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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Marijuana Policy Project
Contact:

Aaron Houston, MPP director of government relations 202-905-2009 or ahouston@mpp.org

Pres. Obama's Proposed 2011 Budget Bolsters War on Drugs

Obama administration to expand drug war by tilting funds heavily toward law enforcement and away from treatment

WASHINGTON

According
to 2011 funding "highlights" released this week by the Office of
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Obama administration is
expanding the war on drugs and focusing its funds toward law
enforcement over treatment. The budget puts America's drug war spending
at $15.5 billion for fiscal year 2011; an increase of 3.5 percent over
2010 and an increase of 5.2 percent in overall enforcement funding
($9.7 billion in FY 2010 to $9.9 billion in FY 2011). Addiction
treatment and preventative measures are budgeted to increase from $5.2
billion to $5.6 billion.

Furthermore, President Obama chose to continue
funding the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, which is run by
the drug czar's office and has for years emptied its coffers on absurd
anti-marijuana ads that veer far from the truth. One such ad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9B-h_bU-uI)
released in 2006 insinuates that marijuana use can lead to rape, a
particularly dishonest claim considering that alcohol, a legal drug, is
a factor in a huge majority of sexual assaults.

"This budget reflects the same Bush-era
priorities that led to the total failure of American drug policy during
the last decade," said Aaron Houston, MPP director of government
relations. "One of the worst examples is $66 million requested for the
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign when every independent study
has called it a failure. The president is throwing good money after bad
when what we really need is a new direction."

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the number one organization in the U.S. legalizing cannabis. We passed 13 medical cannabis laws in the past 15 years, and we ran winning campaigns in eight of the 11 legalization states. No organization in the movement has changed as many cannabis laws, impacted as many patients and consumers, created as many new markets, or done more to end cannabis prohibition in the U.S. than MPP.