DRUG POLICY WILL LIKEN LOOSEN

The war on drugs is ridiculous; behold the storm over Michael Phelps'
partaking of marijuana, an illegal substance that at least two
presidents have used. It is tragic; witness the raging gang violence
along the Mexican border. Whether the Obama administration will
downgrade the War on Drugs or call it off remains to be seen.

But Obama's evident plans to make Gil Kerlikowske his director of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy offers hope for more
enlightened policy. As Seattle's police chief, Kerlikowske presided
over a city that had virtually decriminalized small-scale possession
of marijuana.

The War on Drugs is obscenely expensive. It enriches criminals and
terrorists. And it messes up our foreign policy. Meanwhile, drugs
grow ever cheaper and more potent.

While ending the war draws support from many political quarters, the
broader public is hesitant to join in, especially when it comes to
hard drugs. But polls show Americans more accepting of marijuana
(perhaps because nearly half over the age of 12 say they've tried
it). So easing up on marijuana would be the best place to start.

Kerlikowske has never revealed his inner thoughts on the subject,
notes Norm Stamper, who preceded him as Seattle's police chief and
now backs legalizing all drugs. But Seattle's casual attitude toward
marijuana, verging on open embrace, is world famous, and on this
score, Kerlikowske has gone with the flow.

A high point of Seattle's social calendar is Hempfest. The marijuana
celebration draws over 150,000 attendees in August. The hundreds of
police who cover Hempfest pay no mind to the pot consumption, which
is open and heavy.

Is there a more absurd development than Mexican drug lords' decision
to start growing pot in the United States, so as to avoid the hassle
at the border? Marijuana is now the biggest cash crop in 12 states.

What does Obama think of all this? In 2004, he backed federal
decriminalization of pot before an audience at Northwestern University.

But the closer Obama moved toward the White House, the more he fudged
his views. In 2007, MSNBC moderator Tim Russert asked Democratic
primary candidates whether they supported decriminalizing marijuana.
No one raised a hand except Obama, who did so halfway, then pulled
his hand down.

Days after the inauguration, federal agents raided several medical
marijuana dispensaries in California, which legalized
doctor-prescribed pot in 1996. The administration's out-of-the-gate
response was: The president believes that federal resources should
not be used to circumvent state laws.

Given the economic crisis, few expect Obama to spend political
capital crossing the Reefer Rubicon, as Allen St. Pierre, head of
NORML, puts it. (NORML advocates legalizing marijuana.)

Will President Obama cross the Reefer Rubicon? Not anytime soon, but
he will almost certainly move the U.S. closer to the shoreline.