WTF! DEA, Denver Police Raid Multiple Marijuana Grow Operations

[Jackpine Radical]

22. Our new drug czar is Michael Botticelli. Here's part of an NPR interview:

http://www.npr.org/2014/09/08/346879456/new-drug-czar-tackles-weed-prescription-pain-pills

BOTTICELLI: I think when you look at the movement of states - Colorado and Washington - in terms of legalization as well as medical marijuana, really presents for us a significant public health issue. I think that legalization and, quite honestly, industrialization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington - I think really presents some issues as we've seen with marketing with alcohol and tobacco industries.

We see escalating use. We know that marijuana is addictive. About 1 in 9 people who use marijuana regularly become addicted. So it does present some challenges, I think, in coming at this from a public health perspective.

SIEGEL: Does it mean that people like you have to think in terms of federal regulations of marijuana rather than federal criminalization of marijuana?

BOTTICELLI: I don't. I think, you know, we remain firm in our opposition to legalization of marijuana. And again, I think that the movement toward legalization, I think, sends the wrong message, particularly to the youth of our country. And we've seen that born out in our statistics. So, you know, the perception of risk of marijuana use among youth is now lower than tobacco.

That last comment is insanely scary. Or scarily insane--take your choice. The Feds think kids are WRONG to perceive tobacco as a higher-risk substance than weed?

Like, holy fuck, I thought we were on some sort of path to rationality on these matters. But obviously not.

Thanks, Obama.