Uncle Sam Wants You to Oppose Drug Policy Reform

Tomorrow the House Government Reform Committee is expected to consider legislation that would authorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy to sponsor ads opposing liberalization of the drug laws. Although the bill ostensibly prohibits using the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign "for partisan political purposes," there's an exception for "the Director's responsibilities under section 704(b)(12) of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998," which says the drug czar "shall…take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a [prohibited] substance." The ONDCP interprets "legalize" broadly, to include even modest reforms such as reducing penalties for simple possession or allowing marijuana to be used as a medicine.

According to the Drug Policy Alliance, "the provision is so broad it could allow the White House to use almost $1 billion in taxpayer money for partisan political purposes, which may even include government-sponsored attack ads against a candidate who takes a stand in favor of drug policy reform." The DPA's Bill Piper observes, "This would be like the IRS running ads against tax cut proposals and the candidates that support them."

The Marijuana Policy Project notes that the bill also would allow the ONDCP to take anti-drug money away from states that dare to legalize medical marijuana.