Kerlikowske, Gil

A New Approach?

In spite of his long career in law enforcement, Kerlikowske immediately announced an end to using the term drug war. In May 2009 he commented: “Regardless of how you try to explain to people it's a ‘war on drugs’ or a ‘war on a product,’ people see a war as a war on them. We're not at war with people in this country.” Since Kerlikowske serves President Obama, this statement logically reflects the approach of Obama when it comes to federal drug control policy.

While campaigning for president, and in his first year in office, Obama made it clear that there would be meaningful change in the nation's drug war. For example, he ended federal raids of medical marijuana dispensaries in states where they are legal, as well as the federal ban on funding for needle-exchange programs. Further, under Obama, Congress greatly reduced the sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine that were created by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986.

The change in “drug war” terminology also reflects Kerlikowske's personal beliefs about drug policy. His support of community-oriented policing and modest gun control measures, as well as his support of crime prevention, suggest a progressive approach. Also, Kerlikowske was president of the Police Executive Research Forum that, according to its Website, is “a national membership organization of progressive police executives from the largest city, county and state law enforcement agencies.”

Kerlikowske does not support legalizing drugs. In a May 22, 2009, radio interview, he characterized legalization as “waving the white flag” and indicated that the “legalization vocabulary doesn't exist for me and it was made clear that it doesn't exist in President Obama's vocabulary.” Of course, the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 requires the Director of ONDCP to “take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize” drugs considered dangerous and with no medicinal value.

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