Obama Wrong to Simply Laugh Off Marijuana Legalization
Speaking live moments ago President Barack Obama pledged “to open up the White House to the American people.”
Well, to some of the American people that is.
As for those tens of millions of you who believe that cannabis
should be legally regulated like alcohol — and the tens of thousands of
you who voted to make this subject the most popular question in today’s online Presidential Town Hall — well, your voice doesn’t really matter.
Asked this morning whether he “would … support the bill currently
going through the California legislation to legalize and tax marijuana,
boosting the economy and reducing drug cartel related violence,” the
President responded with derision.
“There was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high
and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and
job creation, and I don’t know what this says about the online
audience,” he laughed.
“The answer is no, I don’t think that [is] a good strategy.”
Obama’s cynical rebuff was short-sighted and disrespectful to a
large percentage of his supporters. After all, was it not this very
same “online audience” that donated heavily to Obama’s Presidential
campaign and ultimately carried him to the White House?
Second, as I’ve written previously in The Hill
and elsewhere, the overwhelming popularity of the marijuana law reform
issue — as manifested in this and in similar forums — illustrates that there
is a significant, vocal, and identifiable segment of our society that
wants to see an end to America’s archaic and overly punitive marijuana
laws.
The Obama administration should be embracing this constituency, not mocking it.
Third, will somebody please ask the President: “What is it that you think is so funny about the subject of marijuana law reform?” Since 1965, police have arrested over 20 million Americans
for violating marijuana laws, yet nearly 90 percent of teenagers say
that pot is “very easy” or “fairly easy” to obtain. That’s funny?
According to this very administration, there is an unprecedented level of violence occurring at the Mexico/US border
— much of which is allegedly caused by the trafficking of marijuana to
the United States by drug cartels. America’s stringent enforcement of
pot prohibition, which artificially inflates black market pot prices
and ensures
that only criminal enterprises will be involved in the production and
sale of this commodity, is helping to fuel this violence. Wow, funny
stuff!
Finally, two recent polls indicate that a strong majority of
regional voters support ending marijuana prohibition and treating the
drug’s sale, use, and distribution like alcohol. A February 2009 Zogby telephone poll
reported that nearly six out of ten of voters on the west coast think
that cannabis should be “taxed and legally regulated like alcohol and
cigarettes.” A just-released California Field Poll reports similar
results, finding that 58 percent of statewide votes believe that regulations for cannabis should be the same or less strict than those for alcohol.
Does the President really think that all of these voters are worthy of his ridicule?
Let the White House laugh for now, but the public knows that this issue is no laughing matter. This week alone, legislators in Illinois, Minnesota, and New Hampshire voted to legalize the use of marijuana for authorized individuals. Politicians in three additional states heard testimony this week in favor of eliminating criminal penalties for all adults who possess and use cannabis. And lawmakers in Massachusetts and California are now debating legally regulating marijuana outright.
The American public is ready and willing to engage in a serious and
objective political debate regarding the merits of legalizing the use
of cannabis by adults. And all over this nation, whether Capitol Hill wants to acknowledge it or not, they are engaging in this debate as we speak.
Sorry Obama, this time the joke’s on you.
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The man has both hands full,and he doesn't need the added catcalls from within the halls of congress if he addressed this issue. It will have to come from us,or the consolidated request of the America's,
(South and North ),which may occur at the next big world meeting.
We are not the only ones tired and broke from this War on Drugs, and in need of an economical boost. And the shift in the drug policy
is sending signals to our neighbors and partners in the W.O.D.
They were willing to help destroy their marijuana crops,but won't allow the DEA to destroy their possible medical pot plantations.
You see,when we announced that for the first time in over 80 years,
there is a legal precedent,or loophole,for the other countries to start their export and import of medical pot between them selves
and european counties with no intervention by the US. Therefore
world trade in legal Medical marijuana is right around the corner.
Obama,Obama,Obama... Dont you realize what youve done by laughing off a serious issue thats important to Millions of people... people are Pissed.. VERY pissed... and public opinion is changing... not just of you but of politics altogether... We ELECT YOU to push the publics ideas and Issues... and people are realizing whats really at hand here is a matter of National Security. What we are faceing people is a Revolution ( It tends to Happen Every so often) We are seeing increasing violents due almost entirly because of prohibition and the face that our economy is failing because we were stupid and sent all our jobs overseas... Mr Obama you can promise your gonna change things all day long but you have yet to show me where you are getting the money too do so... Industreal Hemp and Marijuana cultivation could pull us out of our current situation where we are going lose AMERICA... yes thats right we need to legalize Marijuana to keep U.S. sovereignty ( Look it Up ( http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Peaceful-2nd-American-by-Bruce-Cain-090319-49.html )) The time is Now to speak up... we cant sit around and let them take America away from us!
I can't claim to originate this theory but I've heard people say that he did that on purpose. here's why:
Obama has a lot on his plate right now and can't really afford the time or the political capital to lead this discussion. What he can do is push it to the side without completely shooting it down there by causing controversy. Since his reply at the town hall, blogs and mainstream media everywhere have picked up the discussion.
My point is simply that the answer he gave has put the topic into much greater discussion and debate then a simple then a more elegant no would have. He couldn't have said yes because most politicians, with whom he has to deal, aren't ready to accept it yet even if the populous is ready.
Despite President Obama’s lighthearted handling of marijuana legalization during his March 26, 2009 dialogue, both he and other political leaders share a growing awareness that this is an issue of interest to tens of millions of Americans and is therefore worthy of serious discussion.
Does the use of marijuana potentially pose some health risks? Sure. But the health risks of prison are worse, so we have to acknowledge that the current punishment for using marijuana is more harmful to the user than the use of marijuana itself.
Will the drug cartels continue to be criminals after marijuana is legalized? Sure. But they'll be shorted out of a big chunk of revenue once people can grow or buy their own marijuana legally, and that means the cartels will have less money to buy guns and other tools of their trade , so we have to acknowledge that legalizing marijuana will hurt the drug cartels and make our cities (and Mexico) safer.
Do marijuana users sometimes have accidents or drive while intoxicated? Sure. But anyone who's ever been around a drunk driver and a marijuana-using driver knows very well that the marijuana user is a much safer driver than the drunk, so we have to acknowledge that if drinkers switch to marijuana, our streets would be safer.
Are lots of people going to use marijuana whether it's legal or not? Sure, but if it's legal, it can be taxed and regulated, so we can't ignore the economic benefits and social safety benefits of legal, taxable, regulated marijuana compared to the illegal, untaxed, unregulated, gang-controlled prohibition that we have today.
As a nation we have the choice between either spending $20,000 a year to lock up a marijuana user or collecting sales tax on the individual's purchase of this widely used, relatively safe product. To collect taxes from the grow-your-own community, we could consider a $100 per year permit for a dozen plants.
It's time to put the criminal drug dealers out of business and let ordinary Americans grow a little marijuana in their own back yards.
If they admit that interdiction doesn't work,and that stopping the flow into the country is almost impossible,that only leaves going after the users again. Here we go,that must be his plan for a future America,
He is going to make us even more into a country of prisons,and if
your not in prison,you can be a guard,after the piss test,of course.
Look for a major shift in arrests from dealers and transporters too
users in the next few weeks.
88% of people arrested for marijuana "crimes" are arrested for simple possession. The focus of law enforcement has never been dealers and transporters.