Obama drug czar pick: no recovery from war on drugs?

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On paper, Jim Ramstad -- who is rumored to be Obama's choice for drug czar -- looks like the ideal man for the job . He's a recovering alcoholic himself and a Congressman who championed legislation recently passed to provide equal insurance coverage for addictions and other mental illnesses.

To top it off, he's a Republican, giving Obama what looks like a relatively harmless way to make his cabinet more bipartisan. Choosing Ramstad would appear to make a powerful statement about addiction as a medical, not a moral issue.

Unfortunately, Ramstad may be a drug warrior in recovering person's clothing. There is one issue that has consistently separated those who put science and saving lives in front of politics. That is needle exchange programs for addicts to prevent the spread of HIV and other blood borne illnesses.

Even President Clinton now says he was "wrong" when he ignored the recommendations of every scientific and medical organization in the world that has examined the question -- from the AMA to the World Health Organization -- and refused to lift the federal ban on funding.
  • added November 21, 2008
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8 responses // Obama drug czar pick: no recovery from war on drugs?

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    i looked him up on yahoo and got a whole bunch of information but nothing in regards to his perception of the war on drugs

    i did note that he was active duty army in 68-69 and listed as a reservist till the mid 70's

    with that and his status of a recovering alcoholic, he has a twinge of reality to me but it gets lost when i noted he had been in office for about 15 years

    who is this guy? what is he really gonna do in the job of drug czar? i do not feel that anyone in federally elected office is 'relatively harmless'. there are drivers and there are passengers and we need drivers right now, in every position, not passive riders. my opinion

    peace out, s

    shine0854
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    Hell yes!
    Hmmm the war on drugs, sounds alot like the war on terror-- and endless endeavor that we can waste all kinds of money on, all the while contributing to the problem.

    NEwsNuT888
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    this is a repeat, check out the conversation here http://current.com/items/89551916/maia_szalavitz_obama_drug_czar_pick_no_recover...

    juicie
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    I would like to see a name change, the title Czar tracks back to tyrant and despot in the dictionary. Its time for change, we need leadership, the War on Drugs is a war on American soil. We have more people in prison than any other country in the world.

    Jack Herer"s book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" is full of facts and documentation to back up the facts. I hope Americans have open discussion using real facts in the war on Americans, on American soil. Truth should win over spin. It is time to stop the spin, with facts

    Can we afford not to have the discussion? Are families being torn apart, due to lack of knowledge and misinformation? Have ordinary Americans been denied facts, which would have led them to different conclusions? Are Americans paying a price, both financially and personally to shelter Corporate America from a naturally grown competitor, cannabis/hemp?

    Conniepae
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    America doesn't like to lose wars. That's why police & prosecutors keep this fruitless cat & mouse chase up, so they look like they're upholding the law. I really can't think of a more passive "offender", so it's like cherry picking easy arrests to keep their districts funded. What a waste of scarce resources clogging our judicial system when no doubt they’re needed for more serious crimes.

    How can you possibly win a war based on dictating behavior that is not infringing on the rights of others when an individual decides to smoke pot? Even the title of Drug Czar seems too heavy handed when dealing with marijuana laws. It's time to get over a weed that is being consumed by more Americans than you could possibly imagine. Have they learned nothing from the complete failure of Prohibition?

    darkhorsejim
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    We need a doctor or health-focused pro for this position or the position itself should be eliminated. Obama promised change, this would be more of the SAME OLE!

    Voletear
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    Well, you can thank Joe Biden for the fact that there is a "Drug Czar" position.

    Considering Obama's VP pick alone endangers any real changes in drug policy.

    Let's hope we have some good people in the House, that will make all the difference!

    simplecj
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    What aboout Judge James Gray he wrote(Why We Can't Win The War On Drugs) in the book he address's some of the major problems we are faced with in the insane policys of the past.I haven't been hearing from groups like NORMAL,CANNIBUS ACTION NETWORK,and others who in the past decade were very vocal?And your book (The Empor Wears No Clothes) what a wonderfull book!!!

    Owlman1953

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