Today, the White House launched its new, long-awaited website “We the People.” The administration describes the site as a “tool [that] provides you with a new way to petition the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country.”
The White House further promises, “If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.” The White House has set this threshold at 5,000 signatures within 30 days.
Demand the Obama administration defend their support for marijuana prohibition. If they can not, then why do they continue to endorse this failed public policy?
Below is the petition NORML has submitted for consideration:
We Petition the Obama Administration to:
Legalize and Regulate Marijuana in a Manner Similar to Alcohol.
We the people want to know when we can have our “perfectly legitimate” discussion on marijuana legalization. Marijuana prohibition has resulted in the arrest of over 20 million Americans since 1965, countless lives ruined and hundreds of billions of tax dollars squandered and yet this policy has still failed to achieve its stated goals of lowering use rates, limiting the drug’s access, and creating safer communities.
Isn’t it time to legalize and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol? If not, please explain why you feel that the continued criminalization of cannabis will achieve the results in the future that it has never achieved in the past?
Sign. Share. Legalize.
(NOTE: The White House has been experiencing technical difficulties with their website, please be patient and allow the petition time to load, if you receive an error message retry later)
UPDATE:
The media is beginning to notice:
Daily Caller – “Weed Legalization and Animal Spay/Neuter Top WH Petitions”
Huffington Post – New White House ‘We The People’ Petition Portal Launched, With Predictable Results
The Hill – Petition to legalize pot is first to hit White House threshold
Have y’all who don’t think these petitions work ever hear about the frog that was in a pool of milk. He kept trying to swim in it, flapping his limbs, flapping flapping until he was on a big ball of cheese. This is what we need to do with these petitions, keep signing them until we get somewhere.
Oh yeah, check out my Potimism channel on youtube.
WE PRETTY MUCH DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PERRY ANYMORE – HE COOKED HIS GOOSE IN THE DEBATE.
“You don’t have a heart” he says. Where’s his black heart when it comes to Qualified Patients – fuckin’ hypocrite. He better worry about staying governor let alone being President.
It’s clear that enough people want marijuana legalized that the issue should be taken seriously, but I have my doubts because of past practice. Obama laughed off the issue several times before, so I’m expecting him to ignore it again.
It’s sad to say, but unfortunately the only way to get politicians’ attention and to get them to take legalization seriously is to give them no choice.
Keep running the economy into the ground until cannabis is legalized!
Keep running the economy into the ground until cannabis is legalized!
Keep running the economy into the ground until cannabis is legalized!
A petition to eliminate or reform any office of government legally required to lie in order to perpetuate the status quo. It is focused specifically on the Drug Czar Office.
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/%21/petition/eliminate-or-reform-departments-whose-officers-are-required-law-lie-american-people/24vwr7W2
We should all go to the Whitehouse petition site daily, search all the petitions,and sign any new petition that attacks prohibition from a new angle,,,repetition or petitions that are closely worded with another already active will just muddy the water and allow them to answer both with one answer,,,but different parts of the WoD and prohibition will require more answers.
We need petitions that attack the DEA,ONDCP and NIDA,,for being required to ,lie to the American people. It needs to be written by someone more familiar with that sort of thing than me.
We need petitions that will attack the WoD,,,from every angle,,the money wasted,,lack of effectiveness,,,the changing of our local police from Protect and Serve
to Search and Seize because they are paying bounty money on drug arrests and ignoring violent crimes.
The Whitehouse petition board should have at least 500 petitions attacking prohibition from every angle we can hit it from.
Hit them high,,,hit them low,,,make them wince with every blow!
And America is scanning the site too,,,let them know we are not going away!
Please view my petition as well! You’re What’s Wrong with America It’s time to legalize marijuana and push for a better planet!
Congratulations to NORML for getting over 28,000 votes on your petition. There is another new petition which I think hits the right points and will work hand-in-hand with it. It is at http://wh.gov/gMD and only needs
150 votes to go public.
We’ve been screaming this message at the top of our lungs for thirty years and more. What makes anyone think our selectively deaf government will be able to hear us this time? The issue is already front and center, and has been for decades—and it’s still being ignored. They’ve just given us something else to do that will make us think we’re getting somewhere, but they have no intention of acting.
Clearly the Obama administration knows very well from the past that these online outlets almost always produce large support. All in favor of requesting pro-marijuana law reform. This is obviously no different.
What’s amazing is not only was [NORML’s] cannabis regulation petition the first to meet the 5,000 signature threshold, but cannabis reform is by far the #1 most requested petition subject. Not including the hemp petition (which I personally feel has nothing to do with marijuana or drugs) cannabis has received over 45,000 “signatures” in just 3 days of a maximum of 30 days. AND that’s *just* adding the ones on the “Most Popular” section.
Correction — Actually as of today there has been over 50,000 “signatures” for several different cannabis petitions, and all in just 2 days! Again that doesn’t include hemp which, honestly, should have nothing to do with marijuana in general.
woot, woot!
The regulate petition just hit 30,000 signatures at 7:36pm, Sat 24th. I have a screen shot if any one wants it.
30,000 and counting : ) keep spreading the word, we are doing a great job my own mother is in disbelief : D
Typo on the above link – marijuana + a few extras Whats Wrong With America
Wow, a petition. That will make’em hurt, next is what, a personal E-mail. That will make’em bleed!
And they laughed at Edison for his ideas but guess what, the lightbulb revolutionized the world. Same thing here!
Why do you all think Bill Clinton waited until his last day(s?) in office to mention the country should think about legalizing pot? Do keep in mind the president is in charge of what branch of our government? Could it be the same branch that is charged with enforcing these prohibitions???
If the president just went ahead and ordered the DEA and the FDA to stop lying about marijuana and do their jobs properly, he or she would almost certainly be impeached and removed from office. Bill Clinton simply didn’t have the integrity of own convictions and Obama has got a lot of other things his wants to do. We have to make it clearer to him that part of our “wrong direction” is marijuana prohibition. And that a major part of “fixing America” is ending this ridiculous scape-goating of MJ and potheads.
Restructure the rest of the War on Drugs into a policy that actually makes sense. Help people get well. That way, when we spend government money something good actually happens for our society; not innocent people going to jail.
I’m sad to say that the Petition to Grant a Full Pardon to all those arrested for marijuana only related offenses isn’t getting the attention it deserves. While I’ve seen a dramatic flux of people rushing to sign the Regulate and Tax in a Manner similar to Alcohol petition (and am very happy to see the number rise greatly every time I look in on it), I’d like to see more people standing up for the folks who have put there lives and liberty on the line for the cause. After all, SOMEONE HAD TO GROW THAT BEAUTIFUL HERB YOU’RE ENJOYING AND NOW THEY NEED US. To those of you who have taken the time to add your name, I’m very grateful. Thank you for understanding you have a civic duty and doing that duty in true patriotic fashion. For those of you still sitting on your hands I’d like to remind you that NEVER in the history of our nation has it been so SIMPLE and EASY to make your voice heard. So stand up and take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity.
Please take a moment to follow this link and sign the petition which requests that all those arrested for marijuana only related offenses to be granted a full pardon. In addition to releasing those currently incarcerated, this would also reinstate the rights lost by those with previous convictions, such as the right to vote. Here’s the link: http://wh.gov/gRZ. Thanks for your support.
In addition, there is also a petition on the WhiteHouse.gov site which calls to Allow Industrial Hemp to AGAIN be grown in the U.S. This, too, is a very important issue within the legalization movement and approaches the subject from a perspective entirely separate from the medical/recreational aspect. Please also take a moment to add your name to show your support.
Again, thank you for standing up and doing your part. After all, a government of the people, for the people, and by the people only works if the people work it. Signing a petition is a dramatic far cry from the long marches and bloody battles our ancestors had to partake in to gain the freedoms we (used to) enjoy. If you’re too lazy to exert such little effort for liberty then you don’t deserve it!
Brandon:
I agree that hemp should have nothing to do with marijuana, but if one looks closely at the history (especially the beginning of prohibition) one can see that marijuana was more likely made illegal in order to keep hemp out of the hands of the people, forcing us to submit to the Eco-disastrous, Petrochemical Tyranny under which we now live. Once marijuana is legal, I have no doubt that we will see advances in Green technology that boggle the imagination.
…continued:
The fact that it marijuana prohibition has become such a golden goose/cash cow our Federal Oppressors was a secondary “boon” that followed years later. Of course that isn’t to forget that it was also used to harass and enslave immigrants into forced labor, as well, but who could have imagined the American People would have allowed it to become such an elaborate tool to oppress EVERYONE… other than maybe Harry Anslinger, Robert(?)DuPont, and William R. Hearst?
The reason Obama laughs when asked the question is because of the way the question is delivered. If we just say, “Mr. Obama, can you legalize marijuana!” He will laugh but if you give him a serious tone like “Mr. Obama, Marijuana has scientifically been proven to help with many ailments and prohibition has caused murders around the border and will help with the nations debt.”He then maybe he will take it to concideration. It’s like when you tell a joke, it might have the right words but if not delivered correctly, it won’t be funny. That is what needs to be done. If he still laughs, then the person or persons asking needs to explain in better detail and on the plus side, he deals with other things that occupy all of his time which takes time away from dealing with marijuana prohibition. Some of y’all think that they will lose money if weed was legal but if it was legal, the taxes would be high like it is here in Texas and all of that would go in the money of politicians and for the medical marijuana, Big Pharma. They just need to stratigize it out but its even a process to do that which they have had there time filled out by other issues and its just gonna have to wait. Give it time people and let’s be optimistic about weed being legal PLEASE!
Great work guys making this the TOP petition! I am hoping a few of you may be able to help one I submitted get posted and become searchable – we only need 56 more votes!
Our petition is simple – Make Bribing Politicians Illegal: http://wh.gov/gse
Its the money and corruption in Washington that makes things like marijuana illegal in the first place. Lets help fix this issue at its core! Thank you in advance for signing and sending.
Whatever the case may be – be it as it may – we all know when this guy [if you can call him a President] is lying – “His lips are moving – watch my lips.” Speaking of lip service – it’s about damned time we take our own advice and put some ass into it. We ought to be just damned sick and tired of being oppressed – especially by some ding dong lady in the DEA. If we’re going to be a bear – let’s be a grizzly.
The link isn’t broken,the White House is!
Stop the insantiy!!!!!
Has a petition started to enact a prohibition on alcohol? A petition against alcohol should be made so we can slap them in the face with their own self righteous argument.
@132 – There is no way that further prohibition on anything is going to make anything better. But, I do understand your frustration and desire for a bit of vengeance! People like Boehner and Lamar Smith, oh so happy to get drunk and smoke themselves to death, have no business telling us that we can’t use something safer than what he has chosen!
I just want a good smoke some times [peace to me]hr2306
I only suggested a petition for alcohol so that the justification they will use for alcohol can be subverted to cannabis. I, in no way, thought that a petition against alcohol would go anywhere, but they would give our cause direct ammo to fight their hypocritical stance. See, they would have to justify keeping legal a terribly addictive and lethal substance like alcohol; It would be an official statement on how they support death juice. This petition crap is a gimmick. I predict that we will get the same answer as always…burden to healthcare, harmful substance, dangerous, no medical value. I apologize for being so cynical.
I submitted my signature, and so did my wife…hope it helps.
Please sign my petition to eliminate the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the “Drug Czar”. I really believe that eliminating the ONDCP is the only way to make any significant headway on this.
You can view and sign the petition here:
http://wh.gov/4kR
Here’s some more information about this petition:
Eliminate the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
The legislation that congress used to create the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), also known as the Drug Czar’s office, requires that the ONDCP reject any attempts to reform laws for any substances on the List of Controlled Substances.
Because of this restriction, the ONDCP has shown time and again that it is willing to lie and distort facts in order to fulfill that mandate. This behavior by the ONDCP is un-American and immoral, and should not be allowed in a free and democratic society.
This petition requests that the ONDCP be eliminated.
sign this one too…spread the word….good karma to all
Remove Marijuana from the Schedule 1 list of drugs in the Controlled Substances Act
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/remove-marijuana-schedule-1-list-drugs-controlled-substances-act/D2J2ZdX4
Here. Help this petition and all the other good ones succeed, by signing this one, to lower the number of signatures a petition needs to get a response. I just created this one, so it’ll really help if everyone signs it and helps it grow!
http://wh.gov/2y9
Well the response is in and we’ve been blown off. Can clearly see that the white house is not willing to discus the issue, and almost flaunts a $20 billion dollars wasted on this worthless drug war. This just lets me know we have to fight locally even harder.
This is just the beginning! Sign It. Show Our Govornment that this is good. make our voices heard. GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!!!!!! NO MORE PROHIBITION
correction: the site to sign my petition is
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/we-people-want-end-marijuana-prohibition/xG9gQ2kw
whats wrong with the U.S is we the people who really rule the world forgot that, there are to many smokers for the U.S gov, to do anything about if we were not trurly slaves, which we are, there is not one thing that we can just do as we want, even take a day off, we all need to stop being slaves to the U.S GOV AND TAKE BACK OUR RIGHTS INSTEAD OF SOME OLD PEOPLE THAT THINK THEY RUN SOMETHING TELLING US WHAT WE CAN DO.
I just wrote about Obama’s response here: http://wp.me/p22rAt-6d
It’s pretty ridiculous that after so many signatures, they basically just ignored us. And it only took them 7 months to do so!
Next time, we need 70 million signatures.
Hi! I’ve been following your website for some time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Huffman Tx! Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic work!