Obama Administration, Barack

The Barack Obama administration officially began on January 20, 2009, when Barack Obama, the former Democratic Senator of Illinois, was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. Despite being early in its tenure, already the Obama administration's drug policy shares some similarities with the preceding George W. Bush administration, particularly in terms of budgetary priorities and international policies. For example, like the George W. Bush (GWB) administration, the Obama administration's annual Drug Control Strategy (DCS) budget provides about twice the funding for domestic, interdiction, and international counterdrug support as it does for domestic drug abuse prevention and treatment programs. However, the Obama administration appears to place more emphasis (if not more funding) on treatment and prevention strategies, and has made specific efforts to encourage a just and balanced drug policy based on science and evidence-based results.

In terms of drug control policy funding, the Obama administration relies principally on the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). ONDCP's most recent Drug Control Strategy budget focused on four major issues: (1) substance abuse prevention, (2) substance abuse treatment, (3) domestic law enforcement, and (4) international counterdrug and interdiction support (e.g., disrupting drug smuggling routes and intercepting and destroying shipments of illegal drugs). The requested fiscal year (FY) 2010 DCS budget was $15.1 billion, about 1.5 percent higher than the previous year's budget.

Of this $15.1 billion in federal funding, $1.6 billion was allocated to substance abuse prevention programs, such as the Department of Education's new Improving School Culture and Climate Initiative, the ONDCP's Drug Free Communities Initiative and the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. About $3.6 billion was allocated to drug treatment and intervention efforts, such as the Department of Health and Human Service's Access to Recovery program, which provides access to substance abuse treatment and recovery support services. Almost $3.7 billion was allocated to domestic law enforcement efforts, such as the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces, which seek to dismantle drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the United States. Finally, over $6.1 billion was allocated to interdiction and international counterdrug support, which includes over $400 million devoted to combating drug trafficking and increasing law enforcement capabilities in Mexico, $288 million for counterdrug efforts in Afghanistan, and $237 million for counterdrug [Page 602]programs in Colombia. Overall, the amount of resources devoted to each major policy issue is similar to prior budgets of the GWB administration, with some shifting in the amount of funding spent on specific programs within each major policy area.

Despite similar funding allocations, the Obama administration has already enacted and supported a number of new policies that indicate a slightly more moderate domestic drug control policy compared to the GWB administration. For example, the Obama administration has directed federal law enforcement officials to no longer arrest individuals who are in valid possession of medicinal marijuana, at least in those states where it is currently legal. Further, it has pressured Congress to remove the disparity in sentencing laws for crack versus powder cocaine, and to repeal a provision blocking states from using certain federal funds on needle exchange programs. These efforts are consistent with the Obama administration's view on drug control policy as it was outlined by Gil Kerlikowske, the head of the ONDCP, in a 2009 interview with The Wall Street Journal. In that interview, Kerlikowske indicated a shift in perception to focus on treatment options rather than criminal justice responses. Further, Kerlikowske noted a desire to end the idea of the United States fighting a “War on Drugs,” as the term implies a negative stance against drug users that is counterproductive to prevention and treatment efforts.

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