Update: SF Weekly reviews cannabis consumers’ concerns getting dissed by Twitter and Obama…
For the third consecutive time in his presidency, when the Obama Administration goes out to the general public seeking input and questions about the economy or government policies the number one topic of concern for the public: ending Cannabis Prohibition and finally re-legalizing the herb!
From the Raw Story:
“Would you consider legalizing marijuana to increase revenue and save tax dollars by freeing up crowded prisons, court rooms?” was retweeted 4911 times, according to the analytics service. A question about letting the Bush tax cuts expire came in second place, with only 1800 retweets.
Although marijuana legalization was an overwhelmingly popular question with Twitter users, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who moderated the online town hall, focused on questions pertaining to the economy, education and space exploration.
“#AskObama why they will answer Rep. Boehner’s question, but won’t talk about #CannabisJobs! Legalize it, start a new job creating industry,” the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws complained in tweet, which was itself retweeted more than 100 times.”
A analytic site, TwitSpout, compiled some fun stats about the tweets from the townhall in general here.
No question asked, no issue exists. It’s all so “1984”. Transparency? What’s that?
Obama wasn’t born, he was hatched…LOL!
I tweeted “Why won’t you admit that marijuana is safer than alcohol and stop punishing adults who choose the safer substance?”
Are you people kidding me marijuana will never be legalized and the top 5 reasons are!
1.Law Enforcement Jobs- Thousands of law enforcement personnel will be put out of work.
2. Juvenile regulatory procedures will be useless and school truancy will sky rocket.
3. Its too easy to grow people (taxes) I can grow pot easier than most vegetables not true for tobacco.
4. Religious organizations totally oppose.
5. Black Market drug money contributions the politicians already receive to keep it illegal. Remember it takes enough votes to pass!
Hey guys I found this awesome site about Medical Marijuana, You all
need to check this out. They have a lot of information about growing
some hydro Medical Marijuana. This site is all about
Growing Marijuana
We should first focus on reclassifying marijuana.
Right now it’s Schedule I, meaning it has a high potential of addiction (no chemical addiction involved in marijuana whatsoever) and NO MEDICAL BENEFITS.
I think the first step in legalization should be to reclassify marijuana. From there, it will be easier to get the FDA to sponsor some research and remove federal prohibition.
Small steps will lead to legalization. Please take heed.
y’all are crazy. He’s bought and paid for by now – stop expecting him to take it seriously.
Also, at this point he’s just campaigning. Anything he says is a lie anyway.
But really, the president doesn’t have much power over law. You should annonce when and where CONGRESSIONAL members are having town hall meetings – or at least the members that would be key to removing or not removing federal prohibition. That’s how legislation gets started, after all. Have organization pages or something so people can ‘sign up’ to go, thus they can know that they are not alone.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110708_D_A___Philly_s_new_pot_policy_just_makes_sense_____and_saves_dollars.html
shoter article here:
http://www.newser.com/story/122979/philly-da-says-hes-saved-2m-letting-potheads-walk.html
headline “Philly DA Says He’s Saved $2M Letting Potheads Walk”
I just saw a report that Willie Nelson (80) may get a long prison sentence for possession of 6 ounces of marijuana.
The “logic” is that anyone with 6 ounces must be a “pusher”.
REALLY?! The government believes Willie Nelson is a pusher?
Maybe this outrage will precipitate the moment when someone says “Have you no shame?” to prohibitionists.
Quoting #36 – Douglas:
“To begin with no president is going to legalize this drug i don’t care what you think and dream of. No president will legalize this drug.The only time they will do that is when both side of both house’s all say its time to legalize it will it happen. But first u need voter, And let face it pot heads don’t vote.And if they or not pot heads. But smoke very little. They still don’t vote. I am not saying all pot heads don’t vote are if u do this drug at all u don’t vote. I vote But i seam to be the only ones that do vote.”
I believe the government doesn’t legalize it and still prosecutes it strongly in states that have passed laws legalizing forms of it because they benefit off of it more with it illegal. Think about it, they get to label us smokers as criminals and incarcerate and fine and put us on probation in order to keep a tighter control over us and keep tabs on us (big brother is everywhere). This might not be the big reason, but I guarantee they benefit from it being illegal (maybe the cut they get from the cartels and terrorists is tremendous [I believe our government is the biggest drug dealers of them all since they run it]).
But to get on topic the short answer is no, I agree that most likely a president will not legalize it.
Yet, there is always alternatives, if more states can follow California’s lead, and try to legalize it, if 3/4 of the states (I am pretty sure it is 3/4) legalize it (or even legalize medicinal), then if the House puts it up for a vote, then the Senate, even if the President doesn’t sign it, it could still be added to the constitution as an amendment.
Keep hope America, United We Stand and Divided We Fall is true, we need to unite, stand as one, VOTE!!! There has been more going on with the pushes for legalization/medicinal than ever before. I believe it will happen decently soon, and like old people there is power in numbers, if we started a stoner voter campaign we could surprise everyone. I guarantee that with all of the legal potential voters that are pro-pot 18 years old and up, we combined are greater than the majority of the population of the United States.
Do you realize that less than half of the people in the United States that could vote actually do vote. That means that less than half of the population is making all of the important decisions regarding everything that directly concerns you. Does that sound smart? NO, so America, go out there and make a difference, stop bitching about it and actually do something about it!!!! Yet, the sad thing is, I could lay money on it and win by saying that you won’t, so prove me wrong, let’s get this done and end all of the madness…
the muslim half breed wont even answer the number one question. yet he seeks public input. he is a talking head and totally phoney. the DEA does his thinking for him. phoney baloney. anyone who voted him in should end it all! morons
Obama SUX.
Get a lead filled axe handle and let’s get this party swinging full speed ahead.
Walk like an Egyptian! Oust the government scoundrals!
End marijuana prohibition! We don’t need higher taxes of any kind.
Let’s get ALL the corruption OUT of the government!!!
Vote for Gary Johnson / Ron Paul for President in 2012!!
Obama and Smith are playing the same game – “indifference to the will of the people.” By any standard – that should and does disqualify them from doing any of our business. At the very least – they have earned our vote of non-confidence. But then – with any justice at all they will both get our message in 2012. If we can’t receive justice with them – we will most certainly receive justice without them. It’s time to realize that every one of those puppets in D.C. are hanging from the puppet master’s strings. It’s time for us to cut the strings – because – they obviously can’t.
58. Li
“Maybe this outrage will precipitate the moment when someone says ‘Have you no shame?’ to prohibitionists.”
Of course they have no shame! If they had shame they wouldn’t be in politics. The question becomes – “Do we have any shame for electing them.” Fortunately – we can change our bad habits.
Droc, you can never get marijuana reclassified.
Nixon was a smart SOB. He constructed a conflict of interest in which the same agency that depends on marijuana prohibition for its existence also controls whether marijuana reclassification can even be considered!
I wish someone in the media would do a story about this. I would love to see the looks on their faces when asked if they see the conflict of interest.
I would also love to see them explain whether they see circular reasoning in the following: The DEA will not allow medical research into marijuana because it has no medicinal value (which can only be found with medical research).
And they call YOU high!
My best guess is that we were sold out to the pharnaceutical industry during the health-care debate. Among far-right-wing groups, like the Grange, the word has been out for a year to support the legalization of GENETICALLY-ENGINEERED cannabis. The only possible reason I can think of for this is to make room for patents. Sigh.
It’s time to redouble our efforts. The scientific evidence is irrefutable. Cannabis promotes health. The language we supporters use is important. Can we please get over referring to it as a ‘drug?’ Cannabis is an herb that’s less toxic than chamomile and melissa, which have been used for centuries on babies. As such it is not patentable.
Prohibition began in the 1930’s at the behest of Bayer. In the 1970’s our esteemed President Nixon used it as a counter-insurgency effort to squelch his domestic enemies. It’s worked surprisingly well for forty years, but now we have the information age to work with. Let’s use it well.
How about if we were to each forward a copy of this to our favorite news people and ask them why didn’t cover the fact that the top town hall question wasn’t addressed.
And I will now be cancelling my twitter account fucking asshole
Ability to cripple/destroy the stranglehold that cartels and other “legal” Pharms possess as of now and no traction from the top? Who does this govt work for? Follow the money. When something is worth ZERO how much attention does the human race give to it? Nothing, they don’t. Makes one wonder how these bigots/hypocrites can sit on their gold thrones and continue to supplement themselves on the backs of the worlds population, no surprise there, and in actuality are propping up that which they’re supposedly attempting to suppress. Nothing is as it seems. My eyes are not my own. My spirit isn’t willing nor is it able to admire those who wish my life to be not of their own. I don’t want your life nor do I envy it’s purpose.
If I were president I couldn’t legalize Marijuana
President Willie Nelson could not legalize Marijuana.
Elect anyone from Norml President and they couldn’t legalize Marijuana.
Because CONGRESS MAKES THE LAWS, NOT THE PRESIDENT.
When will you people learn the only way we will ever have marijuana legal is to start an open revolution like Libya, Egypt, Syria, and, Tunisia. The declaration of independence clearly says it is our right to overthrow an oppressive govt. The corrupt govt we have is clearly oppressive and must be forced out if we are to have our freedom.
See for yourself if you don’t believe me it’s right here.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY AS LONG AS YOU HURT NO ONE ELSE.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/
Just a question I want to pose, I thought for a substance to be classified as a drug it had to have a toxicity level in the blood (Guess what Mr. President,DEA,FBI,Local Law Enforcement and all you people who want to control something and you can’t control yourself, It’s not a drug, Do you hear me you can eat and smoke as much as you want and you wont die. try that with any other scheduled drug and you let me know if your still around. Yes I am that against marijuana laws! if we started smoking lettuce it would be illegal too! Fight for your rights people convince others and vote!
70. MDA
“If we started smoking lettuce it would be illegal too!”
Didn’t they try making a cigarette out of cabbage at one time?
How could you betray us like that??? Say one thing to get in office then change your mine, once in office. So many believed you. This is so sad.
Poor Obama. He is a very big fish in an ocean of sharks. What I can’t fathom is the stupidity of the American people…. 300 million people, and they lick the boots of less then a million. Are they arrogant enough to belive that will last forever? Please. don’t make me laugh.
Anonymous: You are right Congress not the pres passes laws. BUT he can introduce bills and he can veto or threaten to veto until it gets passed. It has been done before.
To all who believe the President has no power over legalization, wrong!
The President Gary Johnson would have several powers where the “War on Drugs” is concerned:
1.)He appoints the “Drug Czar”, no congress approval.
2.)He nominates the head of the DEA and can fire the head of the DEA who holds to power to reschedule (with Congress approval).
3.)He can veto the DEA’s budget if it doesn’t contain what he wants(like rescheduling). Then they need a Super-majority to override it. (He used this with several budgets in N.M.)
4.)He also has the power of pardon without congress and can issue a blanket pardon(To let’s say all individuals charge with a crime under the CSA). That in and of itself is huge!
5.)He also nominates the attorney general which is a cabinet position (approved by Congress).
6.)Supreme court justice nominations(with Congressional approval).
7.)Executive orders to the DEA not to prosecute certain individuals (like MMJ patients, suppliers, or any non-violent offenders)
If Congress fights it, it would be a very public fight and congressmen would be forced to take sides(many currently just stay silent…). On top of all of that if they fight it, his powers would bring any other agenda they have to a halt via the veto power. In short the Executive branch is the check on Congress as is the Supreme Court. Just as the Supreme court’s check is the President and Congress. When either the President or Congress stops doing business it ALL grinds to halt.
Finally, as Chief Executive it’s his job to “Enforce the law” which means he has the power through executive order to “Reschedule” which would force Congress to act.
Anyone in California should call this woman. She is a County Supervisor and attempting to make medical dispensaries illegal in Fresno County. Let her know she can’t undo Prop 215 with a few votes from county supervisors. Millions voted for Prop 215 and she wants to close them all down with a vote between 5-7 people.
Call Debbie Poochigians office at 559-600-5000 and let her
Breaking news: In this mornings Twitter town hall meeting President Obama frustrated by trying to compromise with Republicans on deficit talks” looses it when asked for the umpteenth time about legalizing Marijuana. Said the President: OK you win, I smoked it when I was young, almost everybody in Congress did. It wasn’t a big deal. The laws against pot are insane and everyone knows it. So I tell you what, have Congress send me a Bill to Legalize Marijuana and I WILL SIGN IT. Can we move on now, please. The flustered President then retreated to the oval office for a meeting of his senior campaign advisors, and pollsters.
President: Well guess I’m glad that’s over with, you know the funny thing is Legalizing marijauna is what inspired me to go into politics in the first place. What’s the damage guys.
Advisor 1. Well your remarks are being condemned by the PTA, AARP, NRA, every law enforcement union in the country, every branch of the military, Nat’l association of Govenors, ditto Mayors.
Advisor 2. Sorry Mr’ President were gonna have to tag team on this one, where were we. Condemned by, here we go, page 2. Teachers unions, Hospital associations, The Republican party, (loves it) The Democratic Party ( not every president gets impeached by his own party,sir, Can’t say your administration wasn’t historic, in fact if I had to pick one word to describe your administration it’s history, sorry). The Taxpayer party, Constitution Party, Tea Party, National Bar Association, National Association of Bars
Boy scouts, Girl scouts, Gay scouts,Chamber of comm
Advisor 3: I think you get the picture, financially, Contributions from all those groups have been suspended, we’re being sued by half of them, the other half would sue, but they don’t wan’t to publicize the fact that they donated to your campaign in the first place. Every Fortune 500 corporation has also suspended. Uh, on the bright side we got 5000 new contributors since the speech, on the darkside none of them were above 5 dollars. Except for Mr. Soros who ponied up 1 million, whick means were moving into re-election with a war chest of 1,025,000 dollars. Oh and Michele wants a divorce.
President, OK well 3 hours ago it seemed everybody on twitter was hounding me to Legalize, what happened to all those weed lovers.
Advisor 1: Well, heads that leaned left are out celebrating their victory, their still for you, but unfortunatly they feel they won so the battles over.
President: A lot of Republicans smoke weed.
Advisor 2: They didn’t approve of you when you killed Bin Laden.
Advisor 3: Members of the Green party approve, there’s a dozen votes right there.
President: Well I guess what’s done is done, at least there really is nothing left to lose.
Advisor 1: I quit
Advisor 2: I quit
Advisor 3: me too.
President: Well at least I broke new ground, I kamikazeed my presidency but at least now we can start an honest debate.
Advisor 1: I just got off the phone, half the Democratic Caucus has switched party’s and the entire Republican field running in 2016 has promised to impliment waterboarding for pot heads, at he very least they want to institute hair follicle testing for Social Security reciprients. Polls show most Republican pot heads are against the waterboarding but do support the testing.
Yet another reason why we must clear the decks of these stubborn, ignorant, horribly opinionated, yet powerful elected orificials who live it up in D.C. at our expense. These stubborn clowns must go next year or sooner!
Join Willie Nelson’s Tea Pot Party
78. Insightful. Prohibitionists can justify their stance any way they’d like. Falsifying the effects of cannabis and acting in a deceitful manner towards it’s effectiveness won’t win my consideration to the opposition. I see where you’re coming from but the fact of the matter is that cannabis, if given careful consideration to the process of independent intellect, is a very valuable commodity to which it’s positive creation/use/incorporation is without contestation. To say otherwise is without regard to its purpose, which is imposed/defined by a select few who corrupt all in the name of control/power/greed. I do not base my life on such. Cannabis is far and away less toxic than alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceuticals (all legal). Are we to honestly believe that (wo)man, who touches and dissects any and everything, has yet to discover the true nature(benefits) of cannabis? It’s all about power/control/greed and those with the gold make the rules. They aren’t interested in giving that power/control/gold up and admitting that they were wrong about cannabis, among others. I’ll keep the facts/truth and lay the rest, lies/propaganda, to waste.
Dear People, I know that we are not pleased with Our President’s views on Marijuana. I hope that we can all see that no matter the political party. They all sell us out. He is just another one hit wonder. God, Why do we have to continue to suffer with these people who lead us and do not have not one ounce of mercy or tenderness for the common human being?
I am not a prohibitionist. I also have it on the best authority that I’m not a writer so you English majors take it easy OK. Just cause I can’t write doesn’t mean I can’t think. I was just trying to intoduce a bit of levity to help bring blood pressures down on this site, cause I think it’s needed. That said, I do think if Obama or any president told us what we want to hear the above scenerio (yes 78) is pretty close to reality. What do you think. If I had my way marijuana would have the same federal and state regulations as tomatoes and dandelions. Not cause I’m a libertarian (I’m not). I’m not anti goverment. I don’t want meth legalized, or heroin, or coke, though I do think harm reduction not prison is the way to go. I don’t mind paying taxes to live in such an otherwise great country, and my 2 hunting rifles serial numbers were voluntarily registered with my local police dept. the day I bought them . I think cruelty to animals should be a felony and I love a good burger. I just don’t see weed as a problem. In fact the only danger I can see with weed is as they said on South Park. It makes you OK with being bored. You could do better things with your time, and you could do worse.
Just my opinions, not neccisarily NORML’s
When non smokers ask me about medical marijuana I say there are only 2 reasons it’s not legal.
1. Marijuana works
2. You could grow it in your back yard for free, and in a country run by international corporations what worse crime could there possibly be. If MJ was only growable in a lab it would be in childrens toothpaste. That’s why your local congressman will always respond to your letters that Weed is bad and Marinol is OK, because big business has to get it’s cut.
Will we ever see legal weed. Maybe, it’s probably already too late. The day may come when no one is arrested for possession of any amount of weed.
Ever expanding manditory testing means you also won’t get a job if you want to work for someone, a business license if you want to work for yourself, go to a doctor if your having a heart attack ,(better wait a few weeks for your system to clean out), drive a car, adopt a child, or even raise your own. The 4th amendment is long since dead. That’s where I see things heading. Sooner or later the War on weed might be seen as something the goverment doesn’t want to pay for anymore. Smoke em if you got em, just win the lottery first. My pat response to the drug test enthusiast. The power of the Goverment should at least end at your skin, that always stops em cold.
Any way out of such a bleak future, again just an opinion. Yes, we could do like the people who want to smash their unhelmeted head on the pavement when they put down a motorcycle do, what those who think thier gonna defeat a SEAL team with a shotgun do, and like those who insist they be able to drive a car long past the onset of althzimers do. I’ve said it before ad nauseum I’m told. Form a united single issue voting bloc and target the worst offenders in congress for defeat. (see Bobb Barr 2002, He’s the one that did pass a law saying the gov doesn’t have to count the votes in an election if the election is in Washington DC and the votes are for Med MJ, last I looked he’s on our side now. You don’t need a majority. If the point spread on an election is 10 points say 55 to 45, and the UNITED WE FRY vote can reasonably be counted on to deliver 12 %. Meet the new boss, US, we the people. Segregation did not end because the people of the South changed their hearts, No argument convinced them that ALL MEN WERE CREATED EQUIL, that was only for the 4th of July,
No amount of preaching compelled them to LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, that just applied to one hour on Sunday and then only to those in the same building. Segregation ended only when they could no longer prohibit their fellow Ameicans from voting. That’s not always gonna be easy, a lot of Liberals are gonna have to sit an election out and freeze out some Democrats they might desperatly want to win. It’s gonna be even harder for you Republicans, sorry I don’t see MJ reform being a Republican issue anytime soon. When talk about states rights and individual liberties they mean except for pot, don;t take my word for it, ask them yourself. God bless the handful that do, like the editor of National Review, ( if were gonna make an enemies list, let’s make a hero’s list too, and no one can say he’s preaching to the choir.) Gary Johnson, certainly. Will I vote for him, hell yes. Will I get the chance, NO, except as a write in, cause the Reps will almost certainly freeze him off the primary ballot, hope I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure about that last one. Dennis Kucinich is also pro pot and he will be in the Dem primary if he want’s to, and therein lies the difference. But either way it’s just symbolic for both of em cause congress writes the laws and that’s were (I think) we should put our energies.
By the way yes the president does have some influence, and we will need him to sign the bill if it ever gets through congress. But Gary Johnson was Gov of New Mexico for 2 terms and MJ was not legal for a day, before (since the 1800’s) during or after his term. If I remember correctly his statement was his administration was going to enforce the law while it is the law, only he wanted to change the law. Again a true hero, but he couldn’t do it alone.
Well I got more to say, but I’m starting to tucker out. Gonna eat and then well you know what I’m gonna do. Not trying to make any enemies, got plenty already. “We hang together or surely we will hang apart.”
@#82
Right on #82 and well received. I see where you’re coming from.
Why dont gary johnson and round paul run together as they both are “awesome” 🙂
When president Obama’s kernels are’nt for us interviewng economically we know the tough luck Republicans were’nt for us neither back then.