Drug Needles

While reformers are far from happy with the initial deployment of the agenda of the Obama policy on drugs, treatment activists can at least indicate a significant change in the federal position on the consolidation of programs needle exchange. Unlike former President Bush, who supported the ban on federal funding of public health programs, the Obama agenda, as set forth in Whitehouse.gov , appeals to overturn the ban, in an effort to save lives by reducing the transmission of HIV / AIDS. "The President", as the agenda, supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could significantly reduce rates of infection among drug users. "

Opponents of needle exchanges say the effort is similar to the medical marijuana movement, a strategy of camouflage for the legalization of drugs. However, as I wrote in a previous post, the administration's support of needle exchange is a timely recognition that cities like Vancouver and San Francisco are already experimenting with the concept of safety sites injection drugs. (Part of the argument in favor of these sites is the opportunity for the exchange of clean needles.)

Under the heading "civil rights", the website of the White House has also indicated support for increased use of drug courts to allow non-violent offenders in "the type of rehabilitation programs for addicts who have proven more effective than prison in changing bad behavior. "The agenda also calls for reducing inequality of the sentence (" President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that the disparity in sentences between crack and cocaine in powder form is wrong and must be completely eliminated).

An article in the Drug War Chronicle n otes that "the reformers can be satisfied with certain positions of Obama, but they are less happy with others. The Obama administration wants to reduce inequalities in the criminal justice system, but it takes both classical positions on other issues of drug policy. "

To know, marijuana. Activists were hoping for a clear demonstration of support use of medical marijuana. So far, this has not happened. Marijuana is not mentioned at all in the relevant sections of the political agenda in line, if the document is known to be a work in progress.

Nevertheless, it would be good to heed the advice offered by the United Kingdom Transform Drug Policy Foundation: "The lifting of the ban on funding needle shameful is a good starting point because we are only a day and pragmatic tone generally bodes well. Can we be cautiously optimistic? Yes we can. "