Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly said that marijuana “is not a factor in the drug war,” placing him at odds with a number of other Trump administration officials.
Kelly made his claim Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” during a discussion about the government’s efforts to stem the influx of illegal drugs into the United States. He said his agency is focusing on cutting off the transport and sale of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine.
Together, meth, cocaine, heroin and other opiates resulted in the deaths of some 52,000 Americans in 2015, Kelly said. “It’s a massive problem. 52,000 Americans. You can’t put a price on human misery. The cost to the United States is over $250 billion a year,” he said.
