugs for the first time. Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, all these drugs are coming across the border because we demand them. We have the cash to pay for them, and we really are pretty much the No. 1 consumer in the world for these drugs.
Roberts: Is the United States doing enough to try to curb demand? The Office of National Drug Control Policy, I don't remember much coming out of it during the Bush administration, and I haven't seen anything come out of it in the Obama administration.
Strang: We're trying all the time. I'm on the board for D.A.R.E. America, and that is teaching kids about the dangers of drugs and violence in schools. And constantly, we're trying to get money federally for this program and police officers go into the school. They teach the kids. It's a wonderful program in those trouble years, the fourth, fifth and sixth grade especially, and we need to have a little bit more money in this area.
There's three things, John: It's treatment, it's enforcement and it's education. And it's like a three-legged stool. If all three things don't work, it's going to fall down. So, we can send all of the agents in the world down to the border. We can seize all the coke, heroin, methamphetamine that we want. If we don't have treatment on demand, and if we're not educating our kids in our country about the dangers of drugs, the problem's going to grow.
Roberts: When you see the Department of Homeland Security prepared to spend these hundreds of millions of dollars on border security, what do you think?
Strang: I'm happy that they're doing something. This is a small piece of the enforcement operation. The best thing to do is like the case that we saw three weeks ago, when the DEA announced 750 arrests involving 250 cities between Mexico and the United States, mostly in the U.S., this huge distribution network.
Because when you dismantle those networks that constantly are putting drugs from the cartels to the street, when you can put those guys in jail, when you take their assets, then you have an impact. Watch how drugs from Mexico enter U.S. »
Roberts: But would you like to see them take some of that money, and you know, they take, I think, what, $700 million, and they throw it at the border. Would you like to see them take some of that money, maybe even just a fraction of it, and throw it into prevention programs?
Strang: Absolutely. Instead of going to some of the financial institutions, I'd like to see it go for the drug problem. I'd like to see enforcement, treatment and prevention. I'd like it to be evenly divided, and I really think we could have an impact on the problem. We've got to look at this a different way. And I think that it's a combination of these things, and we're moving in that direction. Let's hope that we make some headway here.
Greetings readers...sorry for my absense, but in the process here of trying to get camp open for the summer...a task made more difficult by the fact I have decided to move our site, which means a lot of extra work that I had not planned on. Further complicating things...our camp Internet it turns out is NOT turned on until opening day which is tomorrow. So, I have bee missing in action here.
