[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22997]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  H. RES. 1540: SUPPORTING THE GOAL OF ERADICATING ILLICIT MARIJUANA 
CULTIVATION ON FEDERAL LANDS AND CALLING ON THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE 
 OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY TO DEVELOP A COORDINATED STRATEGY TO 
PERMANENTLY DISMANTLE MEXICAN DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER 
               CRIMINAL GROUPS OPERATING ON FEDERAL LANDS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 17, 2010

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Res. 1540, a 
resolution supporting the goal of eradicating illicit marijuana 
cultivation on Federal lands and calling on the Director of the Office 
of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop a coordinated 
strategy to dismantle Mexican drug trafficking organizations and other 
criminal groups operating on Federal lands. H. Res. 1540 is an 
unnecessary statement that continues the Bush administration's failed 
approach to United States drug policy by overemphasizing military and 
law enforcement as the primary instruments of U.S. drug policy and its 
focus on marijuana to the exclusion of other more harmful drugs. If the 
approach recommended in this resolution were enacted, it would require 
the diversion of valuable resources from an effective policy already in 
place.
  There is no doubt that the problem identified in the resolution, 
illicit marijuana cultivation on Federal lands, is real and harmful. 
Mexican drug trafficking organizations' (``DTOs''') use of national 
forests and parks for illicit marijuana cultivation imperils visitors 
and damages pristine national resources. However, contrary to the 
implication of the resolution, ONDCP already has a coordinated strategy 
to address this problem. ONDCP's 2010 National Drug Control Strategy 
outlines how it has worked on a coordinated effort to combat the DTOs' 
illegal cultivation via its High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas 
(HIDTA) program in conjunction with the Department of Interior, the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Guard, the Department of 
Justice's Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of Justice's National 
Drug Intelligence Center, and state and local law enforcement agencies. 
In some of these initiatives, such as the Domestic Marijuana 
Eradication and Investigation Project, ONDCP has provided funding 
through HIDTA for these efforts. ONDCP has also coordinated a strategy 
to combat the DTO cultivation of marijuana on Native American 
reservations.
  Moreover, while disrupting organized criminal groups is critical to 
successfully reducing the violent drug trade in Mexico, there are far 
more cost-effective ways to undermine the efforts of DTOs than combing 
the vast public territories in the U.S. for marijuana. U.S. 
counternarcotics policy must be both evidence- based and cost-
effective, especially in the current fiscal environment. The immense 
public territory on which this cultivation could occur makes aerial 
surveillance akin to finding a needle in a haystack: it would involve 
great expense and a militaristic approach to policing vast public 
lands. Given the practical challenges and enormous resources that would 
be required to make a sizable dent in eradicating marijuana cultivation 
on public lands, the policy proposed by H. Res. 1540 is neither 
evidence-based nor cost-effective. If we are to devote more resources 
to reducing the supply of illegal drugs in the United States, domestic 
eradication programs are not the best use of taxpayer dollars.
  As the Chair of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform, with oversight jurisdiction over the 
Office of National Drug Control Policy, I have held several hearings in 
the past year which have established that science and research support 
focusing our counterdrug dollars on drug treatment and evidence-based 
drug prevention programs. These hearings have also demonstrated that it 
is a more effective use of our resources to reduce and prevent the 
public health consequences of drug use such as HIV transmission and 
overdose deaths.
  As Secretary of State Clinton has acknowledged, reducing U.S. 
consumption of drugs is one of the most effective ways we can help 
Mexico combat its drug trade. I urge my colleagues to oppose this 
resolution.

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