The San Diego Union Tribune published a heavily headlined op-ed piece by David W. Murray and John P. Walters in Sunday's Union Tribune entitled: "Marijuana Legalization Movement Makes No Sense" The two men were part of the George H.W. Bush administration.
Murray and Walters are complaining that Congressman Ted Lieu proposed eliminating the DEA/CESP program which goes around the country destroying crops of Marijuana using Federal money. Ted Lieu calls the program a ridiculous waste of taxpayer's money. If there are states now where Marijuana is legal, and the CESP program doesn't enforce it there, why should the Federal government go around destroying crops at taxpayer expense?
I disagree with them, of course. Apparently others disagree also:
http://www.drugwarrant.com/2015/08/like-a-bad-penny/ and http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2008/12/03/einstein-insanity-and-the-war-on-drugs/
Their logic is very convoluted and irrational. Apparently Murray and Walters are somehow a part of the "Hudson Institute" who supposedly "challenges conventional thinking and helps manage strategic transitions to the future through interdisciplinary studies in defense, international relations, economics, health care, technology, culture, and law." -- I don't think these guys are challenging any conventional thinking--since they appear to be touting the "party line" of right wingers--keep drugs illegal! I don't know, for sure, but possibly the Hudson Institute is another of the many right-wing so-called "think tanks" that sell their opinions to the highest bidders. These two are among the "top-20 anti-marijuana crusaders"
From their resumes, I see these gentlemen have received money or support from the right-wing, anti-drug groups, such as lawyers, judges, prison guards, DEA suppliers or subcontractors etc, and are writing this to curry their support. They are obviously "proud" of their reign of terror in the drug war during the Bush administrations and complain that Obama hasn't done enough in the drug war. Probably their sponsors haven't been getting as many lucrative contracts in the drug war.
Murray and Walters are complaining that Congressman Ted Lieu proposed eliminating the DEA/CESP program which goes around the country destroying crops of Marijuana using Federal money. Ted Lieu calls the program a ridiculous waste of taxpayer's money. If there are states now where Marijuana is legal, and the CESP program doesn't enforce it there, why should the Federal government go around destroying crops at taxpayer expense?
I disagree with them, of course. Apparently others disagree also:
http://www.drugwarrant.com/2015/08/like-a-bad-penny/ and http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2008/12/03/einstein-insanity-and-the-war-on-drugs/
Their logic is very convoluted and irrational. Apparently Murray and Walters are somehow a part of the "Hudson Institute" who supposedly "challenges conventional thinking and helps manage strategic transitions to the future through interdisciplinary studies in defense, international relations, economics, health care, technology, culture, and law." -- I don't think these guys are challenging any conventional thinking--since they appear to be touting the "party line" of right wingers--keep drugs illegal! I don't know, for sure, but possibly the Hudson Institute is another of the many right-wing so-called "think tanks" that sell their opinions to the highest bidders. These two are among the "top-20 anti-marijuana crusaders"
From their resumes, I see these gentlemen have received money or support from the right-wing, anti-drug groups, such as lawyers, judges, prison guards, DEA suppliers or subcontractors etc, and are writing this to curry their support. They are obviously "proud" of their reign of terror in the drug war during the Bush administrations and complain that Obama hasn't done enough in the drug war. Probably their sponsors haven't been getting as many lucrative contracts in the drug war.
Murray and Walters complain that Lieu's doesn't explain how his proposal will improve America's "well being." However it is clear that Lieu's proposal would cut expenditures of Government money, It would probably stop the expensive incarceration of people they catch growing marijuana which would save more money. What damage would it do other than reduce the street price of the drug? Meanwhile, the US "war on drugs" has incarcerated a larger percentage of the US population than any other country has behind bars at huge expense!
Here is a link to a good summary of Marijuana Laws: http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2005021100
Here is a link to a good summary of Marijuana Laws: http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2005021100
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