DRUG CZAR: WE DON'T CARE ABOUT PROBLEMS, JUST NUMBERS

So a survey of sheriff's departments in 45 states found that most of
them think meth is the biggest problem they're facing.

The White House, however, is not particularly interested in adjusting
their high-profile, expensive national campaign to demonize marijuana.

"...the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy restated
its stance that marijuana remains the nation's most substantial drug
problem. Federal estimates show there are 15 million marijuana users
compared to the 1 million that might use meth," according to an
article on the survey.

Yep, better focus on those marijuana users. Blogger Wonkette puts it
into perspective: "And that numbers thing? You know, there sure are a
lot of jaywalkers compared to people who molest children..." ( see
http://www.wonkette.com/politics/white-house/wh-has-reefer-madness-111288.php )

So why is the Czar acting this way? Simple. Dealing with meth is
messy and complex and it doesn't help his numbers [and actually, the
ONDCP would take the wrong approach with meth if they were more
involved, but that's a different post].

You see, back in the 90's the DEA and ONDCP got failing grades by the
GAO for their inability to show that they were actually accomplishing
anything (because, of course, they weren't). So the White House set a
new goal for the ONDCP: reducing (by specific percentages) the number
of illegal drug users in the United States.

Of course, to a lot of people, that sounds like a wonderful goal. But
how do you actually accomplish a goal with such wording? Let's say
you wanted to help heroin addicts. Well, probably not a good idea --
there aren't that many of them, and it takes a lot of work to get
them completely off drugs. Even if you're successful with a lot of
them, it would hardly register as far as a percent of drug users.

So where can you get huge numbers and get them to quit easily?
Marijuana. It's the one most people use, and it's not even addictive,
so quitting is no problem. All you have to do is demonize it and
spread the propaganda, and promote drug testing, and you can get a
whole lot of people who were just using it now and then for fun to
stop. You won't do a thing for people who really have a drug
problem, but you'll reach your percentage goals of reducing drug
users in the U.S.

This has been driving the entire ONDCP's agenda. Even including
blocking medical marijuana (medical marijuana use counts as federal
illicit drug use for the purpose of statistics).

An entire national policy based on demonizing people who are causing
no harm, and ignoring people who need help. Is that what they call
"compassionate conservatism"?