Obama Won't Say Why He Opposes Marijuana Legalization
The overwhelming popularity of marijuana questions on the president's website has repeatedly forced him to address the issue, yet his answers are utterly lacking in substance. From Change.gov in December:
President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.
And at today's event:
"No, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy."
As lame as these responses are, you can bet he'd never have said anything at all if marijuana questions hadn’t repeatedly pulled the most votes on his website. There's a subtle and revealing undertone to all of this insofar as Obama has publicly declined to actually challenge the merits of our argument in any way.
For all of the stereotypical anti-pot talking points at his disposal, Obama chooses to take the softer path of pushing the matter aside as best he can and moving on. Is that because he can't refute our arguments, he doesn't want to, or both? I'm operating under the assumption that 1) Obama privately agrees with us, but remains concerned about the political consequences of associating himself with that viewpoint, and 2) Obama has enough respect for the potency of our movement that he doesn't want to piss us off any more than he has to.
As frustrating as all of this is, we'd be foolish to miss the significance of our success at strong-arming the reform argument into a high profile discussion of the economy. It's not everyday that a sitting president is forced to comment on the legalization of marijuana. The fact that this even happened means we're doing something right.
digg
redditThe audacity
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 4:10pmOf hope dashed by a cynical political predator named Barack Obama.
RIGHT ON!
Comment posted by aahpat on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 8:11amI would add that emails sit in computers by the thousands and are easily ignored. Hard copy snail mail sits in post offices for months waiting to be screened for anthrax. Whenever the politicians provide it use their FAX phone line. 98% of the time it goes right through and is in their office that minute.
They need to hear form us every day!
If they don't hear it from us they won't hear it!
emailing your members of congress
Comment posted by Moonrider on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 12:23pmDamn near everyone of them has stopped receiveing regular emails, most of them require that you go to their special website and fill out their stupid webform to send an email. Once you do they never see it, the staff reads them all and gives the senator or congresscritter a synopsis of what came in that day.
I'm pro-choice on EVERYTHING!
Faxing goes into the office
Comment posted by aahpat on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 1:54pmat least. On the day it is sent and not into a file with ten thousand other items that day for an intern to clean up.
Absolutely!
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 8:27amAnti war protests in the streets are the only thing that will force these thug drug warrior politicians to rethink their aggression.
But the drug reform organizations, that have taken people's money for the past three dozen years, are not brave enough to organize and sponsor such activism.
Students for a Sensible Drug Policy and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition are the only two that have really been willing to take an activist approach to these issues.
Well, its coming down to a real shooting war on the Mexican border. Obama does not have the troops for all of the wars so he will have to reinstate the draft just to ship soldiers to the Mexican drug war. In the next few months the civil border with Mexico will start looking like the Berlin wall did at the height of the cold war. As they tighten the Mexican border trafficking will move to Canada and the three coasts. The U.S. will have to escalate the militarization of the drug war even more and throughout the nation.
Obama promised Mexico to reduce demand. He has included $3-billion in drug task force police money in the stimulus bill for more police. More drug courts. More prisons.
Drug reform got screwed by sitting down when Obama manipulated the issues in the campaign. Screwed royal and now the truth is coming home. Obama thumbs his nose at reformers!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
Obamas POV
Comment posted by glenstark on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 6:56amI'm a little dismayed by the Obama bashing.
Of course Marijuana should be legalized and regulated in the same way alcohol is. In fact I feel the same way about all drugs, but I focus on the Marijuana problem because I think it is a far less controversial idea than full liberalization of the drug laws. It's easier to argue, and doesn't shock people's sensibilities as much. So out of sheer pragmatism, I often choose to limit the scope of my arguments.
Obama's got a really tough job right now. Far more difficult than any president has had in my lifetime (I'm 38). He's attempting to tackle several concurrent crisis, and has vicious and opportunistic opponents. Think of a pack of hungry wolves near a herd of caribou. They see a big meaty one and they're drooling and hoping he gets separated from the pack. Obama is in that Caribou's position.
I'm grateful that Obama is just saying "I'm against drug legalisation" and isn't offering any reasons. Why? It leaves him open to gracefully change his mind when he feels like it is in his best interests to do. Yes, I'm disappointed that he doesn't share my idealogical conviction that drugs should be legalized, but he wouldn't have gotten to the position he's in without being pragmatic. And I'm very grateful that he isn't trying to justify his position with a load of bullshit like previous administrations have done. He states his position and drops it. To me that indicates he's probably not all that comfortable with his position, but feels that it's the best one to have at the moment.
The president is not president for life, nor is he absolute dictator. He has a lot of power, but he is not politically omnipotent. That's why you hear politicians talk about 'political capital'. Right now he's taking huge risks in attempting to revive the economy, and his enemies are already attacking his weak points. He's barely been president and people are already blaming him problems which originated under previous administrations.
Unfortunately drug legalisation, including marijuana legalisation is still a political hot potato. Yes let's make our views known. Yes, let's insist on people taking us seriously, but let's not vilify the guy. Above all, let's come across as serious, rational, and calm people who have a right to be heard.
# 1 WRONG #2 IS IT
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 8:15amSCOTT:
Obama is a typical cynical Democrat politician. He does what he has to to keep the left silenced and in line while he panders to the right-wing.
Obama lied to drug policy reform activists during the campaign to stop them from confronting him and detracting from his campaign. Instead many of the activists believed Obama and became supporters and 'online' activists for Obama. Now he mocks the online activists and belittles them while their issue is among the most supported and voted for issues when HE requested issues and signs of support for issues. Obama LIED!
Last month Obama said that busts at medical marijuana dispensaries would stop. But the day before the town hall meeting there was another bust at a medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco. Obama LIED!
Obama is just another right-wing Democrat doing what right-wing Democrats do, manipulate and lie to core constituencies in order to keep them down while he at the same time panders to the right-wing oppressors and subverters of American democratic and constitutional values of social justice, civil liberties and human rights.
Get out in the streets people. Get onto the front pages of news papers with your rage against the Obama drug war political machine. Scream it loud and scream it long:
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
President Obama Declares 'Mission Accomplished'
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 8:36amMarch 2009, Washington Post Anti-Drug Effort at Border Is Readied - Obama Plans to Send Agents, Equipment To Aid Mexican Fight
"Government officials are discussing how to increase intelligence sharing and military cooperation with Mexico....
In the not too distant future, next August maybe, somewhere on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Rio Grande river President Barack Obama declares "Mission Accomplished in the war on drugs".
Drug Warrior John Kerry border Chaos Hearing
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 8:43amU.S. Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is going to El Paso,TX on Monday to thump his chest and look macho over the blood and chaos caused by his drug war policy. I wrote to him in his capacity at chair of the committee and I am encouraging others to write to him also. And if your senator is on the committee write to them too. Contact information for the committee is on the letter.
Another ten years in the courts
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 10:24amOnly to have the Supreme Court once again tell us the right way to do this, confront the congress.
In Gonzalez v Raich the Supremes told us how to do this, CONFRONT THE POLITICIANS IN THE CONGRESS!
It is the only way.
All else is evasion, avoidance and distraction.
The only way to educate the congress and state legislatures is with masses of Americans in the streets screaming at them:
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
The only solution.
Change your voter registration
Comment posted by aahpat on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 8:14amIf you are a Democrat then change your registration to Independent, Green or Libertarian. The Three groupings that respect and reflect your reform social justice values.
Download voter registration forms and pass them out among like minded family and friends. Abandon the two dominance parties. They do not reflect your values so why allow them to represent your vote?
I never considered Obama the solution
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 11:03amI am glad that people are coming to see that he is actually a big part of the problem.
Actually
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 12:37pmYou are more of an actual and honest liberal now then you were when you supported obama and the Democrats.
Welcome to the world of patriotic Independent and third party voters.
George Washington's Farewell Address as America's first president: "Let me now take a more comprehensive view, & warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the Spirit of Party, generally."
Drug Warrior Obama's Economic Blind Spot
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 12:32pmThe author of the question that Obama responded to is a former local high school student and so the Morning Call of Allentown gave the story top of page one coverage. I wrote this essay to better delineate, for Pennsylvanians, the problems with Obama's marijuana position.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Comment posted by Giordano on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 2:03pmI would be astonished if Obama were to take any kind of lead in legalizing cannabis production and personal use for other than medical purposes. The proto-Nazis would be all over him for it, and it would distract from other things Obama is trying to accomplish.
That said, Obama isn’t setting up the typical legal road blocks previous administrations have employed that thwart any and all attempts at reform. Federally funded research on marijuana will now be going forward, I hope; and Obama’s position on medical marijuana has been made clear to the public, if not to the DEA. He still needs to fire all the Bush administration’s federal prosecutors and replace them with Democrats to help de-motivate existing political demagoguery within the justice department over the marijuana issue. If prosecutors won’t prosecute, that’s it. Game over.
One factor intimidating politicians on the drug issue is that they don’t want to be held responsible later on for any problems that might accrue from drug legalization. This is not a realistic issue when talking about cannabis, but it can be seen by some as an issue with other types of drugs. Of course, it’s still a hypocritical position, since the social and political damage done by prohibition (re: Mexico) is far worse than anything legalizing and regulating drugs might do.
It is possible Obama hasn’t seen the numbers relating to hemp economics. Perhaps he doesn’t know the cost-benefit ratios with regard to shutting down drug prohibition and diverting part of the billions of dollars saved into harm reduction policies. In that sense, he may need to be apprised of the latest data. He certainly won’t get any positive data on the subject from the ideologically-driven DEA, ONDCP or NIDA. The truth will necessarily come from us.
In the future, I would like to see questions put to Obama about the drug issue framed in a way that allows him a more positive and serious response. For instance, does Obama think (as Jimmy Carter did) that the punishment in a drug prosecution should fit the crime? Does he favor a harm reduction approach to drugs? Would he favor hemp production if state laws allowed it?
Any question that gives President Obama political neutrality and elbow room on the subject is likely to work better than one involving hypothetical and nebulous questions concerning potential cannabis economics. Based on his actions, if not his words, I agree that Obama is on the side of drug law reform. At the moment, however, he needs drug law activists to continue to blaze an easier political path favoring legalization.
Giordano
Obama has consistently
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 4:23pmmanipulated the lexicon and played both sides of the argument at once. He is a lawyer who fancies himself an expert at lawyer-speak.
Dallas Morning News March 15, 2009
A brief 3 segment looping animation of a direct and in context quote of Drug Warrior President Barack Obama defining his War on Drugs policy.
In it he shows how he associates himself with "Harm Reduction" while actually defending more police and prisons. This is political double-speak at its rawest.
Voter Registration Protest
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 10:49pmIf you are a Democrat then show your anger by downloading voter registration forms and changing your registration to Independent, Green or Libertarian.
Personally I changed to Independent in 1996 in contempt for the Democrats and their pandering to the drug war.
Protest! Express yourself!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
DAILY ACTION PROTEST
Comment posted by aahpat on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 8:17amOne daily action that reformers can take is to search Google News each day for current news stories on the topics of 'drug war', 'mexican border', 'marijuana', 'medical marijuana' and any other topic that strikes you on any particular day. Then find newspapers with forum threads. Especially papers in your state or region. Go to those thread and argue the issues with people.
Also, write letters to the editor at the papers with stories, opinion columns or editorials about policy.
Make a point to make a reference, (preferably negative), to state legislators and/or members of congress and/or president Obama and/or the two dominance political parties in the letters to the editor and on the forums. Make the politicians feel the pressure.
A letter a day will make the drug war go away.
Take this fight to the cyber streets of America.
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
You can also download voter registration forms and change your registration from Democrat to Independent, Green or Libertarian. The three groups that respect and reflect the social justice values of drug policy reform.
"Obama Won't Say Why He Opposes Marijuana Legalization"
Comment posted by aahpat on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 11:25amSimple.
Obama is an asshole. Assholes are only capable of giving people shit.
Democrats are not for reform
Comment posted by Moonrider on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 2:04amNeither are Republicans. There may be a few on each side who do support reform of our drug laws, but they are few and far between. For example:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/27/jim-webb-pot-legalization_n_180...
Jim Webb: Pot Legalization Could Be Part Of Criminal Justice Overhaul
FTA:
The growing prison population has bipartisan roots, which I explore in a book [to] be published soon, This Is Your Country On Drugs. Throughout the 1980s, Democrats in Congress and state governments around the country increased prison sentences for drug offenses, coming down particularly hard on crack. In 1986, Congress instituted mandatory-minimum sentences for powder and crack cocaine. To trigger the powder minimum, a dealer needed to possess 500 grams. For crack, just five grams. Two years later, the law was extended to anybody who was associated with the dealer -- girlfriends, roommates, etc.
In 1991, Michigander Allen Harmelin argued that his life sentence for possessing roughly a pound and a half of cocaine is cruel and unusual. The Supreme Court ruled that it is neither. California enacted its three-strikes law in 1994 -- three felonies equals a minimum of 25 years -- and the feds one-upped the state, declaring a third felony to result in life without parole. Twenty-three more states enacted three-strikes laws by 1995.
Both parties are at fault here. Abandon them the way they abandoned all of us.
I'm pro-choice on EVERYTHING!
If
Comment posted by aahpat on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 4:07pmIf they don't hear it from us they won't hear it.
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!
NO MORE DRUG WAR!