By George Rohrbacher, NORML Board of Directors
On March 26, in a town hall meeting-style format, President Obama ginned up a laugh that is still ringing, a week-and-a-half later. Obama’s attempt to address the fact that cannabis legalization questions keep pushing their way to the top of his online political issues polling lists, that marijuana legalization had even popped up in the area of economic development. He looked aside at the crowd, “I don’t know what this says about the on-line audience…” Wink, wink…and the people around the President cracked up. “The answer is no, I don’t think that is a good strategy to grow our economy,” Obama chuckled along with them.
Humor is based on tension; a joke releases it. Obama’s pot ha-ha has released a powder keg of tension. The national commentary on the topic of marijuana driven from his laugh has been far reaching: Time Magazine, The Week, Town Hall, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Salon, Boston Herald, etc…
Mr. President, do know what all your ‘cannabis friendly’ Internet polls really say about “the online audience”? What? You don’t recognize us, “the online audience”? We’re the very people that helped get you elected, helped raise all those millions on the Internet–people like my wife and I, both 60-years old, parents and grandparents, business owners, taxpayers, involved in our community, we are the people who want you to end marijuana prohibition, the worst American public policy since slavery.
The question to you, Mr. President, is this: After the 20-million marijuana arrests since 1965, what’s so damn funny???
I do not profess to be very smart, nor do I have the ability to understand this “War on Drugs”. But I do have common sense, and my common sense tells me that going around in circles will get you no place.
Our government is dragging us around in circles, and chucking our money right down the drain with their war on drugs.
So what are we going to do about this? There has got to be an answer that everyone can agree on. It is time to stop the wasteful spending and make the hard choices that will keep our children off drugs and people out of jail for drug use.
I have been reading about countries that have legalized drugs, and they have had real good outcomes, the sky did not fall, as the US government would have you think. Why? Why can’t we try that here, are we so far gone into this circle of spending billions of dollars to wage a war on something that is not going to go away until we legalize it and regulate it, just like alcohol and tobacco and prescription drugs.
I am just a old country boy that happens to be disabled, and I am forced to take “legal drugs” to control my problems with severe pain and nerve damage, but here is this plant that grows out of the earth, that would allow me to get of off all of these man made drugs, that are destroying my liver slowly but surely, but no here in Arkansas this devil plant, this so called scourge on the world Marijuana is against the law, and if I were to buy or grow some I would be taking my freedom into my own hand.
So what do I do? I can’t afford to move to a state that is marijuana friendly, I don’t want to move away from my family, but I want to get off of these medications that are making me sick and are not doing a very good job.
My only choices are to stop taking the medication and becoming a complete invalid, or continue to go down the road that I am going, which by all rights is involuntary suicide.
Now, by what right does my government have to do this to me? Are they above there own laws that they preach so loudly, are they above what God has said about the plants that have been put on this good earth?
I say NO, and I believe that it is time for those that would prosecute us need to look in the mirror and ask, what would I do? What would you do if you were in my shoes?
that’s right. the “internet crowd” is the one that got obama elected. why he would laugh at that question? he’s doing the same thing that law makers did to the blacks. discriminating due to ignorance. the blacks are no different from the whites so why can’t they eat at our resturants? someone asked this question and someone said “you’re right. they can eat with us.” but no one is listening to us, the pot smokers. they will continue to discriminate and be ignorant. what we need to do is stand up to the government and tell them that no longer shall they shit on us. no longer shall they hold us down. we know we’re right and we’re gonna prove it. Keep smoking no matter what and one day…yes one glorious day they will legalize.
What the hell is so funny?
DOnt worry everywpn Obama will legalize within his 1st Term because it geruntees his 2nd term…All of the young people this year, that voted showed obama that we as a majority can control the polls. Us young people voted you in office having faith in new changing policies. You laugh at Marijuana Legalizatin but I laugh at the fact if you dont legalize you can kiss a few million votes of the younger generation goodbye cause its soley what they voted you infor whether you like or not whether you stand for it or not, your a symbol obama for the younger generation and with legalization you eliminate the status Quo of the Government being the bad guy and unite the nation bringing an end to the biggest crime in humanity.We can solve all this Corruption by LEGALIZATION
It’s time to end this foolishness. These prohibition laws are as outdated as the legislators wanting to keep them in place. If those in Congress continue to turn a deaf ear to the citizens they are supposed to represent, it’s the citizens’ right and responsibility to replace them. It’s time to legalize marijuana and hemp…do it or step aside.
This is a clear cut case of “what’s in his wallet?”, or should I say, “who”. Big pharma is yanking his strings as well as all the federal and state agencies who recieve extra funds to fight the ‘war on drugs”. regretfully the government has became a corporate entity in of itself and this comment is not strategic political posturing . Obama’s words are part of a shallow facade that justifies backdoor pocket stuffing that avoids earmarking which his propaganda claimed to be against. The bottom line is that prohibition is unconstitutional as it violates our ninth amendment rights which includes all assumed rights not defined by the constitution. Our drug policy is based on statutes which are flimsy mockeries of the core basis of the federal government, the constitution. The answer tothis corporate deception is re education and action. Our politicians know what damage they are causing, but like the addicts they are theycontinue to partake in the most dangerous narcotics of all; money and power.
fuck obama
plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz texas needs your help, are state reps know nothing about marijuana and there ganna vote on hb 902 plz plz plz e mail the Criminal Jurisprudence House Committee in texas,all the members and let them know the truth. thanks
Quit being SCARED and jus do it Mr.President
Legalize it now!
Thank you for saying it. After studying the Civil Rights era (which continues today) and modern Human Rights issues, I have come to accept that if people understood the connections between slavery/oppression and marijuana prohibition, we would not have to continue having these debates. As we all know, this is not justice, nor peace, but insanity. We need to continue to educate people about the problems with prohibition…the inequalities it creates, etc.
thank you all…keep up the activism, embrace change.
I CANT BELIEVE WE R STILL GOING THROUGH THIS. JUS FOUND OUT TODAY THE STREETS R NOW TAXING IT SORRY ABOUT YOUR LUCK MR. GOVERNMENT THEY BEAT YA TO IT LOL
They are laughing cuz they’re nervous. Those old Prohibition politicians know that their days are numbered. The public is slowly becoming more open-minded. L-day is coming folks. Just stay the course; and before long we’ll be a Legaliztion Nation(power 2 the potheads).
plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz texas needs your help, are state reps know nothing about marijuana and there ganna vote on hb 902 plz plz plz e mail the Criminal Jurisprudence House Committee in texas,all the members and let them know the truth http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/list81/220.htm. thanks
fwd:this everywhere plz
whoops…forgot an “A” it looks like(legaliz-A-tion).
this aught to be the question asked to him next time… But i also think he will address the issue, but the reality of the situation is a) we have made and seen unprecidented motions prevail on this subject. b)as much as this could ‘help’ the economy, the issues and how capitol hill deals with solving the economy, focusing on the mj legalization, even the thought of it is enough to cause histeria in this world. look obama says marijuana, yes or no and the world erupts.. which i also think is a point and message the reformers like us NEED to keep in mind, and to give obama a break.. none of us liked what he had to say, but it was expected, and if anything that should just make u want to contact ur congressman, not norml. Obama knows the details and the arguments, he could have said he thought MJ is gateway drug if he really wanted to escape the medias pressure but he didnt do that. He’s just not coming forward and saying, ‘hey look, i want you to know, i am aware that the financial aspect of the drug market is what needs to be focused on, not pulling weeds out of the ground for top dollar and going to hunt down drug mules. Take the money out, goodbye violence, happy tax dollars… hes busy at the moment.. he’ll be with you shortly, besides, do any of us REALLY fear getting arrested with it, dont drive with it, becareful if u do, know your rights and dont be stupid, call your congressman. Keep up the good work and lets not get off track.. Be extremely happy that the most powerful person in the world came out and said the freakin word marijuana.
Our Leaders can’t admit they’ve been lying to us for so long. The Truth is coming. The Facts are coming out. If we stick together on this issue and not let it fade away, we will succeed! Yes We Cannabis 2009!
Its going to happen guys, trust me on this. But it won’t happen if we just slow down or give up. We’ve all got to CONSTANTLY push this issue, CONSTANTLY be loud and in their faces. Don’t stop mailin g your local papers, don’t stop pushing for legalization, dont stop calling in your local radio shows, don’t stop discussing the issue with your friends, don’t stop giving speeches in your college classes, don’t stop!
This all hinges on our ability not only to provide intensity, but stamina. We’ve got to do this for a long period of time.
It is obvious that mr. president obama stirred a hornets nest when he thought we could be pushed aside so easy and laughed at. out of the millions of questions asked and out of the millions of people who submitted questions, Marijuana legalization was number one. why? because it is not a joking matter like mr. obama thinks it is. he can laugh right now, but every day, every hour, every SECOND more people are joining to end prohibition of Marijuana. LET him and his cronnies laugh. The more air time this subject gets the better. big names all over the world are joining to end this silly subject. yes, mr. obama and the house administration laugh now. but WE will have the last laugh.
Thank you Obama…
I don’t know if comparing marijuana prohibition to slavery is in our best interest.
Slavery was a system in which we treated human beings like commodities and deprived them of all rights. Prohibition is a disaster indeed, but is not even on the same level as slavery. Prohibition has many indirect consequences that are comparable to slavery (such as illegal immigrant smuggling and forcing them to operate grow houses in exchange for their debt to the cartels) but there are no direct consequences (Slavery directly made someone the masters, not as an unintended consequence) that are on par. In addition, including only marijuana prohibition weakens the argument even further as many of the drug laws that have the biggest impact on the racism of the drug war have to do with other substances; such as crack-powder sentencing disparities.
Furthermore, even if you could convince those of us in the drug policy realm it is as bad, I don’t believe these statements should be made in public. The vast majority of the public would find that distasteful and would backlash against us.
I think sticking with it’s the worst policy since alcohol prohibition gets the message across just as clearly. Especially since it’s quite unanimous (except for the few fundamentalists) that alcohol prohibition didn’t work.
We don’t want to look like foolish stoners, we want to be taken seriously. And making unnecessary and offensive arguments is only perpetuating stereotype. We have plenty of positive arguments to use, we don’t have to victimize ourselves.
Thanks,
John Mola
PR Director
SSDP@FSU
ssdpfsu@gmail.com
He is still ignoring us. Since he won’t give us the respect we deserve, I suggest putting more pressure on Congress, get the laws changed, and do what we can to make sure Obama is a one term prez. After all, Webb and Specter seem to be working for us, throw our support behind them, and to hell with Obama.
I hope he enjoys his 4 years in office, because if he keeps this up, that’s all he’ll be serving for
I like this. I think the problem we’ve had for many generations is a focus on statistics. Noone cares about numbers, or even how much money can be made if they don’t realize what pot really is.
To get them to see that it is no monster we need to show them the people who use the drug and the lives they live. Once they realize what they are actually dealing with, it may be easier to get the non-user-average-joe to help us out.
It’s all about the demonization and nothing about the practicality in life.
Uncle Scam
Where are the damn protests!?!?!?!?!?
We NEED a protest this 420 nationwide to get the attention this needs! Hell not even 420 just a protest that gets attention period. We need our medicine. We need hemp to help broaden our jobs here in the U.S.A.. We need the tax money to help pay off our 15 trillion dollar debt and growing. We need to start being a smarter country by eliminating the billions we spend in incarcerating minor offenders, and start by making billions to help (NOT FIX) our economy.
If you have a brain left in your skull, you know legalizing will not be the end of our problems. It will be a big step forward, but DEFINITELY not the answer. We need to start being more specific and careful with how we interact with our President, now that we know he knows little to nothing about the issue.
I’m 20 years old and I suffer from chronic lower back pain from a hip and spinal injury 2 almost 3 years ago. Only recently in the past 5 months have I been able to not feel like an old man because of my injury thanks to marijuana.
2012 DEMOCRATS OUT-REPUBLICANS OUT-INDEPENDANTS IN- THE INQUISITION IS STILL GOING ON BUT THE GOVERNMENT CALLS IT (PROHIBITION ON MARIJUANA). HOMELAND SECURITY (NAZI GERMANY ALL OVER AGAIN)-D.A.R.E. (DRUG ENLIGHTENMENT RE-EDUCATION) HITLER YOUTH CORP. WHERE HAS DEMOCRACY GONE? THE PEOPLES VOTE GONE? OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ARE GETTING FEWER AS TIME GOES ON. FARMERS GETTING THE SHAFT ON GROWING HEMP. PRISON OVERLOAD ON NON-VIOLENT MARIJUANA USERS= BIG BROTHER BUSINESS = ORWELLIAN CONTROL. I KNOW I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO LAUGH ABOUT. WHAT WILL BE NEXT ON THEIR LIST? 420 ALL THE WAY!
AMEN!!! I hope this keeps on blowing up! Prohibition is wrong, on all fronts! Legalize it NOW!
The next time he has an online questions forum, we need to vote up a different kind of question.
“Mr. President, you yourself have admitted to smoking marijuana, yet your justice department continues to arrest people for smoking marijuana. Do you think that you should have gone to jail for smoking marijuana and thus been disqualified for becoming president? And if so will you consider resigning from office and arresting Bill Clinton and George Bush? Or do you just think that you should be above the law? You have a choice Mr. President either serve time for your crime or stop putting pot smokers in jail.”
I NEED A PRESIDENT WHO CAN SAY THE WORD “MARIJUANA” WITHOUT GIGGLING LIKE AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD LITTLE GIRL. HERE IS A MAN WHO IS A FORMER POT HEAD WHO HAS ALSO ADMITTEDLY USED AT LEAST COCAINE. HE ALSO CURRENTLY REGULARLY USES AN EXTREMELY TOXIC AND HIGHLY ADDICTIVE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANT (ETHANOL, A.K.A. “ROT-GUT”), AND IS LIKELY STILL DEALING WITH A LONGSTANDING NOCCOTINE ADDICTION. AND HE HAS A ROLE IN DETERMINING WHAT DRUGS I CAN USE? NOW THAT IS FUNNY!
this is great! i have a legal highs community that would love to see this.
Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is so damn funny about human rights and equality for ALL. No matter if your green,brown,black,white we are all humans. If we are going to have public policies that allow us to be arrested for consumption of choice, it needs to be based on solid scientific reasoning.Not! On purely because we say so basis. We are allowed to consume any of the drugs they advertise on Television! Has any body listened to all of the dangerous side effects? Leukemia,hearing loss,heart failure,etc. None of these dangerous side effects are present in cannabis use. Scientists have proven this over and over. Very safe therapy.We need to start listening to the experts that recommend changing cannabis’s status.The PUBLIC needs to know! The media has an obligation to start really getting tough on our politicians that continue to drag their feet.FAIRNESS for ALL! I do not drink alcohol, but I don’t mind if you do.
Please don’t try to confuse Mr. Obama with any of your subversive “facts”. His answer should be sufficient, he said “I don’t think…”.
Fortunately, all the thinking has already been done. Mr. Reagan informed us many years ago that “one marijuana cigarette causes as much brain damage as being on the Bikini islands during an H-bomb test…”
And, of course we all know that Mr. Obama admittedly subjected his own brain to this level of damage on many occasions. So how can he be expected to think at all?
Yes, this comment is sarcastic. It is a reaction to my horrible disappointment in Mr. Obama. I have voted for the last time. I suffer every day for the lack of my medicine, which MY government deprives me of and threatens me with jail etc. to keep me from finding relief.
My suffering will end with my death and I anxiously await that relief.
The presidents joking response missed the point entirely. It’s not that marijuana legalization will somehow save the economy. California estimates a 1 billion dollar industry if prohibition ends there. The real point is the death and destruction caused by the current policy. Peoples lives are being destroyed every day and the President’s humorous responses belie the seriousness of the situation!
That got me to thinking. I wonder if Nancy is laughing? Nancy, my addict sister in law died recently. She became addicted while being treated for chronic pain. Her death was the result of bad street heroin that killed her and almost killed her friend. Had her addiction been monitored and treated by a doctor she might still be alive. Her pain doctor’s fear of the DEA caused him to cut her off at the height of her addiction when she needed the doctor most. That sent her straight to the black market for her pain meds and now she is dead.
I wonder if the 871,000 people arrested on drug charges in 2007 are laughing.
This War was declared by President Nixon when he rejected the report of his own commission on drugs, the Shafer Commission, stating that he was not going to look soft on crime. His rejection of the Shafer report has resulted in untold misery. Every death and destroyed life resulting from this policy should be laid right at Nixon’s feet and at the feet of every politician who has used this war to get reelected.
Mr. President are you also going to keep the war going so you too don’t look soft on crime? As smart as you are you must realize that the current policy is a failure and must be changed. Please do not sacrifice your fellow Americans on the alter of your reelection!
So far your public attitude about marijuana ain’t very funny.
man, fuck that guy. i shouldnt have voted for him.
I never thought I would say this about a President, but this guy’s a dick. Taking a plant that grows wild away from the people it helps. What a joke. Legalize it. Tax the hell out of it. Economic crisis solved, Mr. President…dick.
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
Dear Mr President,
Recently the question about legalizing cannabis has come up and got a nervous laugh by both you, our President and your Press Secretary, Mr. Gibbs. To us legalization of all three, Industrial Hemp, Medical Marijuana and Recreational Marijuana for adults are no laughing matter and it shouldn’t be a joke to you either. Alcohol, a much more dangerous drug was prohibited at one time, and we all know where that went.
As of today, cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs – based on prohibition – has been, is and will continue to be a failure. The only thing the war on drugs has accomplished is that it has given rise to the drug cartels to a point where they stand poised to be a direct threat to us, while diverting over a trillion dollars since the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 towards the ever increasing an obscene lust for new prisons! The United States with slightly less than 5% of the planet’s population houses over 25% of the world’s incarcerated. There are currently 2.4 million prisoners behind bars, over 7.3 million total with parolees and those on probation thrown in. Out of the 2.4 million in custody, over a third are there on non violent drug charges.
At the same time, the immense amounts of money generated in this illicit trade were neither taxed nor did they provide revenue for Americans. After 72 years of failed policy and enough research to dispute once and for all most if not all the myths perpetuated by the prohibitionists the time for change is now.
While some of the local media outlets continue to hold up the debate, the blogosphere and more progressive news outlets are beginning to cover these issues in the open. More and more States are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to medical marijuana and it is no longer viable, or for that matter advisable, to continue the failed ways of the past and present. The time is now for leadership and sensible legislation. We need to address a fair and reasonable tax structure and get the cartels out of business and out of our lives.
Currently the federal a and state Governments contribute in the neighborhood of 25 billion dollars annually to the Prison Industrial Complex alone. To spend 25 billion annually to lock harmless offenders of victimless crimes in jail is unconscionable! To refuse to collect a fair tax and allow the medical use are no longer tolerable. To keep Industrial Hemp illegal is just plain dumb, as it has no psychoactive properties, cannot be used successfully to hide “smoking pot” due to difference in harvesting and cross pollination, has according to some estimates over 25,000 uses and is successfully farmed in many countries without any negative impact.
The following is attributed to the Shaffer Commission report, ordered by Nixon in 1972: ….that possession for personal use should no longer be an offense and that casual distribution for no or little money should no longer be punishable. And: When increases in prohibited drug use continue to escalate, policy makers respond, not by reassessing the problem from different perspectives, but rather by pressing for ever-more costly mechanisms of control; costly both in terms of resources and important social values. Drug policy can be, thus summed up: increased use of disapproved drugs precipitates more spending, more programs, more arrests and more penalties, all with little positive effect in reducing use of these drugs.…”
I am sorry, but this is no longer acceptable and I urge you to give cannabis legalization, taxation and control an open ear and an open mind.
?
Respectfully submitted,
Greg Williams
Eventually there will be a real discussion about legalizing marijuana. Obama will not be able to keep laughing it off. I think it will be soon too…….
Mostly everyone that is against the legalization of marijuana doesn’t know all, if any, of the facts. In this case, however, I feel the president is being pressured into going against marijuana legalization. As a former marijuana smoker President Obama knows that marijuana is not the drug that the government says it is. I will keep my faith in President Obama. He just got into office less than 3 months ago. This topic is a hard one. But once more and more states, and more and more people support marijuana and agree that it ruins more lives being illegal than legal, then we will see a change on the federal level. Patience my fellow marijuana smokers.
Show your support http://www.myspace.com/stelm
Mr Obama…how do you expect any of the millions of Cannabis users, who supported your bid for presidency, to support your other policies, like it being so neccesary to give the banking class so much $$$, etc…while you laugh at us, as you pull back from campaign promises (not just the cannabis issue), and support the Cannabis status quo, by continuing and supporting the prohibition of Cannabis. Until you right this wrong,even an attempt to, I can no longer believe in any of the other changes you talk about. Seems to me to only be change that we can be deceived into!!!
What a fucking douchebag. “The answer is no, I dont think that is a good strategy to grow our economy.” That’s the problem, you’re not thinking. California just got done saying they’d get over a billion in tax payer money annually if they taxed pot. So, bringing in another billion every year in tax payer money over something less harmful to this world than tobacco and alcohol isn’t a good strategy? OK…
As this tidal wave of public opinion continues to roll into Washington it will become very clear to all of our elected officials that we expect them to change this policy. Is there really anyone with a brain left that is willing to take up the debate in favor of prohibition? The most likely outcome is some state like California will lift prohibition and the results will sweep the country like a wild fire. I would use gambling as the example. This year Arkansas passed a law allowing a state run lottery due to the fact that all of the surrounding states allow gambling and they didn’t want all of the money going out of state. If California’s elected officials are courageuos enough to do this they will see the lions share of the money. The tourism trade will go thru the roof. I’m not sure they will be able to count the money fast enough.
Mr. President, you are wrong on this.
Morality and ideology make bad public policy. Since cannabis prohibition is founded on propaganda, it’s the job of citizens to remind ALL of their elected officials that we deserve laws and codes and sanctions that reflect the actual weight of evidence and fact.
Why do people say they shouldn’t have voted for him or they won’t vote for him again? Just calm down and think about the situation. If you didn’t vote for him McCain would be in office and there would be no such thing as an online town hall meeting and the subject of legalization would probally not be as far as it is now. It made me very angry when he laughed it off but he has to deal with the other issues you probally voted him in to deal with. What needs to happen is everybody needs to educate themselves about their represenatives and senators where they live and find out their stance on the issue. Obama wouldn’t be able to do it on his own anyway so go out and fill congress with as many supporters of the issue as we can in the 2010 elections. You want change to come then do your part also.
Truth will Prevail!
All this second term talk, you people must like being made assholes out of if your going to go in and pull the lever for this washington insider, banksters best friend, I wonder if he thought it was funny when AIG OR CITI GROUP THREATENED TO FAIL, OH FUCK MY WALL STREET FRIENDS, CANT FORGET THEM. THOSE INTERNET AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOLKS, THERE TO IGNORANT TO UNDERSTAND ECONOMICS ANYWAY, FUCK THEM I ALREADY GOT THERE VOTES, LESSON LEARNED, DONT TRUST A POLITICIAN WITH ANYTHING, UNLESS YOU PAY BIG BUCKS, OR HAVE A PIC OF THEM WITH AN UNDERAGE TEEN( BARNEY FRANK)
This issue isnt the only issue our government is ignoring, these stim packages for instance. People seem to be getting ignored no matter what they are for or against. Our government needs a good shaking up, a reorganization so they will understand they must listen to the people. I think one good incursion in to the U.S. by the cartels would be the last straw for people. Legal;ization will happen whether our gov wants it or not. Keep making those calls,emails and so on.
“John Says:
April 9th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I don’t know if comparing marijuana prohibition to slavery is in our best interest.
Slavery was a system in which we treated human beings like commodities and deprived them of all rights. Prohibition is a disaster indeed, but is not even on the same level as slavery.”
John we are commodities. How much money do you think states get for putting pot smokers in prison? Lots of these prisons are corporate ran also, how much money do they get for “Housing ” their “commodities”.
Just food for thought when you talk about slavery and commodities. Besides ask a black man if he feels his race is being enslaved…again.
ron paul 2012
COME ON CALIFORNIA YOU ARE OUR HOPE!!!!!!!!
Come on people, do you really think Obama can come out and say YES! Lets legalize!! No, and he doesn’t make the laws. He gave us a pretty chill drug czar and is supporting Jim Webb’s effort to overturn our crazy laws. Does anyone here with a rational brain actually believe McCain would have been better? You need help if you think that.
Just like with gay marriage Obama is ceding it to states and the grassroots. I guarantee all of you if a bill came before him to decriminalize our marijuana laws he would sign it.
The drug czar’s blog,
http://pushingback.com/blogs/pushing_back/archive/
2009/04/08/48273.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage
President Obama Declares National D.A.R.E. Day 2009
This was my response to this joke…
“I am hearing in the media that several schools are dropping the D.A.R.E. program calling it a failure and an unnecessary expense. Multiple studies showed that DARE was ineffective.
Here is one in particular that Mr. Obama may want to review.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=8659e9bf053ae9f0
I for one will not recognize a National D.A.R.E. Day. And I am sure there are millions others that feel the same.”
Every one should do the same..That is unless you believe in the bullsh*t DARE program..
I also laughed when I ripped his bumper sticker off my car!
JEEBUS.
I think it is political suicide for a politician, especially the President to say “Yes, we should legalize marijuana.” If Obama were to say that, he would definitely alienate certain conservative and moderate populations that did get him elected, or will get him elected for his next term. HOWEVER, after reading this article, I too am upset at “the Laugh Heard ‘Round the World.” I think this article and certain comments (I have not read all of them) make very valid points. The online community did help get Obama elected, and the “online community” that he laughed at isn’t just a bunch of pot smokers, it is a significant amount of the US that seeks access to information. If this is a top concern among Internet polls, then this is obviously an issue that should be addressed more seriously than with a simple joke and laugh. He should say WHY it wouldn’t be a good idea to legalize marijuana, because I can think of tons of reasons why legalizing marijuana would be beneficial to the US, our economy, and our environment. Instead of laughing and brushing off the issue which has continuously been at the forefront of internet polls, I think he owes it to his voters to give us a solid explanation why it’s not a good idea. But maybe he can’t, and that’s why he answered the way he did, with humor. Unfortunately, his humor was not tactful in the way he meant it to be and has obviously offended many, including me. Criminalization of marijuana in the US is a form of support for discrimination because its prohibition had roots in blatant racism. While I do support President Obama and believe in the United States of America, I can’t help but feel the sting of the entire world’s laughter reigning down on us. First we make a big deal about Slick Willy’s affair with Monica Lewinsky (when other nations’ leaders do the exact same thing but it’s not made such a big deal of), then it’s W, and now it’s fuss over marijuana. Even though it might be technically illegal in a lot of countries, there is rarely criminalization or jail time for those that possess it in forward thinking nations. ANYBODY who has been exposed to it (and we all know that Obama has been, and there are plenty of politicians that do harder drugs like coke) knows how harmless it is. It doesn’t ruin lives, and tear apart families like alcohol. I too believe that legalization or at least near complete decriminalization of marijuana possession and sales will happen eventually. BUT, we must also remember that OBAMA IS A POLITICIAN, and all politicians want to get re-elected. That being said, for him to say, “Yes, let’s legalize marijuana” so early in his term is very very risky. Maybe during his second term his attitude might change, or he might leave some sort of impression after he exits. Still, the way he handled the question was smooth, but NOT at the same time.
Really though, what’s the worse that can happen if we do legalize it? The Mexican drug cartels will get mad at us for cutting out a significant source of their drug money? Ooooo…
Mr. Obama,
What are you laughing about funny matter!
Being a big supporter and a person that worked to elect Barack. But I am withholding any further support until the war on drugs is ended.
CFHJ
I don’t see any change happening until big business can make more profit from legalizing it than they can keeping it illegal.
Thanks #45 Packerbacker
And the other few with sane comments, Remember that many who post to this site are trying to sabbotage recent progress( #47 ZIPPY).
Today’s fun reality check.
http://www.mpp.org/news/press-releases/barney-frank-introduces-bold-r.html
http://www.idahostatesman.com/1264/story/143801.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Foley_scandal
http://blog.norml.org/2009/02/26/
us-attorney-general-says-justice-department-will-no-longer-interfere-wit
REMEMBER CONGRESS MAKES THE LAW, NOT THE PRESIDENT
AND IF YOU REALLY GOT YOUR FEELINGS HURT BY LAUGHTER – I’M LAUGHING AT YOU TOO.
I appreciate the comments of John Mola (#21, above).
[/quote/]”I think sticking with it’s the worst policy since alcohol prohibition gets the message across just as clearly. Especially since it’s quite unanimous (except for the few fundamentalists) that alcohol prohibition didn’t work.
We don’t want to look like foolish stoners, we want to be taken seriously. And making unnecessary and offensive arguments is only perpetuating stereotype. We have plenty of positive arguments to use, we don’t have to victimize ourselves.”[\quote\]
The image of foolish stoners has been so ingrained in the public psyche that it seems that the subject of drug policy reform cannot even be addressed without the ad hominem circumstancial fallacy of Cheech & Chong running through most politicians’ heads.
More open minded policy makers need to be given an easy answer they can sell. There are many arguments against prohibition. But, I think Mr. Mola’s suggestion that it should be paralleled with alcohol prohibition, Al Capone (especially in the face of the current ultra-violence of the Mexican cartels), and the Great Depression (especially in the face of the current economic slump) would be a focused and effective approach. (I hope I’m not misrepresenting Mr. Mola’s argument).
I believe there are Constitutional and civil liberty issues surrounding the current policy. I believe current drug policy began, at least in part, with the exploitation of the pre-WWII attitudes and fears of various elasticities. I believe there are much better ways to spend our limited resources than pursuing, busting, and incarcerating those who, at best, are not hurting anyone but (possibly) themselves, and, at worst, suffer from the disease of addiction.
Despite these and all the other good reasons the current policy is wrong, FOCUS is needed to expedite a change in policy. An anti-prohibitionist version of “This is Your Brain on Drugs”, and “Just Say No.” However, not just a meaningless catch-phrase for the TV addicted public, but a concise statement that a person in power can hear, digest, and recognize immediately as (almost) undeniably true and truly persuasive. I believe Mr. Mola has found an effective focus.
On another note, I think that, although the anger and frustration expressed on these boards is completely understandable, it might be more effective to maintain the high ground by expressing the irrefutable truths with reason and a measured tone.
Lastly, and on a completely separate topic, I will admit that I had a day or two of real anger and frustration in response to question about cannabis legalization addressed during the “online townhall.” I was similarly upset after the Press Secretary’s response to a follow-up question at a subsequent press conference. But, I have been doing a lot of thinking about this and other recent mentions (and full discussions) of changing U.S. drug policy (and that of its constituent states). The Economist was one of the earlier and more complete discussions on the topic (from a highly respected publication).
Since then, I’ve noticed the topic cropping up seemingly everywhere. More recently, I saw a panel discussion on CNBC in which a former czar was completely declawed. During that discussion one of the more credible (seeming) panelists was asked what force is preventing this change from moving forward in D.C. I found his answer surprising. It wasn’t “big pharma” or the “alcohol and tobacco industries.” It wasn’t MADD. He indicated that there was no lobbying effort preventing policy change. Instead, he simply said “inertia.” I had never thought inertia could be enough. But, after thinking about it, it began to make some sense to me.
Through the prism of “inertia” I could (at my most optimistic) see how the administration’s addressing the issue AT ALL could be viewed as an advancement of the issue. The administration’s addressing the issue at all, coupled with the narrow scope of its answers (i.e., it doesn’t believe it would solve the countries economic problems), could be viewed as an attempt to send a signal of openness to policy change, but without stepping in front of what might be feared to be a political third rail. I think that this signal (if that’s what it is), coupled with the uncharacteristic respect for federalism when it comes to medical marijuana (i.e., the administration’s indication that its agents would not close dispenseries that are in compliance with state and local law), could be viewed as a nudge for states to lead the way in this effort. Wouldn’t it be much less politically risky to encourage a bottom-up change in policy instead of a top-down change?
YOU CAN ALSO LAUGH AT ME, ANYTIME. I’M NOT VERY GOOD ON COMPUTERS. TRY THE ABOVE LINKS AGAIN
http://www.mpp.org/news/press-releases/barney-frank-introduces-bold-r.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Foley_scandal
http://blog.norml.org/2009/02/26/
us-attorney-general-says-justice-department-will-no-longer-interfere-wit
Also thanks to #21 John
I wrote to the White House about this, Here’s their response (it doesn’t really address the issue).
Dear **:
Thank you for taking the time to share your views.
Americans across the country are eager for
information about the state of the economy, national
security, and a host of other issues. President Obama is
committed to making his Administration the most open and
transparent in history, and the Internet will play a major
role in delivering on that promise.
We hope that you will join us at
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov to learn more about President
Obama’s views on a range of topics, as well as his efforts
to provide a window for all Americans into their
government. Your voice is shaping our country’s future,
and we encourage you to join us online, share your
thoughts, and build a community of connected citizens that
will help address the pressing issues of our time.
Sincerely,
F. Michael Kelleher
Special Assistant to the President and
Director of Presidential Correspondence
Wait. Everyone here is saying, “I shouldn’t have voted for him.”/”I won’t vote for him again.”
Really? If Obama had said from the get-go that he WASN’T going to legalize marijuana, you would have voted for McCain?? Come on, we took our best shot, and missed. If McCain had won, we’d not only be no worse off in our mission, but we’d also have a TOTAL dingleberry in office.
Obama is still our best hope, and we need to treat him accordingly, as it’s possible that we’ll never get this close again. We need to put pressure on him, but we need to continue to do it in a positive and SCIENTIFIC light. Mr. Obama will not respond to childishness or threats. Mr Obama responds to facts, evidence, and possibilities.
I get the impression a lot of you wouldn’t vote for him even if he did legalize it. The pendulum might move so far to the left that we might see some relief, that will only last until the pendulum swings back to the right. Remember a few years ago all the reform action was in Canada and the U.K. Then Canada elected a Conservative Prime Minister and reform went full reverse.
EVEN IF OBAMA DID LEGALIZE IT, IT WOULD ONLY LAST UNTIL THE NEXT REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION.
Legal or not, people who smoke it are going to smoke it. We may as well benefit from taxation and regulation. We’d simply be stupid to not legalize it.
The legalization of alcohol shows us that not all of us will become alcoholics. If society can advance with alcohol legal. Society will advance with Marijuana being legal. Not all of us will become pot heads. And potheads should not have to be/ deal with gangsters.
Alcohol(legal) and marijuana(illegal) is like paradise in your head.(and a lot of people enjoy recreational use of marijuana) If it were regulated like tobacco. No one will be killed because of marijuana. Who gets shot over legal drugs? if they do its a lot less than illegal drugs.(marijuana)
We need to separate the good potheads. from the bad harder drugs. legalization would do that. The violence associated with the marijuana law would end.
sure it might mess up your short term memory temporarily(and you can get that back by quitting), but hey you still got long term memory.
The law will be reformed for personal use when enough votes make the difference. Obama did you a solid favor with his changed policy for medical compassion. He has a heart, obviously a compassionate one for the sick.
However, it’s up to us to make the change for personal use issues, isn’t it? That’s the only way Obama can vision himself telling opponents they need to lose this one.
We make our desire known in only one way, we vote. Our votes have more to do with this whole process than anything coming from the President and Congress must agree or they’ll lose their jobs in goverment by being voted out. Obama made it and so will marijuana advocates, with a lot of determination and by making a lot of friends along the way.
Yes, Your online audience are the ones who got your elected. We raised money for you, took you by the hand to the White House and gave you the key. Prohibition should be over! My son chooses to smoke Marijuana and not drink. If he drank, he would be able to get his kids on the weekend. But since he has to take thc tests constantly, he just tests positive. He is getting screwed by his ex and the legal system. Legalization is the only way.
I am a 54 year old marijuana closet smoker.I am a professional and i choose not to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol but I do choose to smoke pot. Pot does not make one an ass like alcohol does.
Tell all your friends to come here and post their comments. Keep it going, it is going good now.
people need to vote for alternative only like for the green party!the obama deception the obamas change is one more step to a micro chipped society !
Oh my goodness. I really cannot believe what the hell I just saw! What is wrong with people ahead of us? Why is the eye of America failing to realize what is happening before their very own ways of life. Why can people not accept that Marijuana is not a drug! It does not have to touch human hand at all to produce. It is natural and grown from our own soil which we must protect and cherish as well. Earth is in a pattern of rebirth as we know, and it is now time for real change. With the times presenting itself we must stand strong and STAND TOGETHER!
Forgit Obama…
Ron PauL 2012!!!
Any one who thinks prohibition is not a form of slavery has not been arrested yet. Get in the system and you will see they own you for the rest of your LIFE! You can not get a good job, if its a felony you can not vote. The list is long. We have to end this insanity of prohibition, we need to help the ones who are truely addicted with social programs, get them the real help they need so desparatly. The gov is addicted to the money they make from it being illigel, but they could get so mouch more if they regulated it. Not to mention all the lives that would be saved. People could get real jobs instead of minimum wage jobs because they have a record. Imagine if all the people who were arrested and have to work minimum wage jobs had good paying jobs we would not be in the financial troubles we are in now. It is a win win for everybody to stop PROHIBITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ones that would loose money well they are going to have to stop preying on the week and get a real job!!
Meaning the DEA, POLICE, CARTELS and ETC> !!!!!!
From the office, I wrote a tome here in the comments this evening. I guess I hit the wrong button because I am not finding it here now. So, I’ll be brief.
Basically, I wanted to express support for John Mola’s politically focused comment, above at 21.
There are MANY good reasons to reform prohibitionist drug policies. Because of all these varied reasons, our voices may get diluted and sound less than unified. It might be a good idea to step back from the issue, look at all the reasons to change the policies, and emphasize the most politically effective for a general audience. By “general audience” I mean people who have never heard of a NORML blog.
Normal people have heard of alcohol prohibition, Al Capone, and the Great Depression (the beginning and end of which, coincidentally, occurred near the beginning and end of alcohol prohibition). Parallelling alcohol prohibition (and its negative externalities) to the current prohibitionist policies should be politically effective. Today’s profiteer from prohibition is not Al Capone, but the Mexican drug cartels. Today’s economic problem is not the Great Depression, but there are similarities.
Prohibition doesn’t work . . . never has [picture of Al Capone with a Tommy Gun, split screen, picture of Mexican Zeta with .50 caliber or RPG].
Fear motivates better than compassion. Eliminating the physical and economic dangers associated with prohibition should be more persuasive (overall) than emphasizing the number of pointless, costly, and destructive arrests for the victimless crime of violating an unconstitutional law.
Of course, this is just my two cents.
Then I digressed into overly optimistic speculation that the administrations addressing the issue (in the online town hall, the subsequent press conference, and the AG’s policy on CA medical cannabis dispensaries) could be a (politically safe) signal to states and local governments to move forward with minimal interference. Wouldn’t it make more sense politically to encourage a bottom-up reform than to assert it top-down?
Then, on a less optimistic note, I read today that when Texas’ HB 902, which would effectively decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of Cannabis was heard by the Criminal Jurisprudence committee yesterday, a citizen testified, after which one of the committee members asked him what the word “cannabis” means. She and those similar to her should be the audience for which you target your message. I am guessing she would be more willing to adopt a message of the dangers of Al Capone-spawning prohibition than the complexities of black-market economics or the irrationality of arresting people commonly thought of as Cheech & Chong analogues.
wow, what a statement!! I hope he gets the picture
Talk is great, i LOVE the “talk”.
But there will not in my view be any real
action as far as marijuana reform is
concerned until the older generations
die off. i.e. those who are deeply opposed to
marijuana legalization because of the
reefer madness and nixon era war on drugs
brainwashing maddness.
So, until that time, my
advice is smoke a bowl, sit back, laugh at the
politicians, laugh at the legal system and
the laws that send people to private prison
camps in this country for consuming a harmless
substance, laugh at the hypocrisy of the
hedge funds and the banks who are the real
criminals..
We wont see legalization until at least
another 20 years IMO. Its sad but its
the reality folks.
“I also laughed when I ripped his bumper sticker off my car!”
hahahaha – and ripping the sticker off your car changed the world how? Do you think that marijuana would be legalized if everyone had obama stickers? no. Do you think marijuana would be legalized if no obama stickers were on cars? Do you HONESTLY think that a sticker is going to change anything?
Stickers are good for advertising porn hot-lines and the like. When I see a pro-Obama sticker on a car I immediately dislike (almost hate) the driver without even seeing them. When I see no stickers, I cannot seem to pre-judge someone. Yeah, kinda wish I were blind b/c I’d have more friends!
anyhoo.. I think the ONLY effective means to get the topic noticed is by commercials on television … P.S. with all the money norml.org rakes in, where are the dollars spent, honestly? Is this heavily-funded organization doing ANYTHING pro-marijuana other than writing the same articles with different wording over & over & over?
I’m quite interested to see what a largely-funded organization can do when they get out of these college forum type debates with no-names and stir the fuc**ng pot a little bit! Although, I see more organizations springing up everywhere, but can’t see a REAL strategy going on behind the scenes (or up front) quite honestly. Will norml pull a rabit out of its hat this year and use some of that good, earthy green to by advertising time?
“John Says:
April 9th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I don’t know if comparing marijuana prohibition to slavery is in our best interest.
Slavery was a system in which we treated human beings like commodities and deprived them of all rights. Prohibition is a disaster indeed, but is not even on the same level as slavery.”
****
The vast majority of the public is supporting this new and improved slavery John. I’m not sure how else the very loose comparison made there can illustrate the angst this has generated. People are being used as commodities in this country for the industries that have spawned off of this prohibition policy. Everything from prisons to drug testing now profits from continued and escalating rates of incarceration and the processing of everyone it can reach in this country.
Felons are second class citizens at best. They tend to generate a whole line of long term profits for selective parts of our society for decades after their “incarceration” has ended. Worse are felons on probation. These people essentially have no rights left by our modern standards. They’ve been demonized.
While directly relating it one to one with slavery is not spot on, there is merit in the argument. I do not think it leads to a conversation where people assume you are lacking in cognitive abilities as “a foolish stoner” if you want to illustrate the inhuman treatment of those being caught in this modern day slave trade.
Perhaps I am being too critical of your response to this. I don’t feel however that the majority of people who have helped these policies flourish are even coming close to seeing the correlation. They are convinced already there is a difference between alcohol and all other drugs. That the tried and true argument that prohibition failed in the 30’s is of no value in relation to “today’s” problems.
I don’t like this as a mainstay argument, but its not to be dismissed outright in my book.
And Obama continues to alienate his own party.
Ok, here we are at a turning point in history. We have to act now, we cant stand by and just know it will happen, it wont. We have to keep the pressure up, we have to combind our efforts and we need to make a statement.
Why are we not marching on DC? When women and blacks all wanted their rights they marched on DC and made a stand, they got what they came for, the government had to act, with all the press and the crowds bleeding into the capital they had no choice but to listen.
We need to organize and march to DC, we need to make a strong stand. Im ready, I bet most Marijujuana users are ready to make to stand up and march on DC, I myself am willing to stop and pick up as many Marijuana users as I can and get them to DC.
We have to march, we have to show the country this is the top problem destroying America today. We have to make a statement, we have to come together and March on DC and push this to the top of the agenda.
So, lets go, lets get a date and make a stand this year, this time in history, this is it, we cant wait, we can not miss this opertunity to make a stand and change this outdated and destructive policy of Marijuana Prohibition!
Are you with me? We have to be there in DC all together and voice to our law makers, Americans want Prohibition to end and now! All of us together we can not fail! Lets do this folks, lets change our own future!
Anyone from southern KY or northern TN that needs a ride, I have a van that holds 10! Im availible to pick up and take 8 more fellow smokers with me. Really we need to work to make this happen, all of us can find more people to take along and help get every last Marijuana user to DC to protest and demand that our voices be heard. Together we can not fail!
Thanks for your time,
Brent, an old stoner from Kentucky!
Obama:”I dont want people to think…” . What dont you want poeople to think Obama ? What, that you dont care about what the public thinks ? That you support blacklisting marijuana users ? Are you thinking sir ?
He wont decriminalize MJ but He will Legalize Illegal mexicans…PPPfft
This incident almost makes me wish I didn’t support him; this is an insult to me and if this is how he is treating Americans, then maybe I should look to Canada.
This is a good article, it puts the whole mess in perspective. “After the 20-million marijuana arrests since 1965, what’s so damn funny?” Good stuff.
http://www.globalmarijuanamarch.org/
Maybe we shouldn’t have the slave memorial photoshop deal? It seems a bit of a stretch, and maybe counterproductive.
To advance our cause we must educate, not scorn.
The NORML people are working their tails off and could use help from all of us. Their website has an amazing library of scientific medical, social, and judicial studies/reports to back up what we already know and to help educate those that don’t.
I just donated to the NORML cable tv ad campaign which will begin soon.
Science, logic, reason… compassion.
Nelson P.
Obama made it, being elected is all he had to do to secure his future fame and fortune, everything else is a train wreck for Americans. Our enemies accross the world are thinking, “NOW is the time to strike out at America.” Evidence is in part the elivated security warnings, the do or dye financial crisis, the popular idea politicians need to dye off before anything can change to reform MJ laws.
Has anyone checked to make sure Obama’s not the Anti-Christ?
Tax and regulate marijuana just like alcohol and grow industrial hemp to open a new market on that and it will create jobs. The money the Government could be making from this is, is unreal but you got an ignorant President who laughs to the people who got him in the office to begin with. Just because of that, I might not vote for him next term. I’m so tired on how this Government works on passing law and what not. I’m a registered Dem. but will be (I) before next term.
I’ll tell you what it says about the internet crowd. It says they’re just as gullible as the non-internet crowd. I know, I know… everybody that supported Obama voted for “change.” What you got was the same policies and a change in the rhetoric. Don’t worry… just because Obama had no voting record to judge is no reason to question his ability to be President. It doesn’t matter… the other guy would have been just as bad.
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. Obama will dangle this issue like a carrot on a stick until next election, then once he’s re-elected, he’ll go back to yukking it up in town halls. I’ve been wrong before, and I hope that I am this time.
The thing that I do find funny is how Obama said “I don’t know what this says about our online audience” and then watching Robert Gibbs painfully stammering through the press conference when the media drilled him on the issue. Even though Gibbs tried to dismiss the idea of legalization as a “special interest”, that won’t fly with me (or anyone else) because every other “special interest” on the internet had an equal opportunity to express their ideas or abuse the system. But cannabis legalization wound up on the top by an extremely large margin, and in several categories.
Keep in mind, the NRA has 4.3 million members. NORML probably has around 200,000-250,000, and maybe MPP, LEAP, and some other “cannabis reform” sites have another some-odd thousand. Assuming we have a total of 500,000 members on the internet, and I believe this is an overestimation, we are outnumbered by the NRA 8.6:1. Yet, I did not see one gun-related issue on all the top questions.
So how is it that a bunch of “potheads” are able to organize themselves more efficiently than all the other “special interests” on the internet? Maybe we’re not so stupid after all. It’s not really so surprising though. Let’s face it, pot is a gateway to becoming president, winning more gold medals than anyone else, and becoming rich and famous. That’s not something they’ll tell you in DARE, but it does seem to hold true.
There’s an old expression, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”. Cannabis legalization tends to be a real squeaky wheel for our elected officials. They won’t find the issue funny if we use our influence to vote out any candidate that won’t support legalization.
I think NORML needs to put up the names of each congressman and senator by state, and list their stance on cannabis reform. This way we all can make informed decisions on who to vote for, and who NOT to vote for. Once they see this issue costing them votes, they’ll change their mind VERY fast. They should start with the very next set of elections in 2010.
@21
John,
Comparing it to slavery is ok to me. They said the worst thing since slavery not worse than slavery and if you are caught enjoying this peaceful herb your freedom is stripped away and you are a slave of the goverment.
I dont know if you have been in jail but I have for marajuana and I sure as hell felt like I was slave in that 12ft by 12ft cell. With a 2 inch thick plastic mat on top of concrete to sleep on and one thin blanket that didnt keep you warm at all. I was forced to take showers with naked men that dont respect you and are in jail for violant crimes like rape and assault. Would you like to take a shower with a few violant males? They said sexual things and made fun of my tan but noone ever touched me but Im sure far worse things happen to stoners in jail.They rudely wake you up every morning to work out and no choice of what to eat just fed w/e they want.
So I agrea 100% with the comparison. Putting good people in jail is nothing more than slavery. It ruins your entire life getting caught w/ it can mess up your job and family and your personality will be differant after you get out of jail it changes you for the worse.You have to report felony possesion charges on applications if you get caught with enough and it can ruin school loans. So it stays with you FOREVER!!! All because you decided to use an herb less harmful than alcohol and meds.
Obama has disgraced us all on home policy and foreign policy… that pretty much sums up how I feel about him. Print as much money as fast as possible to pay off his buddies and spend our way out of debt.
Obama goes to speak to other nations and just gravels on his hands and knees to them. He apologizes on behalf of our past pesidents and constantly belittles america. He doesnt even sound American at these speehes,he sounds anti american. He said the past presidents were bad but because he looks differant everything is cool now. North Korea just launched a missile now this guy wants to cut our missile defense spending. they want make all illegals residents when unemployment is at an all time high. WTF is going on???
Worst,he ran his campaign on us. The online community. When he finds out how we feel he mocks us like we are silly kids. END RANT.ty for reading.
hear here! “What is so damn funny,” indeed.
Jeff:
“Forgit Obama…
Ron PauL 2012!!!”
And Dr. Paul will be how old then? Older than McCain, whom polls indicated many people were against him because of his age (had he been elected he would have been the oldest president to be elected.* Older than Reagan, even.)
*I think. Check some facts and get back to me. please.
Hi all Marijuana lovers,
our support is with you!!!
kk
I never thought that I would utter these words to our new president because I had personally put my trust in him, But SHAME on you president Obama. You are suppose to be a man of the people, in your own words you said that your administration would be one of science and not religious war mongering as from the past. For you to laugh at the online community is abhorrid. Mr. President the online community are the ones that elected you and you should feel ashamed to speak to us in that matter and laugh and scoff at our ideas and beliefs. Science will dictate that alchohol consumption is more likely to kill and mame than any plant put forth from the earth. Maybe he can wonder why we are the only normal non religious zealot nation that does not have a hemp crop in our industry even though anything can be made from it. I say to you sir that if you laugh and scoff at the people that helped you get elected that we will not be here the next time you need us because you cries will fall on deaf ears.
Science will enlighten you in more ways than religion could ever thought possible.
I am highly disappointed in this man. He is the only educated person who doesn’t see the stupidity and futility of this “war on drugs”. All the jokes, false information, and old-school attitudes are strangling the TRUE VOICE of the American People. Aside from the facts that marijuana is NOT a gateway drug, the medical benefits, the tax revenue, the lightening load for the prisons, reduced cost for the companies which urine test….need i go on? Also, how about HEMP production…which has less than one percent the THC content? It can be used to make plastics, fuel, clothing, paper! BIO-DEGRADABLE and easily replenished. Wow! a way to save the economy and the environment. Hemp was produced in this country for
Thank you so much for posting this. I waited with much anticipation for the town hall meeting and was SEVERLY disappointed by Obama’s reaction. I have several people in my life who want mj legal so they can medicate without fear. From cancer to colitus.. Come on. This is a ridiculous prohibition and it’s time that He stops laughing and get serious. This is NOT a laughing matter Mr. President…
Brent from KY, BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME! Start it and see what happens. Is anyone else in? Are we willing to go to Washington and have our voices heard?? What say you??
Delpart (#78) makes a lot of sense. The raw material for the criminal justice factory is certainly produced by the policy makers (i.e., they produce criminals by criminalizing victimless behavior that has a relatively inelastic demand curve). There are serious individual liberty issues involved. And determining what the central argument needs to be should be thoughtfully discussed.
But, I would like to see the formulation of a simple “sound-bite” or “elevator speech” statement that the anti-prohibitionists could provide to policy makers that would prevent the policy makers from fearing political danger from opposing prohibitionist policies.
I’m not sure that the public will be moved by compassion for “criminals” the way they might from fear of gangsters. The trick there would be clearly explaining why eliminating the black market would be more efficacious than contemporary use-of-force tactics (think Elliott Ness). Similarly, I think it will be difficult to convince the public at large that the entities with vested interests in the perpetuation of the current policy (e.g., DEA, prison guards labor union, private prisons, probation and parole officers, etc.) are bad for society. I expect by-and-large that it would cause too much cognitive dissonance to imagine those “protecting the public from criminals” could themselves be causing harm to society. I expect the thought would be rejected.
I think the ultimate statement decided upon should be thouroughly discussed. But, whatever it becomes, I would like it to be defined by FOCUS. Any more than three points (from what I have heard) will be counter-productive to any political marketing statement.
As a side note, while I appreciate the intense anger and frustration expressed within this anti-prohibitionist movement; I believe that national protests and civil disobedience could be unproductive to this issue. My opinion is that the culture war and fear of an uprising of doped-up hippies is one of the main thinks that keeps prohibitionism so strongly entrenched. I believe, in this case, effective change should be encouraged from within the system. That said, I like the idea of a media campaign. But, I think it should be crafted with a very careful eye to avoid ANY stereotypes that could trigger the prejudices that seem to be so ingrained in the public when it comes to drug users.
Thank you NORML for reposting this. I am still very angry with the President’s response.
We are trying, as best we can, to move to Oregon where I’ll most likely get a medical cannabis card.
With that said, it’s the “high” one experiences from smoking marijuana, it’s the benefits to this ailing body that are a positive experience.
defintaley before 2020 it will be legalized…if not then i owe the government more tax money!
Could you imagine if 10 million people marched at Washington D.C. with all the politicians who are for legalization of marijuana, there with us. The White House would see just how serious we are. Obama needs to understand, that if he continues to laugh at us, he WILL lose the next election. With our numbers, we have the power to bring about a change, rather quickly. We need to be seen and heard on the streets in Washington, our internet voices aren’t enough by themselves.
To NORML: Please ORGANIZE a march on Washington this summer! Get permits, do whatever it takes. Make it on a Saturday,so the maximum number of people can attend. We can have a massive turnout, without incredible results, and plenty of news coverage.
We need to go down there respectable and professional. No pot smoking outside at the march. We want to come off, looking good.
He finds several baggies of an herb in his daughters backpack.
In a state of shock and panic he thinks:
“Oh my God! I need to call the police, the best thing for my daughter right now is a close relationship with the Criminal Justice System.”
Or will he:
“I’d better flush this. I need to call a lawyer. My God, I have to help my daughter!”
What would Barak Obama do?
I messed up one word in the above post. It should read – “With incredible results”
Nice try vote like a beast, #59, I have been fighting this war on the frontline for 32 years, also did 5 years in SCHOOL for selling a little weed, so if you have had an experience like mine and many others, you wouldnt be so eager to listen to the bullshit from Obama, The war continues even with all the sympathizers thinking Obama will really stand behind hids word,the only way to get thier attention is in the voting booth, and the wallet, no money, no vote, no bullshit, and dont worry beast, you will be seeing me at some of those Obama rallies, voiceing my opinion, You know that first ammendment thing where people dont try and stifle free speeech cuz they dont agree with what another person says.
consider this.2012 PALIN check out alaska potlaws
Beast one more thing, like the bill states, Frank’s bill would remove FEDERAL CRIMINAL PENALTIES for possession of up to 100grams of marijuana and the not for profit transfer of up to 28 grams 1 ounce it would not change marijuanas classification as a CLASS 1 NARCOTIC, YOU KNOW LIKE HEROINE AND CRACK, and would not change federal law regarding cultivation of marijuana, another nice thing, under federal law 5 years mandatory for over 100 plants at any stage, no marijuana sale for profit, and best of all it would not affect any state laws, you know like Indiana, one joint is a felony, I know you mean well beast, but a trojan horse is a trojan horse.
this shit is not funny! i want to punch every one of those clowns laughing behind obama in the face! i would gladly take the assault charge over it.
I was planning on watching this. I to would like our economy fixed.. but it felt like he was laughing at me… I’m confined to a wheelchair and need good legal medicine.. It really did feel like he was laughing at me and the MANY other sick people of the USA.. He has betrayed us.. I voted for him, I wont vote for 4 more years.. and I bet MANY, MANY of the sick people that felt like he laughed at them.. wont vote for him either.. I shut it off and put a comedy DVD in the player.. but everytime I laughed at the movie, I felt guilty, because of Obama..
*** FRCP56 ***
you mention an uprising of doped up hippies.. I’m far from a hippie.. and I think most of the Marijuana/Canibas users are far from HIPPIES.. Hell I have a 146 IQ short hair.. OH i have a beard does that make me a hippie.. I really think if a group of people were to show The government the Patent, Where the US government claims it is a Useful medicine.. The Deaths and suffering (ruined lives) that has been caused in the past.. I think things will change. Its really simple.. all we have to do is show them the TRUTH..
Cocaine is Processed, Morpine is Processed, Meth is Processed, Exatacy is Processed, Hell even Liquor is Procesed.. Marijuana is simply a seed placed into some dirt.. it sprouts into a beautiful plant with buds.. the buds are pulled off and either smoked or eaten.. the only thing processed is the cutters to cut the buds off.. or the paper that its rolled in.. I heard the other day on a video, a Prohibitionist saying that knowone is going out and purchasing vaporizers.. HELL visit gotvape.com or other retailors.. and they will tell you that sales for vaporizers are going through the roof
right right were’re bloody well right we got a bloody right to say.
I guess obama thinks further increasing the pentagon budget and increasing money allotted for our ever expanding wars in the middle east is a better economic strategy than ending marijuana prohibition.
I am getting more and more frustrated with Obama everyday…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2009/04/10/AR2009041003269_pf.html
DON’T forget to send out letters on APRIL 20th to the PRESIDENT, SENATE LEADER Harry Ried, ATTORNEY GEN. Eric Holder, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Let’s not miss a golden 420 opportunity.
Power 2 the POTHEADS!!
We should all write “LEGALIZATION NATION” on the backs of our envelopes…to show unity.
LEGALIZATION NATION!!!!
Sorry Zippy wasn’t trying to stifle free cause that isn’t possible and I wouldn’t try anyway. In my neck of the woods every Republican runs against Barney Frank, which is amazing because I’m not in Massachusetts. They also run against the state of Massachusetts even though the statehood of Massachusetts is seldom an issue here in the South. I was mearley trying to highlight the FACT that
1. Barney Frank is one of the good guys when it comes to MJ reform.
2. There are a couple of noteworthy Republicans (who probably oppose any MJ reform) Who also got caught with their pants down in the men’s room. Only they made a career out of condemning Gays(I’d have to look up their records on MJ reform. Didn’t here you say anything about them.
3. I have to listen to post after post tell me that Obama has betrayed me and Ron Paul wants to legalize MJ. Sorry I’m not buying it. There’s a lot that I admire about Ron Paul and maybe he himself would legalize it, but when he dropped out of the race he could have endorsed 1. the Republicans 2. the Libertarians. 3. Well I don’t see how he could endorse the Greens or Nader, but they were on the same page as him when it came to MJ. No instead he showed his true side (not that he’s ever hidden it, which is another thing to be admired about him) and endorsed The Constitution Party.
“The Constitution Party will uphold the right of states and localities to restrict access to drugs and to enforce such restrictions.”
THIS IS FROM THE CONSTITUTION PARTY PLATFORM
”Yesterday, September 22, Congressman Ron Paul publicly gave me his endorsement for the office of President of the United States. In his blog at the Campaign for Liberty web site, he said, “I’m supporting Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party candidate.”
FROM CHUCK BALDWIN’S WEBSITE
My take is Ron Paul (and the Constitution Party) is against Federal Power. He wouldn’t want the Fed to throw you in Jail for a joint, He also wouldn’t tell your state or County NOT to throw you in jail for a joint. Some people seem to think NORML has a line of open communication with Congressman Paul
if so let’s ask him the following Question, unlike most politicians I think he would give an honest answer. SHOULD THE STATES BE ALLOWED TO IMPRISON PEOPLE FOR MJ.
I disagree with a lot of what Greg Williams and Tennessee Activist have posted, BUT they are exactly RIGHT when it comes to how things work in our system. The only way to change anything is by ORGANIZED VOTING.
A week later I just got a return message from Senator Corker stating that no Marijuana legislation is to go before the full Senate.. When are the two bills that Barney Frank introduced to go before the senate..?
I took the liberty of using NORML’s pre-written letter to president Obama, in which I deleted it so I could tell him what I was feeling in my own words;
I would like to take this time to voice my opinion about why I think it’s
time to consider legalizing cannabis for adult use.
This country was founded on the belief that what the “PEOPLE” believed was
right, would no doubt be taken into account and pushed forth.
This used to be a fact and held great weight with our elected officials.
Mr. Obama, you have managed to show the whole country that you are just
like all the others that have come before you, in the belief that your
mind was already made up about cannabis legalization before you ever took
office.
No matter how many people plead the case that not only is cannabis less
harmful that tobacco and alcohol, but also has been scientifically proven
to help various medical needs, and would be a great source of revenue for
this country as well, in a time when we are in such a desperate need of
debt revealing monies.
Mr. Obama, it’s not the politicians, the media, DEA agents or
pro-prohibitionist’s that should have the final say, but instead, the
people that cast the votes that you should be listening to.
I am one of the many many people out here that are sick and tired of
living in fear of a militant and money addicted law enforcement, who’s
main mission in life, is to tear decent families apart, just because of a
plant that God himself placed here on earth.
I think it’s time to take heed, the policies that California has started
to adopt and consider letting consenting adults all across this country
decide for them selves how to treat their own bodies.
Here in GA, there is a no tolerance posture that says to the people of
this great state “we do not care about you, and we want everyone to know
that non-violent people are targets for brutal treatment in prison”.
This posture MUST stop in this country. Everyday we fear for the loss of
our freedom, families and properties. This should not even be an option
for these militant agencies.
Marijuana smokers are not the problem here, but instead, the ideas of our
officials that a large part of contributing, voting citizens are wrong and
will wind up being persecuted for it’s beliefs and non-violent activities.
Your presidential campaign was based on the promise of “change and hope”in
which, now, the going conciseness is that you only care about certain
groups of people that will only go along with the program’s already in
place from former presidents.
Personally, I see no change…I see no hope!
Marijuana users are part of this country too, and we want to be taken
seriously by you, not made jokes about…sir, their is nothing to laugh
about here, when you are talking about people who are in danger of loosing
everything, just because of their personal choice to enjoy one of God’s
gifts, in the form of marijuana.
Please take heed in the knowledge that their are millions of us out here
looking to you for a sign of relief from persecution.
I say, put it to a nation wide vote and let us choose for our selves on
whether we should be allowed to use cannabis or not.
Government control has gotten way out of hand and has gotten to the point
that we are starting to look more and more like a communist country…when
will this stop?
Let adults be adults and raise our children to love and respect Americas
leaders, not fear them!
We are counting on you to treat the people of America fairly, without fear
of the ongoing witch-hunts that we face today.
The ball is in your court, please show us a little more courtesy in the
future.
Mr.Obama, if you really care about the people of this great nation, you
will not make jokes about an entire society of people that supported you
in YOUR time of need for votes.
You may think lightly of the marijuana smoking community, but for the
millions of people that have been stripped of any legitimate standing in
their communities, this is no laughing matter…but more like a slap in
the face for believing in someone who we all thought was on the side of
righteousness and would finally see the truth in the mistreatment of so
many liberty loving Americans.
I would urge you to step back and re-evaluate the impact that has so
viciously cost the tax paying people of America in it’s all out war on a
benign and passive peoples that work so hard to live in and support this
nation.
“For the people, by the people and of the people”…really has little
meaning anymore, as we all fear for our lives and freedoms.
Please take this as a warning…the people voted for you with the
understanding that you were going to listen to our problems and help solve
them in a respectful manor, well, this issue of marijuana legalization is
one of the things we were all hoping you would finally put to rest, but
the fact that it only sparked a good laugh from you, tells us that we were
sadly mistaken in the votes we cast on your behalf and that you are NOT
the president of change and hope, we all thought you would be.
We are very disappointed! and four years from now, you will be too!
In closing, I’d like to leave you with this question that plagues my mind
every day; If marijuana is such a detriment to this country, why is it the
ONLY illegal substance that has countless, entire groups and magazines
devoted to the legalization of it?…not cocaine, not heroin, not
methamphetamine, not opium or ANY other illegal substance…just marijuana
and marijuana alone holds that honor…there is no denying the fact that
the PEOPLE want it, no matter what our elected officials think we
want….it’s not about what THEY want…it’s what WE want!
Please reconsider your stance on marijuana legalization, because we are
all watching to see what comes next!
thank you
A very disappointed citizen
change we can’t believe in!
Thanks Brewmaster #91 for the last paragraph. Maybe this online audience can all vote and convince NORML to publish a congressional record on this site. It is the only way. Check out this link on the REAL Libertarian’s targeting of Bobb Barr in 2002.
http://libertyunbound.com/archive/2002_08/jansen-barr.html
Read this and you’ll come to the conclusion that the Libertarian Party is not so MJ friendly after all.
I don’t want to take quotes out of context so I encourage everyone to read the entire article. Even so here are some highlights
“The Libertarian Party has targeted drug warriors in the upcoming election( 2002) as part of a national “spoiler” strategy to defeat leaders of the War on Drugs. The “Incumbent Killer Strategy” targets five federal incumbents — three Republicans and two Democrats. The goal is to scare other House and Senate members into backing away from their support for the War on Drugs
SOUNDS LIKE AN EXCELLENT IDEA TO ME BUT NOT TO MR.JANSEN
“The Libertarian Party’s decision is an unmitigated mistake.
If the LP succeeds, it will take out one of the best friends libertarians have in Congress, a man second only to Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), the LP’s 1988 presidential nominee, as a supporter of the libertarian agenda. Except for the War on Drugs, Bob Barr is generally quite libertarian”
FURTHER ON
He doesn’t believe that the LP’s plan to target Barr on the drug war will work because the drug war is “way, way down the list” of issues Republican primary voters care about
The LP has a historic opportunity to present itsellf as a viable alternative to the big parties, instead of spending its money and energy trying to defeat one of libertarianism’s few friends in Congress just because they disagree with him on one issue.
Who is Bradley Jansen, check out his own website
http://www.nolanchart.com/author860.html
I remember in 1980 many of my stoner friends voted for Reagan, after all he wanted to “get the goverment off our backs”. Then as now my answer is the same. When Libertarians or conservatives talk about liberty, their NOT talking about Marijuana.
ALWAYS REMEMBER, MANY WHO POST ON THIS SITE ARE DEA AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT. ALWAYS QUESTION MOTIVES, INCLUDING MINE. EVERYONE WHO TELLS YOU YOU ARE RIGHT IS NOT YOUR FRIEND, EVERYONE WHO DISAGREE’S IS NOT YOUR ENEMY. THINK FOR YOURSELF
I’m an Irish toker. Saw the video on youtube as i’ve been following developments in your country very carefully. Essentially Ireland seems to mimic the UK, which in turn mimics the US in terms of laws and general policy 😛 Basically if you guys legalise, alot bigger chance we will too.
So seeing this video, wow, what a hope shattering moment. Saying no I expected, but the laugh, the general turning of what was a huge issue on the town hall site into a joke…
I felt sick to be honest.
Please guys, for the love of all that is tokable in a bong, LEGALISE IT!!!! (LEGALIZE IT!!! for you yanks 😉 )
#111 – Your link lead me to look up US Patent 6630507.
If “The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services” holds a patent on the use of cannabis to treat oxidative stress, while also describing the numerous other medicinal purposes, why can’t we use that documented evidence to force to gov’t to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I drug?
Why the F#@K is this not mentioned every…single…time someone from NORML, MPP, LEAP, is on TV?!?!
How is this any different from getting getting airport handjobs while being against gay marriage? (Sen. Larry Craig)
Or getting your black slave/mistress pregnant while endorsing slavery? (Thomas Jefferson)
Or smoking pot frequently then becoming a total hypocrite by punishing people for doing the exact same thing you did? (Our current single term president)
This needs to be argued in front of the Supreme Court to either get cannabis rescheduled, or have patent 6630507 voided.
Face it. Obama has not only pulled a 180 on MJ legalization, he has stabbed us all in the back by making it a joke.
#123, Good point being careful. Blog sites like this one and others are being monitored but where does the parenting by the Federal Government end? Are you fed up with feeling like a child yet? My personal opinion on Federal and State police agencies is, “They could care less about peaceful pot smokers.” We ain’t the problem, are we?
On the subject of the pharmaceutical companies…of course they don’t want it legalized. If cannabis is legalized, we all (well, those who research this wonderful plant) know what it can do for our medical uses. The big drug companies will lose BILLIONS of dollars in synthetic drugs. So of course they are going to keep all the records showing that cannabis is the “new wonder drug” under wraps.
Not to mention all the clothing, paper, shampoo, ect. companies will say the same. Think about it, over 25,000 textile uses can be made from this single plant. Proven over the centuries by civilizations all over the world, that it’s strong, eco-friendly, and FREE.
Now I honestly believe Obama is on our side. He just needs to butter up the other two houses. A president can’t just say “This is legal!” It has to pass through all three houses. (Checks and balances) So I propose the following:
Back of a LITTLE from Obama with this. Focus on your congress men and women. Once we get the majority of all the houses on our side (Or at least open their eyes), we will have our natural born rights returned to us.
I find it very disheartening that President Obama would marginalize the #1 question. It saddens me. I did vote for him as well. I thought he was more intelligent than that. When I saw his reaction to the question, I was speechless.
LEGALIZE IT!!!
Daryl , if I were you ,I’d grow my own, and don’t tell a soul.
I think it was just like and Intern at NORML told me. this site and many others like it are only visited 90% of the time by people that are allready on our side.. It easy for me to talk about it because I’m confined to a wheelchair.. I’ve created a video about onec a month. I’m told this last one was VERY powerful. but I have NO idea how to get the politicians to see it..
Yeah Obama and his little laugh/snicker at his town meeting really made me and my other sick friends feel betrayed
Obama is a fool, he laughs now but it will be WE who laugh last in 4 years when a 3rd party comes along embracing real change, something that is certainly not a “Brand” nor a company because people are not a franchise! PEOPLE ARE HUMAN!!! Power to the freakin’ PEOPLE!!! Why sit here feeling betrayed?! It is we who will betray! It is we who will reclaim our nation! This is what the rest of the world really wants us to do.
i don’t see what’s so funny about legalization to boost the economy. The facts and numbers are all there. There’s no question that if marijuana was treated the same as alcohol and tobacco it would be a huge help to the economy. It’s a shame to see the President I thought would be different transform into every other politician we have. Looks like us voters were played again. How can someone so open to ‘change’ laugh in the face of it?
Pffff.. we are talking about a pathological liar here. This guy is the biggest disapointment America has seen in a long time and it is only 3 months in. Just look at this: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/
04/13/obama-administration-upholds-terrorist-surveillance-secrecy-rules/
i was wondering if it does get legalized what would be the legal age and rules of where u can smoke it and the legal limit
I recently wrote to the President. I am a retired police officer. I can tell you that the worst thing about marijuana and other illegal drugs is the fact that the drugs are illegal. The fear of arrest and the rewards of criminalization (drug dealers) is what drives crime…much much more so than the use of drugs. Although, other than marijuana, I do not support the legalization of other street drugs because they do cause great destruction to individuals and society. The government needs to be able to honestly seperate marijuana from much more harmful drugs. We already have the two most harmful and abused drugs legalized. Alcohol and tobacco. These drugs kill hundreds of thousands per year.. Mysteriously though, they also generate over a hundred billion per year in tax revenues. Lets save our expensive jails for criminals that prey on people and not jail otherwise law abiding citizens. People do not respect the enforcement of bad laws. Our new president has a lot on his plate. Bad mouthing him only discredits those who seek change. Write to him and others and make your case for legalization. You really dont earn the right to bitch unless you do something about it.
Its funny to think that the republicans should support, at the very least, decriminalization of marijuana, if not legalization of everything. They want smaller gov’t? Just think, bye bye DEA, 1/2 of law enforcement, border patrol, etc etc etc. I am still glad i didn’t vote for obama. He’s a politician, not your friend, and sure as hell not the jesus that people make him out to be. Nader 2012 baby!
what President Barack Obama doesn’t understand is… We the people are right!
I, too, was initially disappointed with Obama’s dismissive remarks about pot legalization, but I credit him with intelligence, and thus, I think further down the line, he WILL listen to, and reconsider the debacle of pot prohibition (and the ENTIRE “War on Drugs”).
I live in CA, where we’re trying to legalize COMMERCIAL marijuana growing, by regulating and taxing it. I’ve smoked pot DAILY since 1967 (42 years!), and have helped my state legalize medical pot, while decriminalizing small amounts of pot for personal use. We WILL prevail eventually, completely legalizing its use here in CA. Hopefully, once we accomplish legalization here, other states will follow suit. We legalized medical pot in 1996, and so far, 12 states have done the same thing, with several other states considering medical pot proposals (NJ, PA, ME, etc.).
Someone asked (brandon, #135) about age criteria and “legal” pot. In my state, CA, if we accomplish legalizing pot, the official age will be “21,” just like our alcohol laws in this state. So, depending on what the legal drinking age is in your state, the same criteria will probably hold true for pot use. The age criteria will most likely be left to the individual state governments, where legalization occurs.
Back to Obama, I truly think if he’s presented with ALL the researched, educated “facts” about marijuana, along with the prospective BILLIONS that could be realized if pot was legal, he will change his current, publicized “stance.” Not to mention the cost of incarceration. Here in CA, it costs the state a minimum of $38,000 per inmate, money our state can no longer afford.
He’s already kept one of his pre-election promises, to STOP ALL DEA RAIDS on patients, physicians, and providers who are in compliance with their respective state medical marijuana laws, which was a HUGE step for the Feds. Therefore, I think he can be persuaded to look at the “reality” of pot prohibition’s failure and its cost to the American taxpayer.
EVERY 37 SECONDS A PERSON IS ARRESTED IN THIS COUNTRY FOR USING POT; almost half of ALL DRUG ARRESTS FOR 2008 were for marijuana use (BTW, these arrest stats are from our OWN federal government!); we currently have the LARGEST PRISON POPULATION IN THE WORLD!! (Once again, the stats come from the Feds, themselves!) If we continue to jail pot users at this rate, it won’t be long before 1-out-of-every-5 Americans will either be IN JAIL, or WORKING FOR the prison industry (prisons are “Big Business” in many states)!
I’m confident President Obama will “do the right thing,” once he’s fully informed, and as long as we, the people, continue to bombard him with our “enlightened” arguments, reminding him “we’re not going to ‘go away,’ or be silent about this”!
The last thing I’ll say about this is that I always consider myself an “ambassador” for responsible pot use, and hope, by example, to demonstrate that though I smoke pot daily, I can still follow the conversation; speak, using polysyllabic words; and have EXCELLENT memory retention (both short-term AND long-term)! Furthermore, I’m a taxpayer, and a registered voter — Mr. President, do you think I should be in jail?? Trust me, that’s NO LAUGHING MATTER!
I don’t know if comparing marijuana prohibition to slavery is in our best interest.
Slavery was a system in which we treated human beings like commodities and deprived them of all rights. Prohibition is a disaster indeed, but is not even on the same level as slavery. Prohibition has many indirect consequences that are comparable to slavery (such as illegal immigrant smuggling and forcing them to operate grow houses in exchange for their debt to the cartels) but there are no direct consequences (Slavery directly made someone the masters, not as an unintended consequence) that are on par. In addition, including only marijuana prohibition weakens the argument even further as many of the drug laws that have the biggest impact on the racism of the drug war have to do with other substances; such as crack-powder sentencing disparities.
Furthermore, even if you could convince those of us in the drug policy realm it is as bad, I don’t believe these statements should be made in public. The vast majority of the public would find that distasteful and would backlash against us.
I think sticking with it’s the worst policy since alcohol prohibition gets the message across just as clearly. Especially since it’s quite unanimous (except for the few fundamentalists) that alcohol prohibition didn’t work.
We don’t want to look like foolish stoners, we want to be taken seriously. And making unnecessary and offensive arguments is only perpetuating stereotype. We have plenty of positive arguments to use, we don’t have to victimize ourselves.
Thanks,
John Mola
PR Director
SSDP@FSU
ssdpfsu@gmail.com
I SECOND THIS GUYS COMMENT! WE ARE NOT FOOLISH STONERS SO DON’T MAKE US LOOK THAT WAY!
Heidi
NORLIN QUAD, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, BOULDER, 4/20/09 4:20 PM BE THERE AND SHOW THE WORLD
Hmmmm… Michael Jackson said it best. Ignorance! How about all the marijuana user go off and have there on genocidal march across the country and take back our land and give it to all. even the Natives. we have the rights and we know how to assembly a group together. learn and now your Enemy!
I laugh and think back of a certian someone saying it is time for change and that time for change is now, saying we can change well doesnt seem he wants to change saying that the online audience is not something to laugh at when its how the people get their voices heard. Good strategy to grow our economy well seeing how if it was legalized that would mean the millions and millions of dollars that is going to marijuana suppliers could be going towards the government and back into our economy. Legalizing it wouldnt fix the economy but it helps push us forward. I hope our president who the online audience voted for doesnt let us down and not do what he said he would do and legalize it.
OK,how do we bombard the congressional decision makers more effectively? Maybe a real million people “pot bag party” nationwide would be helpful. At least all the TV pundits would know that evry one in the streets was pro legalization-regulation-taxation of industrial, medical and recreational marijuana use that would be a win-win on several fronts simultaneously. I believe the main obstructionists are the criminals with badges on who are afraid of losing their jobs, the corporate prison system and the black ops people in the intelligence community who have been controlling drug distribution for years as a primary off-the-books revenue stream to fund their fomenting, starting and conducting imperialist wars for the greedy natural resource thieves, munition manufacturersand war profiteers, who happen to be be making more money than anybody. War is obviously big business and they are not solely funded by tax dollars. Illegal drug control and the money it generates is most likely the primary suspect in the continuance of prohibition.
Why re-invent the wheel? Surely our brilliant bureaucrats can study the recent Portuguese decision to de-criminalize all drugs. I understand that it has been a huge success. Replicating successful models is a lot wiser than duplicating the same scientific studies they don’t agree with. Why does the government even bother to educate its citizens at all? They obviously will keep laughing at our “stupid” suggestions that will make a significant impact on multiple national problems in one intelligent stroke of a simple writing utensil.
im glad that our president thinks this is a fuckin joke
– – Even though Obama appeared to be very open about his previous cannabis use,
he seems to view this past activity as his ‘greatest moral failing’,
a youthful indiscretion to “forget who he was” at that time…
– – I am not as surprised, disillusioned as some here are;
After all, if you listen VERY CLOSELY to his past discussions / speeches on the topic of
“marijuana” per se, he is NOT for “legalization” of marijuana, nor EVER was…!!!
” “I think we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws,” Mr. Obama told an audience during a debate at Northwestern University in 2004. “But I’m not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana.” ”
– – HOWEVER, he could have and SHOULD HAVE acknowledged the SPECIFICS of concerns stated,
raised in the categorically-relevent, cannabis, hemp and marijuana questions,
i.e.
*Industrial Hemp as a superior biofuel, (GREEN ENERGY),
*As a low-impact, ENVIRONMENTALLY-SOUND food and fiber crop, (ENVIRONMENT),
*The inanity, insanity and injustice and fiscal-waste of the ‘war on marijuana’, (ECONOMY),
instead of over-generalizing… 🙄
(I have to wonder, Did Obama even read the ‘effing’ questions,
or was he only given a summary by someone else…?!?) 😡
– – And the subsequent stumbling, bumbling, lame explanations of Obama’s non-response ,
given by his press-secretary Robert Gibbs;
Even the news-reporters looked pissed-off!
And…
– By the way, cannabis for GREEN-energy is CLEAN-energy!
Robert Gibbs is an anencephalic, (lacking a brain!), numbskull,
just doing what he’s told, doesn’t appear to know a d@mn thing about botany.
Guys I am amazed at how many people keep talking about how Obama will legalize MJ or chill he will address it bla bla bla. What gets me so mad is even if he did finally address it or did legalize it by the end of his first term, He just threw us under the bus in that crap at the town hall meeting. If he legalized it next week I would still be against him He just showed me that he is NO diff than MCcain on the issue of MJ policy. He will NOT get my vote next term period.
Prohibition has ruined my life. I’m a great person in real life. My entire family love’s me my community loves me. i was apart of the junior police academy I’ve saved 2 peoples life’s while i’ve been around 1 person frm drowing while i was a lifeguard and another person fromchoking to death while i was apart of the junior police academy program we had in my town.
I have never been in an arguement or had an enemy in my life everyone talked to me at school and have alway’s spread messages of peace and people uniting as one to take care of the planet…But once i became an anti-war on drug’s activist i got entrapped by the police bringing marijuana to an old man who was wearing a wire.. The only reason i brought it to him was because he was a coke addict and i was alway’s talking to him about just doing marijuana and getting off the stuff… Now my life is destroyed I’m constantly going to court for felony charges people don’t look at me the same anymore… it tears me apart on the inside to the point were if i get proven guilty i think i’ll just jump out the 3rd story window at the courthouse… but that’s just me. I’m one person this world could actually use but this prohibition bullshit has destroyed my life. I’ve saved more people in my short 19 years of life then any of these fucking police officer’s could hope to save in their entire careers.. now I’m the enemy…now I’m the piece of shit.. I’m never gonna help anyone out again till these law’s get reformed because apparently good people get fucked in the ass by the law and the Coke head’s they work with.
No one’s going to vote an independent into office. It may be a matter of principle for some of you to vote against Obama; we still need to be realistic. If Palin gets in in 2012, that’ll be the end of any hope for legalization for ages. Obama’s far closer to tolerance of pot than that bunch of nutjobs. As it is, though, California seems to be doing a good job, and hopefully if it’s legalized there it’ll be easier to convince other states of the intelligence of this idea. Wouldn’t most of you agree that this should be a state issue as opposed to nationwide anyway? Obama shouldn’t be playing too big a role to begin with…
OBAMA DUDE! DON’T U READ ANYTHING ASIDE FROM “THE POLITICAL SCIENCE FUNNIES?” MAN,LEGALIZATION WOULD END ALL WARS INCLUDEING THE FUKIN’ STUPID ASS WAR ON DRUGS ALONG WITH BRINGING REVENUE THAT I’M CERTAIN THE GOVERNMENT COULD USE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FREE UP MUCH JAIL SPACE 4 REAL CRIMINALS! WAKE THE FUK UP MOFO:)MJ MAKES 4 A GREENER TOMORROW WHILE CUTTING WASTE AND COUNTLESS OTHER BENEFITS:)IT’S WELL WORTH A DEEPER QUEST….
why is it people who admit smoking pot hide from there past once they get elected obama needs to quit hiding from his past and be proud of the fact he liked to smoke pot legalize it now i have smoked for 30 years and i hang out with grannys that are in there late 50s that like to smoke and im proud that im a pot smoker
He Fucked us over…oh well we’ll fuck him over in 2012 if he thinks we’ll vote for him again
#125 NoStressKid Says:
April 11th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
…How is this any different from getting
getting airport handjobs while being against gay marriage?
(Sen. Larry Craig)…
RE:
Sorry, I missed this one…
New INITIALS?!?
Heh, heh! LMFAO!
‘Barack Larrycraig Obama’ BLO’s!
Goddam this shit is getting old!
After reading Genesis 1:29, 30. Explain to me why the United States Government has made illegal an herb that God developed for man and gave explicit directions of use.
There is a curse upon this land for the Governments involvment of making illegal this herb and it’s called CANCER.
When repentance procedures are complied with by the United States Govenment the CANCER will diminish.
I work for Jesus Christ and this message was sent to you under His direction, I am merely a messenger.
Bryan Brady
I dont see how legalizing marijuana is similar to slaves.