Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss

by Patrick Appel

A few days ago Obama's new drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, said that marijuana "has no medicinal benefit," which doesn't exactly match up with the science. Kevin Drum sighs:

It's disappointing to hear him say that and a bit cowardly.  But hardly unexpected. Despite a flurry of optimism a few months ago, Obama and Kerlikowske have obviously come to the same conclusion as all of their predecessors: this isn't a fight worth fighting.  They've got other fish to fry, they know perfectly well there's no support for marijuana legalization in Congress, and there's no political upside in taking the side of a bunch of potheads.  It's better to simply denounce the demon pot, provide the culture warriors with nothing to complain about, and move on. We might legalize marijuana someday de facto if not de jure but not today.  Maybe in another ten years or so.