The explosive debate over drug policy in America is now so impossible to ignore that even the president is often forced to comment on it. His typical script about emphasizing a public health approach with an increased focus on treatment and prevention has become quite familiar to those following the issue.
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the topic arose yet again during a town hall at the University of Maryland on Friday.
"Much is being asked of our generation," a doctoral student named Steve told the president at a town hall event in Maryland. "So, when are our economic perspectives going to be addressed? For example, when is the war on drugs in society going to be abandoned and be replaced by a more sophisticated and cost effective program of rehabilitation such as the one in Portugal?" [Raw Story]
Predictably, the president's response began by calling for "an approach that emphasizes prevention, treatment, a public health model for reducing drug use in our country." He understands, of course, that the brutal violence of the drug trade will continue as long as lots of people keep buying lots of drugs. But Obama's response then took a turn that, upon reflection, should raise doubts about his willingness to reform our nation's notoriously harsh handling of drug users in any meaningful way:
"Just to make sure that I'm actually answering your question, am I willing to pursue a decriminalization strategy as an approach? No."
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