A vocal and early supporter of then-candidate Donald J. Trump, Pennsylvania Congressman Tom Marino has been selected to serve as the next White House “Drug Czar,” according to CBS news.
Officially referred to as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Rep. Tom Marino (R) would be responsible for advising President Trump on America’s national drug policy and overseeing those federal agencies that enforce U.S. antidrug efforts. Additionally, the director of the ONDCP assesses, synchronizes, and monitors both the domestic and international anti-drug efforts.
Considered ambiguous on the topic of medicinal cannabis, Rep. Marino was labeled a “marijuana prohibitionist” by MPP for regularly voting “against marijuana policy reform legislation.” Following an established pattern of selecting politicians opposed to reforming America’s obsolete marijuana laws, the selection of Rep. Marino as the newest drug czar coincides with Trump’s appointment of Jeff Sessions as United States Atty. Gen. No fan of medical marijuana or its societal side effects, A.G. Sessions has routinely disparaged the positive results of legalizing the medicinal herb:
I’ve heard people say we could solve our heroin problem with marijuana. How stupid is that? Give me a break!
Marino, a former federal prosecutor from Williamsport, Pennsylvania is best known for his work on drug control matters on Capitol Hill. A friend to Big Pharma, Marino’s Transnational Drug Trafficking Act, according to critics, has severely “undercut the DEA’s ability to hold drug distributors accountable.” Favoring harsh enforcement for users/addicts, a report by the Washington Post indicates Marino’s 2015 Transnational Drug Trafficking Act created a cozy environment for America’s drug companies – while limiting the potential prosecution of those companies nurturing America’s opioid habit.
Marino on Medical Marijuana: “The only way I would agree to consider legalizing marijuana is if we had a really in depth-medical scientific study. If it does help people one way or another, then produce it in pill form. I think it’s a states’ rights issue. One treatment option I have advocated for years would be placing non-dealer, nonviolent drug abusers in a secured hospital-type setting under the constant care of health professionals.”
As our politicians grapple with the inconvenient reality that states with legalized medical marijuana enjoy lower rates of opioid addiction, Rep. Marino has already demonstrated his allegiance to Big Pharma. Science be damned – provided Rep. Marino is officially confirmed as America’s next Drug Czar, the Pennsylvania Congressman would represent the “fifth congressional Republican tapped to serve in the Trump administration.”
credit:marijuana.com
