George W. Bush and Marijuana
Since his appointment by the United States Supreme Court to the office of the President of the United States, George W. Bush has talked expressly about “marijuana” at approximately eleven different events. Bush actually uttered the word “marijuana” thirteen times during his remarks at these events; though his substantive concerns about the plant known to science as “Cannabis sativa, L.” relates to only three concrete subjects: (1) the “use” and/or “abuse” of marijuana, (2) “marijuana busts,” and (3) Canada.
Before September 11, 2001, Bush did not speak the word “marijuana” at all. On October 24, 2001, Bush issued Proclamation 7489, “National Red Ribbon Week for a Drug-Free America,” for the purpose of claiming “progress in the ongoing war against substance abuse.” Bush took advantage of the opportunity to note that “we must clearly communicate to America’s youth that drug and alcohol abuse is dangerous and harmful to both their health and their future.”
The ability to “clearly communicate” took a hit on December 14, 2001, when Bush signed legislation to reauthorize funding for the “Drug-Free Communities Programs.” Instead of warning children about the dangers of “drug abuse,” which any reasonable person would expect Bush to do at this event, Bush instead turned his focus to “drug use,” which he sees as a threat to “everything—everything—that is best about our country.” The problem for Bush is that “drug use” in his eyes “breaks the bonds between parents and children. It turns productive citizens into addicts. It transforms schools into places of violence and chaos. It makes playgrounds into crime scenes.” A reasonable person could see how such scary things could be caused by “drug abuse,” but it is less apparent that “drug use” is just as bad as “drug abuse.”
At any rate, this nuance has never come up since during the Bush presidency. What has come up, however, is the combined efforts of the Coast Guard, the Border Patrol, and the National Guard in performing “marijuana busts.” On January 25, 2002, Bush praised an admiral of the Coast Guard who reported “one of the largest marijuana busts in history just the other day—right off the east coast.” A few years later on November 28, 2005, Bush praised border agents in Tucson, Arizona for, among other things, capturing “a half-million pounds of marijuana.” Bush said of their efforts, “I appreciate it very much.” On August 3 and 5, 2006, respectively, Bush praised the National Guard for its “support” of a seizure of “more than 4,200 pounds of marijuana that was hidden in a tractor-trailer.”
Strange as it may sound, the most vexing problem for Bush regarding cannabis—the one that has taken up most of his rhetorical time—is not “drug use” or “drug busts,” but rather Canada. That northern neighbor has gained Bush’s attention every mid-September since 2003, because, as Bush clarified on January 30, 2003: “Although the United States enjoys an excellent level of bilateral cooperation with Canada, the United States Government is concerned that Canada is a primary source of pseudoephedrine and an increasing source of high potency marijuana, which are exported to the United States.” In mid-September 2003, Bush said he was worried about the “widespread Canadian cultivation of high-potency marijuana, significant amounts of which are smuggled into the United States from Canada.”
In mid-September 2004, Bush remained “concerned about the substantial flow of illicit drugs from Canada.” But, it should be noted, Bush also said: “I commend Canada for its successful efforts to curb the diversion of precursor chemicals used in methamphetamine production [i.e., pseudoephedrine].” While Bush was pleased with the crackdown on cold medicine, he expressed his hope that Canada would do more “to address the increase in the smuggling of Canadian-produced marijuana into the United States.” Bush was “concerned the lack of significant judicial sanctions against marijuana producers is resulting in greater involvement in the burgeoning marijuana industry by organized criminal groups.”
At a news conference on November 30, 2004 with Canadian Prime Minister Martin, a reporter asked Bush: “how do you think Canada decriminalizing marijuana would affect the border?” This question generated laughter from the audience. It is unclear whether Bush laughed, too. He did say, however, that decriminalization in Canada “will probably affect those who use marijuana a lot more than it will affect the border.” When later pressed on the point, Bush said simply: “I don’t have a comment on what you’re doing internally about that.” To which Prime Minister Martin said to Bush: “I just like doing press conferences with you. You get all the questions.”
On September 14, 2005, Bush again complained to Canada: “Large scale cross-border trafficking of Canadian-grown marijuana remains a serious concern.” A year and a day later, on September 15, 2006, Bush reiterated that the “principal drug concern was the continuing large-scale production of high-potency, indoor-grown marijuana for export to the United States.” But, Bush also praised Canada for its “continued” effort “to effectively curb the diversion of precursor chemicals that are required for methamphetamine production to feed U.S. illegal markets.”
It is odd that the above are the only express references to “marijuana” by Bush. It is odd because Bush himself has used marijuana, and it is hypocritical to glory in the punishment of others for actions that the punisher himself has done. It is odd because in the beginning of his term, on February 7, 2001, Bush promised “an administration that will fight for fair, just law in the country.” But it seems unfair and unjust to criminalize people who use marijuana for private or medical purposes. Mostly, it is odd because, as Bush made clear during his 2007 State of Union Address, “drug use” is a decision for doctors and patients, not bureaucrats: “And in all we do, we must remember that the best health care decisions are made not by government and insurance companies, but by patients and their doctors.” It would be nice if Bush would remember this observation when it comes to medical marijuana.
Kenneth Michael White is an attorney and the author of “The Beginning of Today: The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937” and “Buck” (both by PublishAmerica 2004). Visit www.thebeginningoftoday.com for more information.
Before September 11, 2001, Bush did not speak the word “marijuana” at all. On October 24, 2001, Bush issued Proclamation 7489, “National Red Ribbon Week for a Drug-Free America,” for the purpose of claiming “progress in the ongoing war against substance abuse.” Bush took advantage of the opportunity to note that “we must clearly communicate to America’s youth that drug and alcohol abuse is dangerous and harmful to both their health and their future.”
The ability to “clearly communicate” took a hit on December 14, 2001, when Bush signed legislation to reauthorize funding for the “Drug-Free Communities Programs.” Instead of warning children about the dangers of “drug abuse,” which any reasonable person would expect Bush to do at this event, Bush instead turned his focus to “drug use,” which he sees as a threat to “everything—everything—that is best about our country.” The problem for Bush is that “drug use” in his eyes “breaks the bonds between parents and children. It turns productive citizens into addicts. It transforms schools into places of violence and chaos. It makes playgrounds into crime scenes.” A reasonable person could see how such scary things could be caused by “drug abuse,” but it is less apparent that “drug use” is just as bad as “drug abuse.”
At any rate, this nuance has never come up since during the Bush presidency. What has come up, however, is the combined efforts of the Coast Guard, the Border Patrol, and the National Guard in performing “marijuana busts.” On January 25, 2002, Bush praised an admiral of the Coast Guard who reported “one of the largest marijuana busts in history just the other day—right off the east coast.” A few years later on November 28, 2005, Bush praised border agents in Tucson, Arizona for, among other things, capturing “a half-million pounds of marijuana.” Bush said of their efforts, “I appreciate it very much.” On August 3 and 5, 2006, respectively, Bush praised the National Guard for its “support” of a seizure of “more than 4,200 pounds of marijuana that was hidden in a tractor-trailer.”
Strange as it may sound, the most vexing problem for Bush regarding cannabis—the one that has taken up most of his rhetorical time—is not “drug use” or “drug busts,” but rather Canada. That northern neighbor has gained Bush’s attention every mid-September since 2003, because, as Bush clarified on January 30, 2003: “Although the United States enjoys an excellent level of bilateral cooperation with Canada, the United States Government is concerned that Canada is a primary source of pseudoephedrine and an increasing source of high potency marijuana, which are exported to the United States.” In mid-September 2003, Bush said he was worried about the “widespread Canadian cultivation of high-potency marijuana, significant amounts of which are smuggled into the United States from Canada.”
In mid-September 2004, Bush remained “concerned about the substantial flow of illicit drugs from Canada.” But, it should be noted, Bush also said: “I commend Canada for its successful efforts to curb the diversion of precursor chemicals used in methamphetamine production [i.e., pseudoephedrine].” While Bush was pleased with the crackdown on cold medicine, he expressed his hope that Canada would do more “to address the increase in the smuggling of Canadian-produced marijuana into the United States.” Bush was “concerned the lack of significant judicial sanctions against marijuana producers is resulting in greater involvement in the burgeoning marijuana industry by organized criminal groups.”
At a news conference on November 30, 2004 with Canadian Prime Minister Martin, a reporter asked Bush: “how do you think Canada decriminalizing marijuana would affect the border?” This question generated laughter from the audience. It is unclear whether Bush laughed, too. He did say, however, that decriminalization in Canada “will probably affect those who use marijuana a lot more than it will affect the border.” When later pressed on the point, Bush said simply: “I don’t have a comment on what you’re doing internally about that.” To which Prime Minister Martin said to Bush: “I just like doing press conferences with you. You get all the questions.”
On September 14, 2005, Bush again complained to Canada: “Large scale cross-border trafficking of Canadian-grown marijuana remains a serious concern.” A year and a day later, on September 15, 2006, Bush reiterated that the “principal drug concern was the continuing large-scale production of high-potency, indoor-grown marijuana for export to the United States.” But, Bush also praised Canada for its “continued” effort “to effectively curb the diversion of precursor chemicals that are required for methamphetamine production to feed U.S. illegal markets.”
It is odd that the above are the only express references to “marijuana” by Bush. It is odd because Bush himself has used marijuana, and it is hypocritical to glory in the punishment of others for actions that the punisher himself has done. It is odd because in the beginning of his term, on February 7, 2001, Bush promised “an administration that will fight for fair, just law in the country.” But it seems unfair and unjust to criminalize people who use marijuana for private or medical purposes. Mostly, it is odd because, as Bush made clear during his 2007 State of Union Address, “drug use” is a decision for doctors and patients, not bureaucrats: “And in all we do, we must remember that the best health care decisions are made not by government and insurance companies, but by patients and their doctors.” It would be nice if Bush would remember this observation when it comes to medical marijuana.
Kenneth Michael White is an attorney and the author of “The Beginning of Today: The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937” and “Buck” (both by PublishAmerica 2004). Visit www.thebeginningoftoday.com for more information.
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