Barack Obama on Drugs Democratic incumbent President; IL Senator (2004-2008)

We share cross-border drug problem with Mexico

A: What I will be saying to the new President of Mexico when he takes office is that we want to continue cooperation, and we recognize this is a threat on both sides of the border. We obviously generate a lot of demand for drugs in this country, and guns and cash flow south at the same time as drugs flow north.

Q: How many more people have to die?

A: Well, what we need to do is to weaken the grip of these drug cartels, and there are a couple of things we can do. The US can focus on drug treatment and prevention, and helping people deal with addiction, making sure that young people are not getting hooked on drugs. If we can reduce demand, that means less cash flowing into these drug cartels. The other thing that we try to do is to work much more aggressively in preventing the flow of guns and cash down into Mexico. And so interdiction has to work both ways.

Fast & Furious was completely wrongheaded; we've stopped it

A: The Fast and Furious program was a field-initiated program begun under the previous administration. When Eric Holder found out about it, he discontinued it. We assigned an inspector general to do a thorough report that was just issued, confirming that, in fact, Eric Holder did not know about this, that he took prompt action and the people who did initiate this were held accountable. And the strategy that was pursued, obviously, was completely wrongheaded. Those folks who were responsible have been held accountable.

Q: But if you have nothing to hide then why are you not releasing papers to this?

A: We've released thousands of papers...

Q: But not all of them.

A: The ones that we don't release typically relate to internal communications that were not related to the actual Fast and Furious operation.

OpEd: More Mexicans killed in Drug War than soldiers in Iraq

The cause of the war in Mexico is the largest market for drugs in the world: the US market. But there is no war going on in US territory between the police and the military fighting the drug-traffickers. Instead, the war has been exported to Mexico and Central America.

Such a wave of violence and bloodshed is expanding throughout the countries of South America, affecting them to a greater or lesser extent. Where does the money come from if not from the insatiable US market?

Yes, he still smokes while President

Look at needle exchange; and expand treatment

A: I think it is important that we are targeting HIV/AIDS resources into the communities where we’re seeing the highest growth rates. That means education and prevention, particularly with young people. It means that we have to look at drastic measure, potentially like needle exchange in order to insure that drug users are not transmitting the disease to each other. And we’ve got to expand on treatment programs. And all of that is going to cost some money and some time. But again, if we think about the enormous costs of homelessness, or the enormous cost of HIV/AIDS, over the long term, as people visit emergency rooms, etc. The more we are investing in that ounce of prevention the better off we’re going to be.

Fight to rid our communities of meth

• Combat Methamphetamine: Meth use has increased 156% nationwide since 1996. Obama has a long record of fighting the meth epidemic. As President, he will continue the fight to rid our communities of meth and offer support to help addicts heal.

• Obama cosponsored legislation that became law to combat the scourge of methamphetamines.

Expand drug courts; help prisoners with substance abuse

• Disparities Continue to Plague Criminal Justice System: African Americans and Hispanics are more than twice as likely as whites to be searched & arrested when stopped by police. Disparities in drug sentencing laws, like the differential treatment of crack as opposed to powder cocaine, are unfair.

• Expand Use of Drug Courts: Obama will give first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior.
• Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Support: Obama will provide job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are successfully re-integrated into society.
• Eliminate Sentencing Disparities:The disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated.

2001: questions harsh penalties for drug dealing

Not first candidate to use drugs, but first honest about it

Obama’s honesty in addressing the issue reflects a generational change in politics. Most voters no longer care about youthful drug use; they’re worried about having an honest person in the White House. In 1992, Bill Clinton answered a question about his drug use by saying he had tried marijuana, but “didn’t inhale.” When asked, “Did you inhale?” Obama replied, “That was the point.” Obama was making fun of old-style politician who thought they could fool the voters.

Obama is almost certainly isn’t the first person to use cocaine and then run for president. But he is the first presidential candidate honest enough to talk about the troubles of his youth.

Do not lower drinking age from 21 to 18

BIDEN: Absolutely no, I would not. The cost of alcoholism in America, the cost of accidents that flow from drunkenness, are astronomical.

DODD: No, I agree with Joe on this. The problems associated with alcohol are significant in our country. The evidence is overwhelming..

RICHARDSON: No, I wouldn’t lower it. I think you need a dual approach: strong law enforcement, but you also have to have substance abuse treatment.

GRAVEL: I think we should lower it. Anybody that can go fight and die for this country should be able to drink.

KUCINICH: Of course they should be able to drink at age 18, and they should be able to vote at age 16.

Q: No on 18?

OBAMA: No.

EDWARDS: What was the question?

Q: Lower the drinking age to 18?

EDWARDS: I would not.

Experimented with cocaine but turned down heroin

His grandmother recalled that she and he husband discussed Barry’s declining grades and grew concerned about his possible drug use and overall lack of direction. Obama, however, questioned his elderly grandmother’s memory, [claiming it] was a very transitory period in his life.

A “secret smoker”, especially around reporters

The public portrait of Obama now bordered on saintly, especially for a politician. Learning that he smoked might tarnish this picture. So Obama went to great lengths to conceal the habit.

It really came as no surprise to me that Obama smoked. His wife mentioned in our interview that Obama had a cigarette dangling from his lips on their first lunch together. He had written in Dreams from My Father about smoking in the college dorms. But most telling, like most smokers, he occasionally smelled of tobacco.

Smokes cigarettes now; smoked some pot in high school

Admitted marijuana use in high school & college

Deal with street-level drug dealing as minimum-wage affair

We can assume that with lawful work available for young men now in the drug trade, crime in any community would drop.

Understand why youngsters want to use drugs

End harsher sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine.

A bill to target cocaine kingpins and address sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.

Sponsor's introductory remarks: Sen. Biden: My bill will eliminate the current 100-to-1 disparity [between sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine] by increasing the 5-year mandatory minimum threshold quantity for crack cocaine to 500 grams, from 5 grams, and the 10-year threshold quantity to 5,000 grams, from 50 grams, while maintaining the current statutory mandatory minimum threshold quantities for powder cocaine. It will also eliminate the current 5-year mandatory minimum penalty for simple possession of crack cocaine, the only mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of a drug by a first time offender.

Drug use is a serious problem, and I have long supported strong antidrug legislation. But in addition to being tough, our drug laws should be rational and fair. My bill achieves the right balance. We have talked about the need to address this cocaine sentencing disparity for long enough. It is time to act.

Congressional Summary:

Increases the amount of a controlled substance or mixture containing a cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine) required for the imposition of mandatory minimum prison terms for crack cocaine trafficking to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.
• Eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum prison term for first-time possession of crack cocaine.
• Increases monetary penalties for drug trafficking and for the importation and exportation of controlled substances.

Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use.

Sen. FEINSTEIN: This act is designed to address problems that the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, has identified in the implementation of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. The bill that I introduce today would:

• clarify that all retailers, including mail order retailers, who sell products that contain chemicals often used to make methamphetamine--like ephedrine, pseudoepedrine and phenylpropanolamine--must self-certify that they have trained their personnel and will comply with the Combat Meth Act's requirements;
• require distributors to sell these products only to retailers who have certified that they will comply with the law;
• require the DEA to publish the list of all retailers who have filed self-certifications, on the DEA's website;
• and clarify that any retailer who negligently fails to file self-certification as required, may be subject to civil fines and penalties.

This is a common-sense bill, designed to strengthen the implementation of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act. This bill would create incentives to ensure that the self-certification process of the law is made both effective and enforceable. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.