This is from November of last year:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/25/479649.aspx

"My attitude is if the science and the doctors suggest that the best palliative care and the way to relieve pain and suffering is medical marijuana then that's something I'm open to because there's no difference between that and morphine when it comes to just giving people relief from pain,” Obama said. “But I want to do it under strict guidelines. I want it prescribed in the same way that other painkillers or palliative drugs are prescribed.”

Morphine, of course, is Schedule 2, which means the doctors have to file each prescription with the DEA, who are on the lookout for doctors that prescribe "too much." This is considerably more restrictive than, for example, the med pot regime they have in California.

So, reading between the lines a little bit, it would seem that the president-elect wants to move marijuana from Sched 1 (no medical use) to Sched 2 (yes, medical use, but really, really closely watched, and only if you really, really, need it). Schedule 2 means the doc has to file each prescription with the DEA. If this happens, what happens to the marijuana dispensaries in California?

Well, one answer is that they would have to close their doors, because there is no longer a justification for them. Those people who really need the pot can go through the "strict guidelines" and get it the precise measured doses that they need rather than the free-for-all you have in California. The new Michigan initiative, which as I understand it would allow patients to grow their own, would seem to be out as well. All these local initiatives will be replaced by the Schedule 2.

All of this is consistent with the "Dear Friend" note you got from Obama for America, and I'd consider that a real possibility.

Since the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938, the federal government has had the task of regulating prescription drugs. As it ought to; having a patchwork quilt, each state drawing up its own rules is very cumbersome for a matter as complicated as this.

rachelrachel

I think as far as med pot is concerned, we don't really know what Obama will do. He has said some very positive things, then said some negatives. The mainstream is looking at economy, health care, jobs as priorities, not medical Marijuana. Therefore, not a whole lot of time is going to be devoted to the problem. I could see Obama ordering a stop to raids while they figure out the issue.

I'm thinking the best we can hope for out of Obama is the opening of a dialogue. That's not a bad thing, but we need to be stepping up the pace.

Votehemp.org graded Obama a B+ on industrial Hemp. On other aspects of the issue, most of the rest of us are praying he will at least listen to what we have to say.

Skywolf

Hopefully obama will take the consideration of marijuana just being a plant. The people know the gifts and powers the cannabis plant provides. I think that the hype of the 60's is wat really crushed the positive outlook on wat the plant really is. The goverment puts alcohol, a substance which can kill a person by merely consuming too much on the market. It makes no sense to have a skillfully grown god made plant to be banned. And its ludacris to ban it since you really can't overdose on it. You can smoke so much of it and still feel fine. No harm done. Unlike the many prescriptions drugs out there like morphine,oxycontin,vicodine ect. Which can kill you by merely taking 3 times the dosage a patient should take.in my opinion I think the goverment lets alcohol to still be on the market cuz its socially accepted.Marijuana has to be one of the most natural gifts the world has provided us. Its medicinal,recreational, and a new hobby for many americans. You can compare marijuana to any plant since its so organic. It feeds on nutrients, its water based and it takes very careful technique and practice to grow a succesful plant. Marijuana is more healthier then the foods we ingest today. Many of which give us unhealthy consequences. The goverment let the 60's revolution get the best of them since marijuana back in those days was the big hype. If obama really cares about this nation he will stop arresting citizens for possesing the plant on them. Every time we arrest someone for something as stupid as the plant we waste many of the nations dollars. Plus the goverment sells us cancer sticks and those kill us. They should at least sell us something that will slow down the cancer if we get it "COUGH COUGH" like "MARIJUANA". The world knows how's safe the plant is with those anti smoking commercials. In all those commercials the kids are sitting on a couch stoned in front of a tv set being really quiet sounds pretty safe to me. Have the people at those anti organizations forgotten wat alcohol does? It makes people, beligerent,loud,aggresive and mentally challenged, and out of control under the influence. You cannot compare that to marijuana. A stoner would smoke some bud and flip the tv on with a bag of munchies by their side laugh a little and relax cuz there's nothing else to do.doesn't sound bad lol. Safe and recreational if you ask me. This is a new age of people. A time where racism is gone, a time where marijuana is being held up for all its benefits. I hope that obama will realize all this. And the time for change is now!

A time where racism is gone... ?!?! your smokeing to much sir ;)

Politicians do what the public demands. When we create enough demand amongst the general public to end the prohibition our politicians will jump on board, if only to save their own jobs.

We can do nothing without the support of nonsmokers. We need parents, community groups and civic leaders to realize that prohibition is a flawed policy and that it's illogical to believe that prohibition could be bad policy for alcohol but good policy for marijuana.

We need them to understand that "legalization" does not mean legalizing everything related to marijuana and that in simple terms it means to control marijuana with the *same laws* we use for alcohol.

As the VCL said in 1932, "when the weight of public opinion demands repeal of Prohibition, Prohibition will be repealed".
That was true seventy-five years ago and it's equally true today.

"IF the Science suggests" is typically code for "IF the FDA reschedules marijuana," which may never happen because of the cost of FDA-drug trials and the fact that the FDA is quite prone to telling very big lies, when the appropriate political pressure is applied.

So, my guess is without significant pressure, Obama will take the easy way out: "The FDA does not believe marijuana has medicinal value."

Many cowardly politicians use the "If the Science is there" bullshit to stall and to cover both sides of the issue at once, because they don't understand that most of the public wants access to medical marijuana; and they don't understand the Science of Medical Marijuana.

Evidently, most politicians also don't have the moral compass to understand that stealing medicine from sick people and caging them is BARBARIC and has no place in a civilized society!

Can we really as a country 11 trillion $$$$ in debt continue to afford to arrest over 800,000 people a year for pot?

Will the Police/Prison complex continue to pressure the pols to oppress the people over the green flowers of a God given plant?

Considering that Joe Biden wrote the Rave Act, the Paraphernalia Transport Act and has approved of government forfeiture laws, stricter enforcement for crack vs powder cocaine, etc. -- well I don't have very much hope for a real "Cannabis Freedom Act" in the U.S.A.'s future.

Only a constitutional "Cannabis Freedom Amendment" would make much difference, at least for the duration of this century.

probly a white guy

At the very least, it sounds like he should at least allow the approval of Prof. Craker's application to grow marijuana for medical research.

This is an artical I found on alcohol.........

The journal Archives of Neurology reports that the more you drink and the longer you drink, the smaller your brain gets. The reduction is about 1.9 percent per decade. While that doesn't seem like much, think of someone drinking from age 21 to 51 and you're at about 6 percent shrinkage.

That reduction can precede forms of dementia in later years - after 60 or 70.

A drink or two each evening is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. And drinking more than that can deflate your brain; researchers now wonder if that small amount will have a similar effect.

The researchers checked records between 1971 and 2001, much from the Framingham Offspring Study and Framingham Heart Study. They used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to check on brain sizes and came up with their conclusions.

The study also showed that while men tend to drink more, women were more vulnerable to brain shrinkage over time.

Bashing alcohol is'nt productive at all. Comparing the negative/positive affects may prove to be helpful though. We all know that you cant die from getting high, but what about the economic benefits of legalizing the ganja? Californias number one industry is agriculture, and marajuana is a big fraction of the resources that we grow from the soil. Think about how much the entire nation can benefit from such a successful industry, especially in a time of recession.

If anyone would just do a little research on marijuana vs. alchohol and tabacco and the fed gov. would legalize it, we could pay off the national debt 5 times over in 3 years. Marijuana is not good just for smoking, you have to look at all of the other money making, prison reform and so many scientific alternatives that can come out of producing the plant. I can not believe the intelligence of the politicians and uninformed people in the USA, supposedly the land of freedom. You know the oil companies are totally against it, a natural way to produce oil, chemicals for plastics, paper, cloothing, I could go on for an hour. without hurting the earth. 75 years ago, it used to be against the law for the farmers not to grow it. Read the book, the king wears no clothes. You can find this book in the magazine "High Times" along with many others telling the real truth why the gov. dosen't want to legalize it. What ever shed. alchohol is rated at, marijuana should be one lower. What happened to real Change and Spread the wealth,my friend.

Too early for Obama to look at this as he has many other things to take care of before taking office.

They had prohibition for alcohol, there are laws against drugs, there are laws against drunk driving well there are still drunk drivers and and drugs.

So no matter what legislation passes it does not change the way the world and human nature works.

http://www.wazzupmanila.com/about

I can't shake it! I have a card. I paid $150.00 for that card. It helps a little having that card but I still feel like I can't tell anyone. I can't. If I do I get ripped off. Maybe someday I will feel like a "good" citizen.

The only way I will feel free is when it is legal for all.

Come on Obama, you should know how that feels!

What a bunch of losers...legalize weed man is doens't hurt...maybe if you could face life's problems without chemicals you would wouldn't be where you are begging for legalization of a drug that kills all ambition in people....just don't count on my tax money providing for you when you are homeless and on the streets....you are the same bunch who think Obama's socialistic ideologies are American values.....

I am a medical marajuana patient in Reno Nv. I suffer from a severe bone disorder, scoliosis, osteitus pubis etc... My house was raided on Aug 21st. 2008. My husband and myself were arrested. They held a gun to my head, They had the swat team, D.E.A. police and the bomb squad at my house ( FOR WEED) they took my youngest son from me. I am STILL fighting them and I am wondering, when Obama gets into office, will this help me AT ALL. because from what I'm hearing things might not change. I am trying to find out how I can get in touch with him now that he has become president. I voted for him because of his beliefs on medical marajuana laws and I realize he has ALOT of other issues that have priority over this but at this time this is the most important issue in my families lives. If you could tell me how I could e-mail him or his people please let me know. Thanks, Thadra

when a state votes for medical marijuana, and approves its use for patients, then i think that the feds should stay out of it.

i dont think that it should just be available for anyone that wants to smoke pot, but many people find relief with it for severe pain issues.
THE DECISION SHOULD BE UP TO A DOCTOR!!! NOT A COP!
i dont like the feds saying what a state can vote in or out. california voted yes, it should be left alone by the feds. enough money is already wasted on putting people in jail for pot, enough money is wasted harassing people that have a doctors prescription for pot in california. Put that money to use in other areas, such as schools, health care, etc. i think that the federal government has enough on their plate without looking for things to get involved with. do something about illegal immigration!!! do something about the poor security at our ports! do something about abuse towards children, there are many issues that the feds can involve themselves in, beside harassing some old couple that grows a couple of plants in order to feel a bit better. i can only imagine the cost of a single raid, i bet we would all be surprised at the price that taxpayers pay to raid a couple's home, FEDS! STAY OUT OF CRAP YOU DONT NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN, GET INVOLVED IN CRAP THAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT!!!!

Smokers of pot need to stop being ashamed of their decision to get high.

Tell your family, tell your co-workers, tell the politicians that it is not just violent criminals, and disfunctional burdens on society that smoke pot. It is an American past time. It is my decision and yours. We work hard, we pay our taxes, we provide for our families and we should be able to reward ourselves with "that magic feeling"!

I am tired of having to go to some low life, pay him too much for some weed that has been treated with who knows what, when I could grow the stuff myself were I not in fear of being imprisoned and having my life destroyed.

It is time for change.

Republicans in the House have outright opposed the economic stimulus package from the President, opposing the payday loan being made to help with economic recovery. Even after he extended an olive branch to them to work with them, talking with the entire Republican convention, they still opposed it outright, contending that they wanted stimulus package amendments to include more tax cuts. Like a payday loan overriding a sudden expense, the package is expected to pass despite unanimous Republican opposition. The Senate will vote on the bill next, and hopefully the economy will get the payday loan that it needs.