She had previously been quoted, saying that all comparisons of pot to crack cocaine or heroin are “subjective” and that marijuana is an “insidious” drug. The law defines cannabis and its dozens of distinct cannabinoids as possessing “a high potential for abuse … no now accepted medical use, …”
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Deputy Administrator Jack Riley says “Heroin can be found on virtually every corner of our country and places I’ve never see it before”. “Probably not. I’m not an expert”.
Dan Riffle, director of federal policies at the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project, says he appreciates Rosenberg’s candor. “It’s far less harmful than heroin and it’s encouraging that the DEA is finally willing to recognize that”. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. He includes that “by and large, what they are telling me is that most important cases in their jurisdiction are opioids and heroin”.
With Rosenberg taking the helm of DEA, can we expect any shakeup in drug policy?
Despite its cautious nature, Rosenberg a former prosecutor whose stance on drug reform is still “somewhat of a mystery”, also said his agents will spend less time on marijuana enforcement – though he’s not ordered them off it, and whether he’ll reclassify the drug as less unsafe is another matter. “We want to do the biggest and most important cases there are”. “I am confident that Drug Take-Back Days will again bring Americans together from all sides of this epidemic to work toward fighting against drug abuse and creating strong, drug-free communities”.
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While Dr. Volkow’s endorsement in the Huffington Post is nothing short of glowing, Rosenberg, who made his comments on a conference call about a new prescription drug take-back program at the DEA, was much more qualified with his statements about the whole plant.
