"The deputy director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy admitted Tuesday that marijuana was less deadly than alcohol, but insisted that pot was not a benign drug.
At a House Oversight Committee hearing, the drug czar's second-in-command, Michael Botticelli, received a stern questioning from Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) about the harms of marijuana in light of President Barack Obama recent comments on the subject.
"How many people die from marijuana overdoses every year?" Connolly asked.
"I don't know that I know. It is very rare," Botticelli replied.
"Very rare. Now just contrast that with prescription drugs, unintentional deaths from prescription drugs, one American dies every 19 minutes," Connolly said. "Nothing comparable to marijuana. Is that correct?"
Botticelli admitted that was true.
"Alcohol — hundreds of thousands of people die every year from alcohol related deaths: automobile [accidents], liver disease, esophageal cancer, blood poisoning," Connolly continued. "Is that incorrect?"
But Botticelli refused to answer. Guessing where the line of questioning was headed, he said the "totality of harm" associated with marijuana indicated it was a dangerous drug, even though it was not associated with deaths.
"I guess I'm sticking with the president — the head of your administration — who is making a different point," Connolly fired back. "He is making a point that is empirically true. That isn't a normative statement, that marijuana is good or bad, but he was contrasting it with alcohol and empirically he is correct, is he not?"
Botticelli again tried to dodge the question, but Connolly interrupted him and told him to answer.
"Is it not a scientific fact that there is nothing comparable with marijuana?" Connolly asked. "And I'm not saying it is good or bad, but when we look at deaths and illnesses, alcohol, other hard drugs are certainly — even prescription drugs — are a threat to public health in a way that just isolated marijuana is not. Isn't that a scientific fact? Or do you dispute that fact?"
"'I don't dispute that fact,'Botticelli said." - y/t
3 Comments
TheFreakIt shouldn't be surprising that it is the people running the war on drugs who will resist logic the most, concerning this issue.
These are people who have spent their entire careers with a single minded focus on demonizing all drugs. When you confront Michael Botticelli with logic and facts, you are telling him that his purpose and his accomplishments have been misguided and are against the public interest. Put yourself in that man's shoes and tell me you wouldn't resist that message with all your strength, even if your own common sense is rebelling against you.
ChaosEngineI'm generally of the opinion that adults should be able to do whatever drugs they please. Obviously, they should not be doing anything that requires a clear head (driving, doing surgery, looking after kids, etc), and I'd like to think that there would be regulations around the safe production of said drugs (similar to food safety).
All that said, there are negatives to a drug even as benign as marijuana. Smoking it has many of the same health risks as tobacco, it can also lead to psychological problems and even obesity (lack of motivation coupled with munchies).
I still think that it's up to the individual to make that decision, but do it with open eyes.
articianPeople can do whatever they want as long as they bring no harm to another. Any criticisms or attempted limitations on that rule by another party are purely social construct.
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