I don't mean to bring the whole political gambit to this site..... but . I just saw the news tonight and part of this incentive bill is 400 mill to the prevention of STD's... 400 mill...

I noted last week that the drug czar’s blog deleted all of its old posts, essentially destroying the single best record of former drug czar John Walters’s "achievements" during the Bush Administration. Only three items have been posted since, none of which are particularly noteworthy.

Meanwhile, the Obama Administration is pushing a handful of notable criminal justice and drug policy reforms, including racial profiling legislation, sentencing reform, needle exchange and an end to medical marijuana raids. We don’t know yet who Obama will select to fill John Walters’s stinky boots, but wouldn’t it be nice if that person used the blog to keep us updated on efforts we can actually support? I’d cherish any opportunity to link approvingly to that site.

Having already been bombarded by drug policy reform’s vast web-based army, it’s only logical for the new administration to now reach out to us through a familiar medium and spark positive discussion of the changes we all agree are needed.

Friends, this is a moment we’ve been anticipating for a long time:

The White House said it expects those kinds of raids to end once Mr. Obama nominates someone to take charge of DEA, which is still run by Bush administration holdovers.

"The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind," White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said. [Washington Times]

It looks like we’re on the verge of a major victory for state medical marijuana laws. For over a decade, this battle has raged from the hills of California to the Nation’s Capital. It has been a defining cause, not only for the medical marijuana community, but for drug policy reform as a whole.

There is no question that a great many challenges remain in our path, but let’s all take a moment to reflect on the fact that our president is poised to order the DEA to stand down. That is not something that happens easily or often. Today’s news suggests the pending culmination of a substantial effort by a broad coalition that is frequently perceived to lack meaningful political leverage. The political landscape is changing before our eyes and I believe we have much to look forward to.

(Please participate in our online action alert and our Facebook petition on this issue.)