Richard Durbin on Drugs Democratic Sr Senator (IL)

The plague of methamphetamine abuse is growing

In partnership with the Illinois Sheriffs Association, I secured federal funding for an ad campaign to promote awareness and prevention of methamphetamine abuse in southern and central Illinois. I continue to support efforts to make it more difficult for meth "cooks" to obtain the chemicals needed to make meth and have introduced legislation that will make it easier to track purchases of meth ingredients. I have also offered legislation to provide comprehensive family-based substance abuse treatment for pregnant and parenting women suffering from meth addiction.

Strengthen enforcement against Ecstasy and other club drugs

Durbin supports the following principles regarding illegal drugs.
• Increase penalties for selling illegal drugs.
• Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.
• Durbin adds, "Support COPS program to help communities fight illegal drugs. Support programs to help young people resist drugs. Strengthen enforcement against Ecstasy and other club drugs."

Decriminalize medical marijuana

Durbin supports the following principles regarding illegal drugs.
• Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
• Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
• Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
• Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.
• Durbin adds, "Allow medical marijuana only with adequate safeguards against abuse."

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.