The Michigan Drug Czar Speaks (01/10/02)

The following is a transcript of a speech that Craig Yaldoo, the new Michigan Drug Czar, made before the Macomb County Prevention Coalition (on 01/10/02 at the Freedom Hill conference center in Sterling Heights at 3:00 PM).  Yaldoo’s official title is Director of Michigan Office of Drug Control Policy.  I think this speech is important because it typifies the disingenuous rhetoric that has been carefully crafted by supporters of current National Drug Policy.  Following the speech Professor Hemp provides his own commetary and rebuttle.  If you have further comments please email them to NAC and some of your comments may be added as "Commentary from other Activists."

Craig Yaldoo's Speech:

Commentary from Professor Hemp:

Commentary from other Activists:

Craig Yaldoo's Speech:

Yaldoo: I just want to say a couple things before I rile up some people.  We’re going to hear from a person in the audience . . . we’re going to be a little bit unorthodox here and take a little liberty here. 

Many of you have been faced with this question: “Is the War on Drugs working?  Is it worth fighting?  I think police officers hear it every single day.  I think prevention people ask the same question.  My opinion is that it is working, but it could work better. 

I want to tell you a little story about GM.  I want to tell you a little story about Ford Motor Company.  I want to tell you a little story about State Government.  I want to tell you a little story about the War on Terrorism. 

The little story has to do with this.  With each one of those and thousands and thousands and millions of other organizations and agencies around the country and around the world.  With each one of those agencies there comes a point in time where they have to take a step back and re-evaluate and step up our efforts.  It happens in the Airline agency.  It happens with child abuse.  It happens with drugs.  It happens with crime.  It happens with American mental health care.  We as Americans are constantly evaluating what we’re doing.  What are we doing right and what do we need to improve upon. 

After this attack on our nation we had to take a look at ourselves and ask “why did this happen” and how do we step up our efforts to protect our fellow Americans?  How do we step up to protect our allies around the world?  How do we join together?

That’s my feeling about the War on Drugs.  Are we doing some things right? You betcha.  Are there other things that we can improve upon?  Absolutely.  Just like the partnership between the schools and the community coalition. 

To my right here is a McComb County resident, a former Michigan State Police Sergeant.  He is now working with the Office of Drug Control Policy to help us strengthen our multi-jurisdictional drug team efforts throughout the State of Michigan.  The message that we are sending out to the law enforcement community is a very simple message.  It is heard a thousand times and it is a message that I read to my children from Aesop’s fables.  You will remember this one:

One stick alone can be broken.  Several sticks, bundled together, cannot be broken at all.  We’re asking the law enforcement community, through the multi-jurisdictional drug team to work together.  To put aside turf differences.  Work together to serve the people of the State of Michigan.  And resoundingly, do you know what the response is? Yes.  Let’s move forward.  Let’s do it.  Let’s identify better ways to work on our multi-jurisdictional interdict ional drug team efforts.  It’s happening.  Each and every day law enforcement officials are sitting together.  Prosecutors.  Cops.  Sheriffs.  Together they are figuring out better ways that they can work together. 

So is the War on Drugs Working.  Yes, But it can always stand for room for improvement.  

Now with that said, I wanted to say that when I came here today a little early and I saw an attractive lady sitting in here car in the lot.  I walked up to the car and I wanted to make sure that I was coming to the right spot so I asked her if she was coming to the Drug Community Coalition Meeting?  So she looks at me and asked who are you?  And I said I am Craig Yaldoo and I am the Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy and she said, “you’re my enemy” . . .

Donna: That’s not what I said.

You’ll get your chance.  So I said to her I’m not going to bite you, I just want to talk to you.  And I’d like this person, Donna to share with this audience, the couple comments that you made to me outside.  And this will lead into some of the things that I want to share with the Community Coalition.  Please tell me what you were telling me outside about your views on drugs.

Donna: When you first came up to my car I did say to you “I’m the enemy.  I smoke pot.”  “ I don’t remember exactly what else I said.

Well, I’m a former prosecutor so I can cross-examine and get it out of you.  You said you thought our nation was going in the wrong direction.  You felt that our founding fathers – Lincoln, Jefferson, - wrote on this issue against prohibition.  Correct?  You told me about something you do recreationally.  Correct?  You said that you are a pot smoker, that you smoke Marijuana.  Correct?  You said that you enjoyed doing that in you home.  Correct?  You said you felt that society was sanctioning something that you enjoy.  You felt we we’re getting out of control with our drug laws by prohibiting the use of drugs.  Your feeling was that drugs should be legalized and that we should stop this nonsense about going after people that use drugs. 

Professor Hemp:  Let’s remember “some drugs” are legal.  For example alcohol is legal. 

Yaldoo:  Professor, you will get your chance later.  Is that correct Donna?

Donna:  I don’t think that Marijuana should be illegal for use by adults.

Thank you very much.  And Professor Hemp we will get to you in a minute.  The reason that I asked Donna to recall what the conversation was is because I have a message for you here today.  The message is about a campaign that has targeted the State of Michigan.  They have targeted the states of Michigan, Ohio and Florida and they are even thinking of targeting a fourth state, Missouri.  There intention is to legalize drugs.  They will tell you many things.  They will use smoke screens.  They will tell you that this is about Marijuana. They will tell you things similar to what Donna, a Michigan citizen, is saying.  They will tell you that I have no problem with Marijuana.  But it’s a smoke screen.  It’s a hoax.

They just want to get their foot in the door.  But you as a community coalition, you as community leaders, mothers, fathers.  You and faith-based people need to stand up against this.  Why?  They will tell you that this is about Marijuana.  They will also say it is about a sentencing commission.  They may even add in that it is about mandatory minimums.  They’re going to tell you a lot of things.

Let me tell you if they knew they could win you over by telling you that you would get a free gallon of milk each week they would it would be included in their proposed ballot language.  If they knew they could win you over by telling you that you would get a new car it would be included in their proposed ballot language.  You see this is a very well financed group.  They are out of California. 

They don’t have thousands of dollars in their pockets.  They don’t have millions of dollars in their pockets.  These are billionaires.  George Soros is worth 5 billion dollars.  They will find every way . . . How can I make you commissioner? . . . How can I make you Judge? . . . like me so that I can get my foot in the door. 

One thing is clear about this group.  They want to decriminalize the use of drugs.  Marijuana?  No, that’s the smoke screen.  Crack, Heroin, PCP, LSD, and Methamphetamine.  Every other harmful drug that you can think of.  They want to decriminalize every harmful drug.  When people step up here and said “We want to talk about Marijuana.” 

Tim Beck, you wanted to talk about Marijuana.  Donna, you wanted to talk about Marijuana.  This is not about Marijuana.  If this was about Marijuana they would have pushed a Marijuana agenda.  This is really about the legalization of drugs like Crack and  Heroin. 

A couple days ago, in the Detroit News, they had an article about a harm reduction program, a heroin maintenance program.  This is about Crack Cocaine.  This is about PCP.  This is about LSD.  This is about Ecstasy.  This is about every harmful drug that you can think of. 

You see we all know someone that has smoked a Marijuana cigarette.  And these some bodies are the people that this campaign wants to target.  They want us to say, that’s my brother, that’s my sister.  They’re not bad people.  I don’t think they should get a jail sentence.  I don’t think they should get a prison sentence.  Because, again, Marijuana is the smoke screen. 

What they are trying to do is lure these people in with Marijuana, these purveyors of poison.  Talk about a Drug Commission.  Talk about Mandatory minimums.  And then what they want to do is, once they got you, is go to the next step which is the normalization of drug use.  Talk to them.  Read their literature.  Read the articles associated with their movement.  Coalition leaders around the state have these people on record as saying they support drug legalization.  But we can’t talk to the public about that because they wouldn’t but it. 

Let’s go after the public by telling them we just want to provide treatment.  Let me tell you the State of Michigan provides over one hundred million dollars last year for treatment.  We’re making a commitment to Drug Courts that has grown in a very proud way over the past 4 or 5 years.  Are we exactly where we want to be?  Maybe not.  But do we retreat now.  Is that the message that you want to take to your families?  That is what they are asking you to do.  This a well-fueled campaign and these are billionaires and they have targeted the State of Michigan.  They do not live in Michigan.  But they have sent their flunkies here to try to co-opt judges, treatment professionals.  They have sent them here to say look, what would it take for you to support Drug Decriminalization.  And I think the Drug Court professionals have rightly said “we’re not buying it.”

You see as Drug Court Judges, we know something.  We know that we have a very important job.  And our job is to step in and stiffen the resolve of an addict.  And we do that through the option of incarceration.  We do that through the option of sanctions.  Let me tell you something.  This group of California billionaires and their cohorts want to take away our options. 

When you are fighting a War on Drugs.  When you are fighting something so devastating and harmful as Crack Cocaine, as Heroin,  as PCP, you want every option.  In their proposal they mandate to change, to amend,  the Michigan Constitution.  Ask their representative about this.  Ask the representative if it is a good thing to put Drug Treatment above Education, Health Care, Mental Health Care, Drug Prevention, Prisons, and Law Enforcement.  Is that the type of tampering we want to do with the Michigan Constitution by people who are outside of the Sate of Michigan?  

In their proposal they say that we have a problem with low-level offenders getting incarcerated.  Is that the case ladies and gentleman?  I’m telling you it is not.

In California they focused on 36,000 persons in California’s prisons that were incarcerated on possession offences.  I challenge you to look around the state and find a person that is in prison for a Marijuana cigarette.  I’m not talking about a probation violation or parole violation that was accompanying that holding of a Marijuana cigarette.  My point to you is that these guys are targeting the State of Michigan and we’re doing a good job with being tough on those serious drug dealers and then offering effective treatment.  And that’s the operative word, effective treatment.  And the Judge will tell you that.

It’s not about any treatment.  It’s about effective treatment.  We’re doing a good job.  We’re hovering around a thousand persons in our penal system.  Persons that have possessed drugs.  Many of them have bargained down from a more serious offence.  I’m sure if you talked to Ken and Bryan (Police Officers) they could tell you hundreds of stories where there was a rapist, a murderer or a robber who has had charges brought against them for the actions they have committed but for some reason the case wasn’t strong enough.  The only thing that was left was that they were in possession or were trying to sell Crack or Heroin.  So don’t be fooled by the numbers.  Don’t be fooled by the recent ads and articles about, “wait a second we need to do a better job.”  In some cases we can always improve.  That’s the human condition.  Each and every one of you makes New Year’s resolutions.  We need to eat better, spend more time together, do better with our studies . . .  We’re always doing that. 

Don’t be fooled by this campaign.  It is the Campaign for New Drug Policies.  They want to legalize drugs!  They want to bring it to your neighborhood.  They want to bring it to your street.  They want to bring it to your schools.  They will tell you many different things.  They will say that Legalization is a good thing.  Decriminalization is a good thing.  Legalization provides treatment.  Let me tell you about their treatment. 

I’ve spoken with Substance abuse prevention treatment people over and over.  Tell me about the treatment that these guys are promoting.  They call their treatment watered down substance abuse treatment.  Why?  Because do you know what there treatment it?  Treatment could be vocation training. Treatment could be a little conference on the side.  My point is they don’t even have the ability to identify effective treatment and get behind the laws that are working in the State of Michigan.  And get behind the policies that are working in the State of Michigan. 

I’ve been working closely with the Drug Court Judges to develop a new strategy for strengthening our Drug Courts and expanding upon our current drug court process.  And I’m happy to say that we are going to have an additional 10 drug courts in the state of Michigan.  The thing I have learned is that the Drug Courts are such an important function in this whole effort.  What they are doing is driving addicts out of the system.  This campaign is about recovery vs. misery.  It is about a responsible approach to drug abuse and violence against a irresponsible approach. 

I want to thank you for inviting me here today.  I’m here to answer some questions about whatever you want to talk about. 

Tim Beck:  These guys sound really bad.  Why would they want to give drugs to children? 

Yaldoo: Your guess is a good as mine.

Coalition Rep:  I appreciate the statements you made about what has been going on but most of us already know about that.  My concern is what your office is going to do to make our coalition stronger.  Ours is a volunteer organization that has no funding other than what we get from the federal government.  How do we get the funding to do what we are supposed to do? 

Yaldoo: You just have to call my office.  Go to the workshops.  We have the people to offer you technical assistance.  My office number is (517)373-4700.  My e-mail address is yaldooc@michigan.gov. 

Coalition Rep: What about the tobacco settlement dollars that are supposed to be directed toward prevention.

Yaldoo: We have not yet taken a position. 

Professor Hemp: First of all the Drug War has been a big waste of money.  We’re spending annually 20 billion at both the state and federal level and yet drugs are just as available today as they were 20 years ago. 

We agree with everybody in this room regarding the use and abuse of drugs by children.  But what we resent is what is happening with the continuing criminalization of consensual activities by adults.  That is what we are upset about.

When Clinton came into office there were approximately 350,000 people getting busted form Marijuana nationwide.  When he left office, 8 years later the figure had tripled to 750,000 people. 

Yaldoo:  I’m going to have to stop you there.

Professor Hemp:  One last item then.  I would like to challenge you to a debate on the issue of Drug Policy in a public forum.

Yaldoo: Just call the office and we will arrange something.

Donna: Are there drugs in our Prisons.

Yaldoo: Yes there are drugs in our Prisons.

Donna: I’m not college educated but I have a question.  If drugs can penetrate the walls and bars and security of our federal penitentiaries how can we keep it out of our free country?

Yaldoo: There is something called demand.  And what the Community Coalitions are trying to do is helping people step away from this demand.  So what we’re hoping to do is put dollars into drug prevention education. 

Commentary from Professor Hemp:

Craig Yaldoo is espousing the typical rhetoric that we have been hearing for years.  He doesn’t seem quite as extreme as one of his predecessor’s, Peterson.  But outdoing Peterson would really take some imagination.

In my analysis Yaldoo attempted to achieve a number of objectives in his speech:

(1) He attempted to discredit the present Michigan initiative drive to place drug abusers into treatment instead of prisons.  This initiative originates from the Campaign for New Drug Policies.

(2) He attempted to “candy coat” the reality of Michigan’s Drug Policies which are some of the most punitive in the country.

To discredit the Michigan Drug Reform Initiative (MDRI) he characterized the “Campaign for New Drug Policies” as a group that is funded by billionaires that want to legalized all drugs and destroy Western civilization, as we know it.  First of all, it is true that Soros, Lewis and Sperling, who have combined assets of between 6-8 billion dollars, financed the 19 ballot initiatives brought to the public by Campaign for New Drug Policies.

But what Yaldoo doesn’t like to talk about is the fact that 17 of these 19 Drug Reform initiatives were passed by significant margins by American voters.  This is a clear indication of two things: (1) The American People don’t buy into the Drug War rhetoric any more and (2) Because of huge PAC contributions from beneficiaries of the Drug War (e.g. Private Prisons, State/Federal bureaucracies, Alcohol, Tobacco, US Covert Operations, Pharmaceutical, Banking), most of our Federal and State representatives are no longer representing the will of the American People on many issues including the direction of US Drug Policy. 

The Michigan Drug Reform Initiative (MDRI) actually does the following things:

(1) It increasing penalties against major drug traffickers.

(2) It eliminates Mandatory Minimum sentences for drug offenders.

(3) Drug users would be given an option of treatment over imprisonment.

(4) Drug offenders, currently in prison, would be eligible fro re-sentencing.

Contrary to Yaldoo’s assertions it does nothing to decriminalize any currently illicit drug, not even Marijuana.  One of the other interesting things about Yaldoo’s presentation is his insistence on grouping Marijuana with other illicit drugs such as Heroin, Crack and LSD. 

I will be quite candid in saying that I personally believe that legalizing all drugs has more merit than the present policy.  But I am also pragmatic enough to realize that public opinion will not presently support my opinion.  As radical as this notion appears, it has been the prevailing policy for most of this nation’s history.  Up until the Harrison Anti-Narcotics Act of 1914 it was legal to purchase Cocaine, Morphine, Cannabis and many other drugs without a prescription.  It is a policy alternative that has received a blessing from some of the most intelligent minds in this country (e.g., Milton Friedman, William Buckley, Secretary of State George Schultes).  And during this period of history we did not have drug gangs running our streets or police departments that had been corrupted by illicit drug profits.

Furthermore, by legalizing all drugs we could instantly deprive international terrorist organizations (including the NSA and CIA) of over 50% of their revenue stream.  I would choose this course, any day of the week, before even considering the current loss of liberties that we are incurring in the wake of “911.”

 But the American People have no inclination to take such a bold approach according to the polls.  Furthermore, my experience with the Drug Reform community is that 99% percent of the activists would be content, for the rest of their lives, if they would just Re-Legalize Cannabis for personal use by adults.  

And this sentiment is shared by a growing number of the non-activist public.  Support for Medical Marijuana is endorsed by nearly 70% of Americans and in some states recreational use of Marijuana is approaching the 50% mark.  And Europe is even further down the road to Cannabis Re-Legalization.  In respect of this reality my position on Drug Policy has remained the same for the past 15+ years:

(1) Re-Legalize Cannabis (Marijuana) for all adults over 18 years of age.  Allow the State/Federal governments the ability to tax the commercial sale of Cannabis but NEVER allow the government to tax or license personal cultivation.  This is so important because it begins giving Americans an alternative to Pharmaceutical medicines, which are already out of reach of the budgets of many poor and elderly Americans.  It also provides a mechanism for slowing the price of Pharmaceutical medicines by allowing Americans a cheaper alternative.

(2) After Cannabis has been Re-Legalized begin to reassess the relative dangers of other drugs through public education and debate.  It is then up to the American voters to decide if they want to make further changes to the drug laws.

But the main point I want to make is that Yaldoo purposely bundles Marijuana with other drugs because he is well aware that more and more Americans want to see it Re-Legalized.  The only way he can continue to demonize Marijuana is by consistently bundling it with other currently illicit drugs.  The only way he can demonize the Drug Reform movement is by associating them with the legalization of drugs that we all have concerns with.

The second aspect of Yaldoo’s speech that I would like to address is his attempt to “candy coat” the reality of Michigan’s Drug Policies.  Yaldoo’s argument can be encapsulated through one of his quotes:

“I challenge you to look around the state and find a person that is in prison for a Marijuana cigarette.”

Well, on the face of it he is probably correct.  But this is not to say that otherwise good citizens are not being significantly impacted.

I talked to a 19-year-old male the other day.  He was stopped for no apparent reason.  After they ran his license they found there was no record of him rectifying a citation for not wearing a seat belt.  The driver produced a receipt showing that it had in fact been resolved.  But the officer cuffed the driver, threw him in the back seat of the squad car and brought in the dogs to sniff the car for drugs.

They found a little over a gram of Marijuana – possibly enough to roll one or two joints.  This little incident has cost this young citizen over $4,000 according to his own accounting.  Keep in mind that he was not under the influence at the time of the arrest and was therefore not a threat to the public.  In addition he has to make a long distance call every day to see if this is his day to take a drug test.  The way it works is that every 14 days he must take a random drug test.  In accordance with the system it is possible that he could take a drug test on 2 consecutive days.  Because he must pay $25 for each drug test this alone will cost him over $1,200, and considerable indignity and inconvenience, over the next 2 years that he must take the tests ($25 * 2/month * 12 months/year * 2 years).

Unfortunately, for this young citizen, he failed one of his tests and is now scheduled to go back before the judge.  Now it is possible that he will incur additional fines and he really could find himself in jail this time.  All the while the Judge can stop off at a local bar, after work, and get inebriated on one of the planets most dangerous mind-altering drugs: I’m talking about alcohol.  And the odds are he won’t get caught or punished.

So Yaldoo has really given a great deal of thought to his statements in order to make present Drug Policy appear fair and compassionate.  But the bottom line is, an increasing number of Americans are being deeply impacted by the War on Drugs when in most instances they are not endangering the safety or rights of other Americans.  And because of a recent law this young victim of American Drug Policy will be ineligible for Federal College Grant assistance.  Ironically, if he had raped or murdered someone he would still be eligible.  And the icing on the cake is he now has a criminal record.  So on each subsequent stop, by officer friendly, they will find the Marijuana offence and use it as a motive to search his person and his vehicle.

Over the last 12 years the number of Americans getting busted annually for Marijuana has increased from 350,000 to 780,000.  The vast majority of these cases are for simple possession.  And while they may not go to jail they will be significantly impacted and will now carry with them a tainted police record.  All the while the criminal justice narcocracy bankrolls the profits . . . which just keeps this Drug War growing.

It is time that all Americans saw through the compassionate veneer that Drug War mongers, such as Craig Yaldoo, like to hide behind.  There is nothing compassionate or objective about it.  The primary concern, they really have, is to keep the prisons full and the money rolling in to the law enforcement community.  Keep this in mind as monies for your child’s education, and other important purposes, is increasingly diverted to more Drug Courts, Prisons and ironically to pay for more Drug War propaganda.

Yaldoo is one good reason not to sit idley by and watch your freedoms and liberties wither away to nothing.  We all have a vested interest in protecting our children from the abuse of drugs.  We also have a vested interest in insuring that the government is not allowed to treat their adults like children.

Professor Hemp

Commentary from other Activists: