The website of President-Elect Barack Obama, http://www.change.gov, has added a new feature that allows visitors to submit and vote on specific public policy questions. Not surprisingly, over 130 separate questions have already been added to the site demanding the incoming administration to reform America’s failed marijuana laws.
Of these, one of the most widely voted on questions for Obama is: “Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?”
So far, votes are running more than 2 to 1 in support of legalizing marijuana. Pete Guither over at drugwarrant (Thanks for the tip!) reports that the question ranks in the top 30 of all questions submitted to the Obama website.
If you haven’t done so already, considering logging on to the website at:
http://change.gov/page/content/openforquestions
Type “marijuana” in the search questions box and tell the incoming administration to enact sensible marijuana law reform, including: ending the federal raids on state-authorized medical marijuana patients, and taxing and regulating the personal use of marijuana by adults.
Please note: Change.gov is not affiliated with the website Change.org, which is also accepting votes whether the new administration should “legalize the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana.” (Be patient; page is slow to download.) As I noted yesterday on NORML’s blog, cannabis legalization is the is the top vote-getter of all criminal justice related questions on the site, which intends to present the top 10 ideas to the Obama Administration on Inauguration Day.
As the old saying goes, “Things are starting to get very interesting…”
They’ll ignore anything digital… Until you stand up with millions of signatures and valid SS#’s they’ll be claiming it’s a false poll or w/e excuse they want.
Nobody takes internet polls seriously; and I’m afraid it doeskin matter where they are posted.
It seriously auto-corrected “doesnt” with “doeskin”
heh
Be sure to sign my Nadelmann for Drug Czar petition too.
http://nadelmannfordrugczar.com/
I think this is the best question posted on there so far.
It’s in the lead, in terms of Marijuana questions.
Right now 11th place, almost 2000 votes.
http://moderator.change.gov/?embed=http://change.gov/
openforquestions#11/e=8&t=aghhc2tvYmFtYXIPCxIIRG9yeVVzZXIYwHEM
It might just make the first page of the popular list in a short while! 😉
Voted! 🙂
I hope there is a light at the end of this tunnel! 🙂
Wow guys. I started this on shroomery.com, and have been posting it on every marijuana website I’ve been to so far. We’ve tended this question since it was at 250 votes.
Do this and lets get our voices heard!
Excellent ..Excellent …Excellent…!!!!
I’ll try to remain optimistic, but I have a dreaded feeling that marijuana legalization will be overlooked for the top 10 ideas to be presented. Even if it is the number 1 idea for the criminal justice section.
its in the top 5 now!
Ha. That’s my question! I was just trying to do my part to get it legal!
To update the article, marijuana is now the 3rd most popular topic, and has a ratio of over 9 to 1 in favor of marijuana.
The question is now number ONE on change.org and change.gov. We are not done. We will continue to lobby together, and make this question leaps and bounds ahead of any other. We WILL get this done.
First Place BABY!
Oh boy… What did I do this time… lol
Since this morning, after I promoted the link to that question in a ‘few’ big places…
Looks like that question is now in 1st place, with at least 7 other related questions quickly approaching 2nd page!…
Think Obama will listen?
First place still! I like where this is going…now lets hope that Obama will actually acknowledge it AND address it in a positive way.
Keep spreading the word!
yeah they need to fix that… seein as how im bout to blaze one RIGHT NOW.
as much as nobody takes internet polls too seriously, it’s still more exposure for the cause. also having people see that this is gaining such momentum on the president elect’s website is at least somewhat motivational…and may make the difference between somebody wearing a “legalize it” t-shirt and actually standing up for the cause.
so even if it is “pointless”, we have to do ALL WE CAN.
Our voices have spoken! Let’s see if they have been heard…
12 drug policy questions in the top 40, many liked by over 90%. I’ve posted the questions and numbers here:
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/
2008/dec/11/you_can_help_encourage_obama_to_#comment-21677
the polls are closed and the question finished in first. there is also a medical MJ question ranked 7th, and 4 more pot or drug war questions are ranked between 11-20. all of these are in favor of legalizing pot and/or ending the drug war. its clear what the people want, LEGALIZE IT
Did they close this down on account of too many MJ submission?
Should we be pushing him on his claim for Transparency.
If he ignores the question, he will not be giving us transparency. right? People have asked, if he wont answer, he must tell us why he wont!
They closed this part of the site bat 12:00 am EST on Friday 12 december. So this note of yours was posted at 506 pm, and they declared at 5:36 pm that it would all be over at midnight, some 6 whole hours of interest.
Personally I think they are monitoring this blog, and they decided to stop at midnight when you posted this note.
I told you this administration is not interested in marijuana. period.
Except as they can continue to use it as a law enforcement tool to bludgeon the those whom Rahm Emanuel, as reported on this Blog, claims are riding upon, “the legalization stalking horse.”
And he is the Chief of staff,the person who decides who gets to see the president, for whatever, about whatever!
Don’t get your hopes up.
Ordinary people will have to stand between armed SWAT cops and pot users, and nobody is willing to do this, except a brave few, who can be called a loud and well organized, but a minority voice at best.
Yes, in the anonymity of the voting booth, people are prepared to vote out this polkicy.
But as the law enforcement reaction to even medical marijuana was total intransigence and total recalcitrance, even to this day in California, where within the state at least, all the law enforcement questions have been answered with a strong chain of legislative action, grass roots demands which forced the legislature forward (prop 215), and a number of precedent setting judicial decisions, resulting in the attorney general’s office being forced to issue guidelines for the police and county Prosecutors to follow, and still nearly a dozen county sheriff’s offices refuse to follow the law…a law which is now crystal clear for everyone in California: Federal law only trumps state law if LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES MOST OF THE WORK. The feds can of course mobilize their own manpower, and the state officials will be powerless to protect state residents, but there does not seem to be the kind of widespread public hatred for medical marijuana patients which would justify this federal mobilization…and they really don’t have that many people anyway, nor do they have the facilities to process even the limited number of medical marijuana patients through a felony prosecution, as it is a federal felony to possess or use marijuana
If as in the case in most counties, and as is the case with the highway patrol, which now does not confiscate marijuana from authorized patients, county supervisors have complied with the law and provided for an ID system to help law enforcement determine who is authorized and who not.
But two counties, San Bernardino and San Diego, have sued in federal court to have proposition 215 invalidated as it is “in conflict with Federal law.
And they have been shut down to the point they are considering an appeal to the supreme court, all based upon the hatred of a couple of count supervisors and the county sheriffs.
All the questions have been answered, yet law enforcement remains recalcitrant across the country.
Further, people cannot risk openly allowing out this information about their marijuana use, as this can cost your kids, your house, and your job and your career.
So it is still too risky for enought people to let enough of their faces and identities be seen as involved in marijuana use or even with sympathy for marijuana law reform.
For example, even in California, a person’s jhob is not protected by this physicians recommendation if nhe or she fails a drug test.
There is a court case, where the employee lost, and he had even informrd them prior to his being employed of his marijuana use.
The governor had a bill to prevent this situation on his disk this year and he vetoed it, saying prop 215 voters did not vote to also allow people to keep their jobs if they start using medical marijuana. My take on it is that he should have gotten a prescription for marinol and shoved it in their face.
But that did not happen.
I have to go to the doctor now, but I could go on and on.
Do not get your hopes up.
Eric Johnson
Hello NORML Supporters,
Just wanted to let you know that voting at Change.gov is now closed, but thanks to the huge outpouring from the cannabis-reform community, the question:
“Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?”
finished #1 out of over 10,000 questions posed!
The most recent blog post on the Change.gov site says that the Transition team will soon begin posting responses to the most popular questions posed. Please see my 12/12 NORML blog post for further details.
You should read the following two bills:
H.R. 5842: Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act
AND
H.R. 5843: Act to Remove Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults
Don’t forget to tell your friends to read it too.
Also, check out a patent that the government has, its number 6630507. It was probably approve in 2003 in preparation to the two bills mentioned above.
i think that everyone in the united states should use marijuana, because it calms people down.& it isnt as harmful as cigerettes.
Change.org will be presenting president elect with a list of things to change on inauguration day. This is you chance to get out and vote currently there are marijuana listings on the following pages.
In Criminal Justice “Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana” it is in 1st place
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/criminal_justice
In other “End the war on drugs” is 4th place
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/other
In Government Reform “end the prohibition of marijuana” is in 6th place
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/government_reform
In Economy “The War On Drugs has Failed- Decriminalize Marijuana” is in 3rd and 4th
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/economy
In Agricultural Policy “Save family farms growing hemp for methanol production” is in 3rd and 4th
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/agricultural_policy
In health care “End DEA classification of Marijuana as having no medical benefits!” is in 5th position
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/health_care
It is second in Environmental conversation “Stop Deforestation, Use Hemp For Paper Instead of Trees” is in 2nd place
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/environmental_conservation
Voice your thoughts to President Elect
Obama says NO to legalization of the Green Weed.
So what will he do ?
I think he may turn out to be another Fascist in a long line of Fascists.
I hope I will be proven wrong.
If he doesn’t legalize the stuff, who then will it take to get elected to the office of president of the USA, Radical Russ ?
If he doesn’t legalize MJ. He will become a hypocritical piece of shit, to have a shoe thrown at.
I’m so upset that Obama decided to go against his boss, George Soros, who personally funded his campaign with his drug running money. It’s just not right I say to leave George’s buddies out of the Administration. Think about if you were operating a large narcoterrorist organization worldwide, and campaigning to legalize drugs to improve your trade revenue, wouldn’t you be angry if Obama nominated a anti-drug czar. I would, because I, like George want to be a drug runner.
Ok, this is his plan, I bet. He will continue to act like this question has no relivance only because matters like these only effect the people who choose to have this in their lifestyle. They will act like its no big deal but my friends, it is indeed just that. I for one am sick and tired of the govt. telling me what I can and cannot do. On some points you have to have the rules and regultaions so why can’t we do this with gonja? They will put this off for as long as they can and maybe one day they will open up their freakin’ eyes and see that just because we choose to live our lives differently doesn’t mean that they know what’s best for us. Only we know that. Quit trying to control us. I saw an expression the other day and it goes like this. “When the government fears the people, their is liberty; when the people fear the government, there is tyranny”. Now I do understand. Some choose to believe that it is bad. I guess it’s no worse than some of the pills that the FDA regulates and disperses throughout the world. It drives me nuts. We can’t get any answers and they think that we’ll just go away. No, we won’t, I will continue to voice my opinion on this matter and until we can be given an honest, truthful, competent answer I will never quit voicing the fact that I think their just full of it. I don’t trust people for one thing and for good reason cause they say to be honest and truthful and make it easy on ourselves. That is a lie, they will still screw you over no matter what you say. I just can’t believe that with the way things are these days and all this change that is supposedly taking place I still feel the exact same way. Heck, I’ll take it their. I feel worse! Show me the change, Don’t talk about it, be about it. I was born on January 20th. It just so happens that is the day Obama will be inaugurated. We’ll see what change he is speaking of and I for one will keep praying that people will quit with their know-it-all opinions and show me some clear cut proof. It’s the same old story, the government says it’s wrong and we either abide by the rules or we face the consequences. Stop it, cause no one wants to get into trouble and if you think we do then you are ignorant. Reform laws pertaining to this subject now, if the people are saying its crap then it must be. We’re the ones that live by the rules not the government officials that find ways to squeeze their ways through so called transparency. Quit thinking you are better than everyone else and that you know what is best for us because you have no idea what we need nor strive to be in life and truthfully I don’t think they give a damn. Sorry, just an opinion from a man that has seen both sides and can’t stand the bull that the government feeds its people. The only time they give a damn is when their taking taxes out of our checks. Think about that. I’m tired of this entitlement crap is ridiculous. You are no better than I, nor I than you. We are equals, at least thats what they want us to believe. Seriously, take our words into consideration please, I beg you. Make a liar out of me I can take it.
“Money doesn’t grow on trees”. Guess what does though?
If Barack Obama is found to not be a natural born citizen, would he still be sworn into office?
Considering the fact Barack Obama still has not produced a birth certificate, is it possible that when it is finally released (and shows that he is not a natual born citizen, which to me seems like the only reason to hide it) that he would not be aloud to be sworn into office?
You talking about “marijuana”?
Marijuana is the same as a drug, I hope Obama will will say the same.
Thanks