UN weighs in on legal pot: It violates drug treaties
DENVER (AP) - A United Nations-based drug agency urged the U.S. government on Tuesday to challenge the legalization of recreational marijuana use in Colorado and Washington, saying the state laws violate international drug treaties.
The International Narcotics Control Board made its appeal in an annual drug report. It called on the U.S. government to act to "ensure full compliance with the international drug control treaties on its entire territory."
"The entire international system is based on countries respecting the rules, and there's a broad fabric of international treaties that are part and parcel to that," added David Johnson, U.S. delegate to the Vienna-based board.
Last fall, Washington and Colorado became the first states to pass laws legalizing marijuana. Pot remains illegal under federal law.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said last week he was in the last stages of reviewing the Colorado and Washington state laws. He was examining policy options and international implications of the issue.
The federal government could sue the states over legalization or decide not to mount a court challenge.
The International Narcotics Control Board is the independent monitoring body for the implementation of United Nations drug control conventions. Its head, Raymond Yans, called on Holder to challenge the state laws soon after voters approved the measures.
In Amsterdam, where marijuana sold openly in coffee shops has been a tourist draw, officials have cracked down on growers in recent years, earning praise from the control board.
Brian Vicente, co-author of the Colorado pot legalization law, said a handful of North American countries have expressed support for legalization. He will head to Uruguay next week to talk about pot.
"The United States has been the main driver on this global war on drugs and they've seen significant shifts in their own ranks," Vicente said. "You have two states revolting and they're saying it doesn't work in their state and their community and it sends a strong message globally."
Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, director of the Open Society Foundations' Global Drug Policy Program, blamed repressive drug laws for millions of arrests and called on the United Nations General Assembly to reconsider its approach when it holds a special session on drugs in 2016.
The U.N. report also cited prescription drug abuse as a continuing problem as well as the emergence of designer drugs engineered to avoid existing drug controls.
The International Narcotics Control Board made its appeal in an annual drug report. It called on the U.S. government to act to "ensure full compliance with the international drug control treaties on its entire territory."
"The entire international system is based on countries respecting the rules, and there's a broad fabric of international treaties that are part and parcel to that," added David Johnson, U.S. delegate to the Vienna-based board.
Last fall, Washington and Colorado became the first states to pass laws legalizing marijuana. Pot remains illegal under federal law.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said last week he was in the last stages of reviewing the Colorado and Washington state laws. He was examining policy options and international implications of the issue.
The federal government could sue the states over legalization or decide not to mount a court challenge.
The International Narcotics Control Board is the independent monitoring body for the implementation of United Nations drug control conventions. Its head, Raymond Yans, called on Holder to challenge the state laws soon after voters approved the measures.
In Amsterdam, where marijuana sold openly in coffee shops has been a tourist draw, officials have cracked down on growers in recent years, earning praise from the control board.
Brian Vicente, co-author of the Colorado pot legalization law, said a handful of North American countries have expressed support for legalization. He will head to Uruguay next week to talk about pot.
"The United States has been the main driver on this global war on drugs and they've seen significant shifts in their own ranks," Vicente said. "You have two states revolting and they're saying it doesn't work in their state and their community and it sends a strong message globally."
Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, director of the Open Society Foundations' Global Drug Policy Program, blamed repressive drug laws for millions of arrests and called on the United Nations General Assembly to reconsider its approach when it holds a special session on drugs in 2016.
The U.N. report also cited prescription drug abuse as a continuing problem as well as the emergence of designer drugs engineered to avoid existing drug controls.
Lets see, the U.N telling the United States to challenge the legalization of pot. What about Amsterdam?? Havent see the UN dictate how much pot they smoke there. Havent seen the UN challenge the drug cartels violations of drug treaties. And since when does the UN tell us anything anyway??? Damn people WAKE UP!!!!!!!Â
i use to think the conservatives were out of their minds for showing disdain for the u.n.,now i dont think they were to off the mark.if anything this unites conservatives and liberals on an issue,to heck with the u.n. they are starting to sound like the world police and we dont need that.
The UN is dominated by all the tin horn, third-world dictators that would have all the wealth and power they desire if they could only get the US out of the picture. They just want us to BUY our smoke from the cartels. Screw 'em
Hey politicians !!! Remember the constitution ??? That little class you took way back when you were in school ? Oh wait....you were out back that day smoking a joint under the bleachers. Basically it says you represent US !!! We voted.... BACK THE HELL OFF ! Sick of all this rhetoric. We already know Obama is selling us out....you don't HAVE to help him ya know !
@Dan N I agreed with everything you said up until the point that you trashed Obama.Â
@shadowphoenix
Don't be upset about someone trashing Obama, as he does a pretty good job of trashing himself.
@shadowphoenix
Chillax... I was having some fun.
As for focusing on the bad, well, when Obama does something positive for this country, I'll gladly mention it.
@Bornhere @shadowphoenix
I didn't state that I was upset. I simply stated that I agreed with everything he stated up until that point. While I may disagree with Obama on some fronts (as most would with ANY president in office), I also agree with him on many things as well. When someone can have a constructive conversation about the pros and cons about any government official, I'm more open to viewing opinions because I like to look at all sides. However, when people just point out everything they hate and everything negative and refuse to look at both sides, than I tend to just bypass the statement. I try and only have political conversations with people who I believe are not spending all their time focusing on everything bad because it tends to come across more like they just want someone to blame all their problems on. Yes, there is a lot of bad (most of it around way before Obama ever took office) but there is some good as well.
Screw the UN and their treaties. Don't like it? Don't come here! In fact, STAY OUT ANYWAY! I'll NEVER submit to UN control, no matter what Obama says ("UN trumps Constitution" -Obama is you'll remember)
Tell ya what: We'll grow our own, use our own and not export it. OKAY?
If the UN is concerned with a country's drug problem, then look to Mexico. The drug cartels control local governments and towns. They kll elected officials and police chiefs. They provide illegal drugs worldwide.
Send those blue helmuts into that 3rd world country to curb drug abuse.
Even thou our state's  pot law is breaking federal law as is Colorado's it is still our state our country-UN, mind your business.
The real snakes behind the drug cartels and pharmaceutical companies starting to show their faces. Do you wonder why we have allowed the mexican cartels to terrorize our borders without hardly any opposition from the US government? They are slaughtering US citizens and ARE attacking on our home soil and we haven't launched a military operation against them? Yet we are busy fighting for oil laden countries outside of the US? Keep pushing forward to take down this corrupt system Washington and Colorado, we are making history! Let's get this done right and keep logic as the forefront of our push and not allow the fear mongers to muddy up the water!
No one cares what the U.N. has to say. This is OUR country, OUR state, and WE made the decision to legalize. It's NONE of their business.
These UN clowns offered their opinion on this shortly after the election. Nobody was listening then either.
Meh. UN should move its HQ off of US soil. They love our $, but hate our success.Â
Time for the United States of America to stand back on her own two feet and run this country. We don't need a national police force here. This country was doing just fine before the world started running it.
Oh the UN is weighing in on this now... if they say so it has be true! .. How much they want to look away?.... we can print some money to quash their fears....
Is it really a treaty if the people of our nations didn't get a say in it? Not really. Once people figure out all these illegal treaties have been forced down our throats they will eventually just start ignoring them. Much like eventually to restore our civil rights we will have to ignore the people in uniform. All laws are only laws if the people agree to respect them. It use to be legal to trade in slaves too and in drinking alcohol, but eventually people grew up and forced change.Â
Phuk the U.N. We should never have been a part of this corrupt organization to begin with.  U.S. out of the U.N. NOW!
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
"The U.N. report also cited prescription drug abuse as a continuing problem..."
Presumably, they want to ban prescription drugs, as well? Â Welcome back the bubonic plague.
Then our representives need to remove us from those treaties. The legislature is there to server the people, not to impose other countries politicians on us.
No one in the UN got their panties twisted over Amsterdam's marijuana laws....
@Funky-Munky Yeah being that the head of the UN in the same country as Amersterdam they are sending the message , "Do as I say, not as I do." That is being the biggest hypocrite of them all.
@jd94b @Funky-Munky I believe this to be one of many attempts at our freedom(s)!
@Funky-Munky Netherland is not part of the UN. Wow.
This treaty isn't worth the paper it's printed on. The UN can shove it up its a $ $.
The UN can take a walk. We here in the U.S. will decide upon our own laws, thank you.
I don't smoke but will not tolerate the UN telling the USA how to enforce laws. Â UN wants to control our Pot today, guns tomorrow, then before you know it men in white hats and arm bands are running around collecting our guns and throwing unarmed Americans in gas chambers. Â Wake up people. Â
The UN doesn't like marijuana legalization? Now that is an added benefit to legalizing marijuana in this state.
As for the federal government, they do not have the power to force the state to ban marijuana. There might be a decent argument for the federal government being able to ban interstate commerce in marijuana and certainly the feds can prevent import and export, but that is it.
@Iconoclast
Yes, but... The state of Washington cannot stop federal marshalls from coming into our state to enforce federal law. That's the paradox we exist in, presently. The U.S. congress needs to address this, but they'll just sit around and jaw, like they have with the federal budget for the past four years.
@marsneedswomen No, but the state, counties, and cities can refuse to provide any support to the feds pursuing state residents pursuing a lawful recreation. Even to the point of detaining federal agents, I suspect.
This isn't an imperial country...yet.Â
@IconoclastÂ
Knock on wood...
@marsneedswomen @Iconoclast It isn't cost effective in the least bit to send in the Feds to go after cannabis on any kind of scale large enough to undo the logical progress that is legalizing cannabis.
@Sovereign
Your statement is true, but... the Fed bureaucracy is going to do whatever it takes to keep themselves significant. They have our tax money to do whatever they want to do. Cost-effectiveness is a moot notion. It's up to our U.S. congress to stop this silly paradox. But they won't do anything. Internal D.C. power struggles make this all a joke.
@stillywack You did the same thing marsneedswomen did.
@marsneedswomen You forgot to read past "go after cannabis" before blurting out the first ill-conceived thing that came to your mind.
@Sovereign @marsneedswomen @Iconoclast It is when the feds pockets get greased up by whomever opposes this. It is all about paying off the right people in the current government.
@Sovereign
Since when did the feds care about cost-effective anything. Federal marshalls have been taking down medical marijuana dispensaries in California left and right.
The US needs to leave the UN!
I don't smoke pot.  I voted this law in.  Pppppht to the UN.      Drug laws should be the business of the countries, and the states, NOT the UN, IMO.
This is the same UN that our pres. is trying to use for gun cotroll also.
OMG
I doubt Washington state signed a treaty about pot via the UN. The federal gov't is run by a bunch of blundering fools, so I really don't think they are in any position to be saying much at this point. If they ever get their own house in order then they can boss WA state around.  Not to mention the UN -- have you every heard some of the garbage they spew out at those conferences? Gimme a break.
And now the UN is telling me how to live.
@FZR Sadly.... yes.  :(
And the pot growers h-o-w-l-e-d in the comments section...
@Citizen#3457899654Â I dont grow or smoke pot but you would have to be blind to think prohibition is working or is fiscally responsible. Especially when we have FAR worse substances legal and easily obtainable.Â
@Citizen#3457899654Â Â
Not everyone commenting in here smokes it. Some of us just hate having the UN tell us what to do.
The U.N. - Another complete waste of vital oxygen. Time to kick those a$$hats out of the US and stop funding them.