Ask Me Anything: Drug Policy Advisor
Homeland Humanity is proud to bring you our Ask Me Anything series. Each week, we’ll feature a member of our team answering your most pressing questions about their work in the Homeland Security Enterprise. Missed the question asking party? Don’t worry! Check out the bottom of the post for contact details.
Do you think that driving high is as bad as driving drunk?
No one should drive under the influence of any substances, including both alcohol and marijuana.
Is marijuana legal now?
Through the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is illegal and classified through Federal law as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Joining the category with heroin and ecstasy, Schedule 1 means that according to Federal law, marijuana has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use, and lacks evidence of safety. Less dangerous Schedule II drugs include oxycodone, cocaine, and meth.
Marijuana is in a legal grey area because although Federal law trumps state law, 7 jurisdictions have legalized recreational use of marijuana: D.C., Colorado, Washington, California, Massachusetts, Maine, and Nevada. Medical marijuana programs exist in 26 states right now.
Do you think Jeff Sessions is right that people who smoke marijuana are not good people?
I strongly disagree with this sentiment. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in 2015, 22.2 million Americans aged 12 or older were current users of marijuana. I doubt that Jeff Sessions believes that more than 8% of the population over age 12 in this country are not good people. Drug use and addiction is a public health issue, not a criminal justice issue.
What is the most pressing issue in your field today?
While alcohol continues to be the top drug of choice in the U.S., there is currently an opioid epidemic and people are overdosing on heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opiates such as oxycodone. In 2015, over 33,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose.
What do you think about the War on Drugs?
The “War on Drugs” was a complete failure that arose as a political strategy at a time when drug use was actually on the decline in America. After trillions of dollars and almost 50 years of fighting the “war,” we have fueled the prison industrial complex, incarcerated countless nonviolent offenders, shifted sentencing power from judges to prosecutors with mandatory minimum sentencing, and indirectly promoted mass incarceration of minorities in this country.
What are Scooby Snacks?
“Scooby Snax” are a type of drugs classified as synthetic marijuana. The drug is illegal, despite a common perception that it can be sold in convenience stores legally as an incense or potpourri. Synthetic drugs such as Scooby Snax, Cloud 9, K2, Spice, or Moon Rock are dangerous and contain any number of toxic manufactured chemicals.
What has surprised you most in your field?
Working in the field of drug policy, I continue to be surprised by how often politics and morality overrides scientific evidence in the development of policies. Take, for example, studies on syringe exchange or “clean needle” programs that allow drug users to trade dirty syringes for clean ones to prevent disease. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated success in decreasing the transmission of HIV, hepatitis C, and other diseases from injection drug users. From 1991 to 1997, the U.S. Government studied syringe exchange programs, found they were successful, and concluded that they did not increase the rate of drug use. Even with this research, Congress had banned the use of any federal funding for needle exchange programs up until last year (funding STILL cannot be used to purchase the clean needles themselves).
Do you have a 4-foot purple wizard bong?
No, is that a real question?
Submit your questions below and continue to check in to see your questions answered in Part 2 and 3 of this series!
