From Seattle's top cop to 'drug czar'

From Seattle's top cop to 'drug czar'

Kerlikowske reportedly gets offer to join Obama Cabinet

By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/399533_kerlikowske11.html?source=mypi

What is his stance on marijuana?

Anybody from seattle know about this guy and pot

I think he was pretty strict, Here's the only clue I could find:

Admittedly, Kerlikowske has had quite a bit of bad press in Seattle, especially over his handling of police misconduct issues and tendency for being lenient towards officers who have had sustained findings of misconduct as determined by internal investigations performed by the Seattle Police Department’s Office of Professional Accountability (SPD OPA)."
(snip)
"As for his stance on drug law enforcement, he has taken stances against a referendum that made simple possession of marijuana the lowest priority for the law enforcement which passed by popular vote. Yet he has also indicated that he supports the notion that offering non-violent drug addicts treatment is a better alternative to incarceration."

Seattle is home to the biggest Hempfest in North America.
Marijuana laws are no longer enforced and this guy is alright with that. he never really challenged the lowest priority law after it was voted in.
and every cop in Seattle see's Hempfest as their 3 day vacation.

so yah this guy is Jesus Christ compared to John Walters

from my understanding he DID NOT greet marijuana decriminilization with open arms but he respected the law and lawmakers that made it... i think i read that in www.norml.com

Please tune in to NORML’s podcast tonight at 4:20pst when host Russ Belville will interview former Seattle Police Chief and NORML Advisory Board Member Norm Stamper regarding the selection of colleague Gil Kerlikowke as Drug Czar.
According to just published news reports, President Barack Obama has tapped Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske to be the nation’s next ‘Drug Czar.’On the positive side, Kerlikowske hails from Seattle — a city that has elected to make the enforcement marijuana crimes cops’ lowest priority. And although the police chief spoke out against the initiative effort — which passed with 58 percent of the vote in 2003 — he’s abided by the will of the people since then. As a result, there are now fewer marijuana-related arrests in Seattle than in virtually any other major city in the United States.
On the negative side, Kerlikowske is first and foremost a cop. He’s served 36 years in law enforcement, and it is foolish to assume that he will in any way embrace our issue with open arms. That said, I find myself in cautious agreement with NORML Board Member (and longtime Seattle resident) Dominic Holden, who believes that Kerlikowske may bring a “progressive” approach to an agency that has, almost since its inception, operated in the ‘Dark Ages.’
The day the U.S. government finally — and properly — recognizes that drug use is a public health problem and not solely a criminal justice issue will be the day that the President appoints a White House ‘Drug Czar’ who possesses a professional background in public health, addiction, and treatment rather than in law enforcement.
But until that day arrives, perhaps the best we reformers can hope for is a cop who appreciates that pot poses less of a danger to the public than alcohol, and who recognizes that from a practical and fiscal standpoint, targeting and arresting adults who engage in the responsible use of cannabis doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense. At first glance, Obama’s pick — unlike his predecessor John Walters — appears to possess both of these common sense qualities.

Anyone have his contact information? I'd like to send a congratulatory email... with a few other things in there too.