Obama's Drugs Czar: More Treatment For, Less War On

Kerlikowske viewed as reformer, with personal experience of drugs' "devastating effects"

(NEWSER) - President Obama will officially nominate Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske to be drug czar today, reports the Seattle Times. Though the job is being demoted from its Bush administration Cabinet status, Kerlikowske will have “a direct line to the president and vice president,” says an official. Drug law reformers view Kerlikowske, who said Seattle marijuana arrests were not a priority, as an ally. More»

Enforcement doesn't work, but there is hope elsewhere

(NEWSER) - In a chat with new czar Gil Kerlikowske, George Will notes that the war on drugs, as it has been waged, is an utter failure. Harsh drug laws have done nothing to reduce drug-taking, he writes, and incarcerating drug users is looking more and more wasteful to strapped states. “Not many people think the drug war is a success,” Kerlikowske tells Will, and they “want a different conversation.” If enforcement doesn't work, what does? More»

Change in terminology signals shift in drug policy towards treatment instead of jail

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration's newly confirmed drug czar wants to ditch the term "War on Drugs," the Wall Street Journal reports. The combative term is a barrier to dealing with the issue properly, said Gil Kerlikowske, highlighting the administration's plans to deal with drug abuse as a public health issue and focus on treatment instead of incarceration. More»

Administration takes long-overdue steps to end Bush-era excesses

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration’s decision to respect state laws on medical marijuana is good policy—and not just because it demonstrates compassion toward cancer and AIDS patients, writes Glenn Greenwald. Despite his critics’ charges of “socialism” and “fascism,” President Obama is showing that his administration, unlike the Bush White House, is willing to stick its neck out for states’ rights. More»

(NEWSER) - The "war on drugs" has been an abject failure—crowded jails and a still-thriving narcotics trade prove that—and it's time for some "visionary" thinking, writes Cynthia Tucker in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The nation's not ready for legalization, but how about some concrete steps: Stop going after "penny-ante dealers and users," rescind draconian drug laws, and direct the money saved toward rehab for addicts and a fight against the kingpins. More»