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timmyf
1/12/2009 11:27 AM | This suggestion, while extremely common, has gained no traction within the administration. Both President-elect Obama and the pick floated for Surgeon General, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, are opposed to marijuana legalization.
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Norris
1/12/2009 11:30 AM | True, it is gaining no traction. It is seen as a battle that is not worth the price to win. Who wants to be seen as soft on drugs?
I wish it would go away, if not outright legal then legal with a prescription like allergy medicine. Who should be sent to jail or have a criminal record for smoking marijuana? There are much worse things that are legal. Let's have a little perspective.
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Boots
1/12/2009 11:32 AM | Ending Marijuana Prohibition will end the increasing number of marijuana gardens planted by illeagal aliens with mafia style guards throughout the west. This dangerous problem hit home with myself when on a "nature tour " with small children and their parents on my own property, we accidentatly stumbled upon several acres of marijuana.
After calling in the police, there was found to be burried amunition, that we had actually interupted the dinner of the hidden illegal gardeners, there was approximately four months of garbage, human bio-waste(!) and tissues, thousands of feet of tubing, and the small special force of narcotic agents filled an enormous truck with marijuana with a street value of $15 million dollars. Our lives were threatened and the sense of peace and security on our own land was forever changed. If Marijuana was legal these people who cross the border and use our personal property and national parks for their pot gardens would not be able to sell their goods and would at least on this issue go back to where ever they came from.
We raise purebred horses on this land and we are still cleaning up the mess from these people. |
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Matt
1/12/2009 11:34 AM | I agree that Dr. Guptas take on Marijuana in general has been extremely elementary basically stating his reason as being: "It's not really that good for you." But I am hoping that this administration will actually take a "Science-Based" approach to reviewing our Marijuana Laws. They have being saying "NO" to citizens about this for 71 years now.... Quitting now won't prove anything but that justice never prevails. Thanks for commenting. |
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Phil Mocek
1/12/2009 11:45 AM | |
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Brad King
1/12/2009 11:50 AM | The first and most basic reason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some people ask 'why should marijuana be legalized?" but we should ask "Why should marijuana be illegal?" From a philosophical point of view, individuals deserve the right to make choices for themselves. The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual's actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will. The government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual. But this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco. |
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Agent of Change
1/12/2009 1:53 PM | Saying that the issue just isn't going to get any traction is going to contribute to its neglect. However many times this new administration needs to hear that the people of this country want the legalization of marijuana is how many times we need to tell them. The fact is that marijuana users vote too and if we can build awareness of our large numbers as a voting demographic, then we will be acknowledged. I would advise this administration to stop dodging this issue. |
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ekub
1/12/2009 2:03 PM | Please don't ignore us. |
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Blakester
1/12/2009 2:39 PM | The government should only ask itself one question... "Is it safe?" They should invest in a public study on its effects and make the results of that study accessible to all. My belief is that the results will be overwhelmingly supportive in showing that marijuana is a safe recreational substance.
If it is found that marijuana significantly endangers the lives of its users or the lives of people around them, then the prohibition should rightfully continue.
If, however, it is found to be safe... then there is no legal basis for continuing to make it illegal.
Let the scientific research begin! |
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Spaceshipearth
1/12/2009 3:17 PM | Responsible consumption of marijuana within an appropriate setting is a personal choice, and thus should not be deemed a criminal act. However, regulation of marijuana is important, just as regulation of alcohol is important (age restrictions, restrictions on vehicle operation while intoxicated, etc).
The dangers to society that marijuana use presents come only from the laws against it. Many individuals are jailed as pot-smokers, and are released as criminals as a result of that imprisonment. They are unable to find decent employment because of a criminal record, etc. Our law enforcement agencies have far more important issues to spend their resources on. In addition, we can gain so much economically and environmentally from the use of non-THC industrial hemp that it is ridiculous for us to be so afraid of its propagation.
The illegality of marijuana is a closed-minded, myopic remnant of the way we governed ourselves in the past, with fear and prejudice. Now that we have finally elected an open-minded administration, it is time we move forward in all areas of our society, including irresponsible criminalization of a plant. |
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shakey
1/12/2009 3:35 PM | I think it's pretty obvious that marijuana is safer than alcohol.
Please stop filling our jails with harmless pot-heads.
Legalize and regulate the drug.
Take the political courage and mobilize our country for a serious debate on this long overlooked subject.
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Greetings_from_Brussels
1/12/2009 3:38 PM |
Most things that can be used can be abused.
Many products, from a nice bottle of wine to a simple tube of glue can be used and easily abused ... getting drunk by the wine or drugged by sniffing the glue.
Here in Europe the Netherlands allow smoking a joint. Here in Belgium it is not punished any more, but police can still arrest you if you are a danger to yourself or other people.
In the Netherlands some cities are now contemplating putting in state controlled (not owned) selling points to get selling the stuff out of the criminal circuit. They do not have noticeable problems with abuse, but they do have a traffic sign to indicate where you may not smoke your joint (in the neighborhood of schools for example). In the shops can can’t smoke cigarettes any more, if you smoke, it must be pure cannabis (strange arrangement and a result of a law that states you can’t smoke tobacco in a person’s work area i.e. the bar tender ...)
I do not know if alcohol or smoking a joint are comparably bad for you or one is even less good for you than the other, but somebody smoking is high and rarely wants to fight, something that cannot be said of a drunk person ...
People are not allways at their best wen (ab)using any substance, information and prevention are the best tools i think. Criminals are quite something else ...
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JimKoren
1/12/2009 4:06 PM | More generally, end the war on drugs. Fosuc on helping, not prison. |
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Massudo
1/12/2009 4:15 PM | Reefer madness was created by very MAD people...
God created marijuana. And it is the best medicine available he made for us.
Could you ever imagine a country like Jamaica invading another country, and killing millions for THEIR FREEDOM..
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Robbie Alford
1/12/2009 4:30 PM | I'm behind marijuana legalization 100%. I'll be honest.. I like smoking pot for recreation. HOWEVER, let's also mention the overcrowded prisons where rapists get paroled in order to make room for any unfortunate guy who sells a pound a weed.. to me that's a crime. |
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Massudo
1/12/2009 5:10 PM | It is time to STOP wasting our money with this EVIL war. Let's focus on Quality of Life... |
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Flerno
1/12/2009 6:26 PM | Ending the war on drugs is the easiest way to save our government billions of wasted dollars each year. |
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BradyBastian
1/12/2009 6:35 PM | Agreed. The drug war sucks a** |
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Soandso
1/12/2009 6:56 PM | Respect science and logic: decriminalize Cannabis ASAP |
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A_Trees
1/12/2009 8:06 PM | I am behind decriminilization of marijuana, though I'll never ever touch the stuff honestly.
There are really no valid reasons why marijuana should continue to be illegal, given than alcohol and tobacco are legal.
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P~La
1/12/2009 8:07 PM | I'm not for marijuana but I have seen the positive effects for cancer and other ill patients. VAPORIZATION would be a controlled and safe way to administer. Just like any drug prescibed by a doctor with dosage and amount. I believe eventually the stigma will be lifted by the method and process. Isn't THC currently in pill form? |
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Mike G.
1/12/2009 8:27 PM | The war on drugs only creates more crime and criminalizes non violent people. Addiction should be treated as a disease as not a law enforcement issue. Treating the problem effectively and helping people get through their addictions is a much better way to get them to confront their problems rather than treating them like some low-life form of society that has no hope.
"Change" and "Hope" is what we heard from our President as we elected him and we the people demand that you help give addicts hope to get their lives back on track.
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Free Peace
1/12/2009 8:29 PM | Why is it up to the government? I thought the government was for the people? Why can't we take a national vote on it so that way it would at least be fair.
What ever happened to...
"government of the people, by the people, for the people." -A.L.
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BEANO
1/12/2009 8:30 PM | Legalizing marijuana would have nothing but positive effects in our nation (provided that fair drugged driving laws are passed nationally as well). 820,000 responsible non-violent Americans would be free of having their lives and reputation ruined because they had a a little weed in their pocket, and the nation would profit from this... tremendously.
In my mind, this shouldn’t even be an issue. Marijuana has been responsible for 0 health-related incidents... ZERO! When left illegal, marijuana allows the black market to reap billions of dollars in benefits instead of our government. Police have talked about confescating more money than what they make in their yearly salary in one traffic stop. That money - ALL that money - could be going to the government, rather than an underground, untaxed, unregulated, illegal trade.
It's simple: Legalize it, sell it as a government product and sell it much cheaper than the black market, wipe the black market, and use the money to our advantage. WIN / WIN situation. Instead of pulling a 1970's drug prohibition textbook off a dirty bookshelf from the basement, people should look online and get to know the facts. Canada recently legalized marijuana in their country six months ago. All they have talked about and reported were positive results. |
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Billiam
1/12/2009 8:31 PM | I think it's clear that ending marijuana prohibition is actually one of the safest political positions out there. It's time for the Obama administration to get a clue. This is a great post-partisan issue! |
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A_Goyne
1/12/2009 8:31 PM | Exellent reasons all. I would like to add another: Cannabis has a long history of sacramental use in Asian culture especially. Devotees of Shiva revere the plant as a manifestation of the goddess. Sula Benet's work suggests that Cannabis was the plant referred in the Semitic recipe for the annointing oil which would have been what was used on Jesus Christ (Christ being the Greek deriviative for "annointed one").
Responsible Cannabis use includes those of use who believe its effects bring the user into a spiritual, prayerful, meditative state. Why is a freedom loving nation so devoted to imprisoning religous people? |
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Free Peace
1/12/2009 8:33 PM | If any of you aren't aware, there's going to be a meeting outside the Whitehouse on 4/20/2009 from now on. There's a huge 'underground' opperation going on, and there will be a mass of people outside the Whitehouse on this great national holiday. Please look into it if you haven't already heard of it. |
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Erik
1/12/2009 8:48 PM | The real issue the "war on drugs" has created in our society is one of increased violence and social damage. Most of us, I think are somewhat insulated from this, since it is happening primarily to the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society.
Legalize drugs not just for the sake of legalizing drugs, but do so because it will help to stem the vicious cycle taking place from city streets, to prison, back to the streets.
Statistically, per-capita violent crime seems to be declining, however, imagine what the effect would be if we take away the primary incentive and funding tool that the criminal world currently has, which is the sale of illegal drugs.
People say "drugs have to be illegal FOR THE CHILDREN!"... but then we distort the truth about the real effects and dangers of various drugs. Which not only leads to an eventual distrust of authority (though of late, that may be more of an asset than a liability) but even worse, can lead to reckless, uninformed drug experimentation, since there's not *any* possibility of "eradicating" drugs, they will persist. Why not arm children (and adults) with the TRUTH about the effects of drugs.
I don't know what the solution is for controlling availability of the more dangerous drugs, but arbitrarily outlawing any mind-altering substance that doesn't jive with the status-quo, seems to be doing more harm than good, if indeed it does any good at all.
Drug policy should be handled as a public health issue, not a criminal justice one.
While it is true that reforming drug policy would spend an enormous amount of political capital, It is my opinion (and seemingly the opinion of a majority of Americans) that it needs to be given a much higher priority than it has been given in the past four decades, if we are going to make good on any kind of "social contract" going forward.
Are there more important issues? Yes. Energy, transportation, international affairs, and the teetering juggernaut that is "Modern Finance" are looming high.
Nevertheless, removing the intense and unjust pressure created by this ridiculous "war" on the weakest members of society could go a long way toward helping with the other ills of our current society.
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A_Goyne
1/12/2009 9:33 PM | Erik,
I only would take issue with you on the point that there are "more important issues". The War on Drugs is part of an overall war on civil liberties in this country. With our constitution having been run through the shredder over this past admininistration it is highly important that we restore faith in the justice system that has been so injust to those in our society who are the most vulnerable.
I fully agree with you on the rest of your points though. Treating drug policy as a public health issue instead of a criminal justice one is huge. After all, we are talking about drugs. If that's not in the realm of health, what is? |
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marti
1/12/2009 10:00 PM | I would say you ALL need to contact your very own senators and federal representatives, and get them to start the ball rolling.
Our newly elected President is hardly going to come roaring out of the White House this year screaming to end the war on drugs!
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kreinert
1/12/2009 10:09 PM | MEXICAN DRUG WAR is AMERICAN DRUG WAR
I strongly encourage everyone who votes up this idea to vote up the idea MEXICAN DRUG WAR is AMERICAN DRUG WAR: Revamp the Controlled Substance Act for Border Security
Here's where you can find it:
http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004mhk&srPos=2&srKp=087
To be politically expedient, we should not be asking Obama to "legalize marijuana." We should ask him to revamp the Controlled Substance Act, descheduling marijuana so that it may eventually be feasible to make legalized.
Since it is a new idea and needing a BOOST, please vote this up and encourage all your friends to do so as well!
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mightymouse
1/12/2009 10:31 PM | Marijuana does not kill plain and simple and for the love of god even if I cant have a doobie every now and then at least let the sick use it |
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Eric S.
1/12/2009 11:19 PM | The current state of things was certainly caused by a minority special interest. Lets leave the legality of marijuana use to the states and local governments. At worse marijuana use should be a civil infraction and not a crime. The war and drugs should concern itself with just those buying and selling a controlled substance. Because the majority of drug dealers and users are marijuana users, an easy way to save tax dollars and bankrupt the illegal drug industry is simply to legalize and regulate marijuana. |
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illuminati09
1/12/2009 11:33 PM | As much as I want this to happen, it won't. Obama is a tool. |
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overeducated/underemployed
1/12/2009 11:38 PM | What a self-obsessed society we have become.
Given a board by our new President to express our deepest concerns for what we desire for our governmnent, as I write Marijuana is now #4 in importance.
Don't you guys think that we should be thinking about health care and education, ending a war, retraining millions of workers for the coming depression?
I am both inspired and depressed reading this forum.
Some of you guys are acting like political blog robots and are making no effort to engage the real issues. NO WAY MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION SHOULD BE THE PRESIDENT'S #4 PRIORITY. This reflects so poorly on us, truly.
Let's do better, guys., or we don't deserve the President'-elect's attention.
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Mneme
1/13/2009 1:36 AM | Drug policy, gay marriage, etc., may not be popular amongst "values voters" (who somehow get to defined "values"), but they are part of a broader idea, that convicting people for committing a "crime" in which nobody is harmed is insanity. A really good book on the topic is Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in Our Free Country. These ideas are definitely ones our new president should be thinking about if he wants to bring about real change in this country. |
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melvin
1/13/2009 2:28 AM | I agree with the de-criminalization of marijuana usage. If this continues then I think all federal, state and county officials including police and firemen should be tested. If the congress is making laws to test most people, then let them demonstrates that they are also free. If it so bad, then do we want congressmen passing laws who are high on drugs? |
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Infiniti
1/13/2009 3:23 AM | overeducated/underemployed,
you are absolutely right there is NO WAY this issue should be #4. this effects more American families on a day to day basis than ANY of these other so called issues. this should be his #1 issue. no doubt.
i have lived in fear my entire adult life. fear of losing my freedom. have lost my freedom. taken from my home and my family by men with guns and held against my will. i'm tired of being scared.
who should have to live in fear in the land of the free?
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HopelesslyHopeful
1/13/2009 3:45 AM | To Overeducated/Unemployed - perhaps you do not realize that 10 BILLION dollars is lost to the underground black market - not taxed - not touched at all by the legitimate ecomony which is in severe crisis. You do yourself a disservice by not fully understanding the magnitude of the problem caused by the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. If you want to read this terrible law passed over 70 years ago and still ruining lives although it was passed with racism and lies point yourself to - http://www.druglibrary.org/SCHAFFER/hemp/taxact/mjtaxact.htm . CHANGING the past wrongs are important. Wasn't this election a can about change/ Society needs to change and this one thing can impact our country in a vastly positive way. Drugs do not make seeds. Hemp grows fast and has very deep roots. It can be used for rope, clothing, paper and fuel, to name just a few things. The deep roots help with soil erosion. Just look to Canada - they are far more enlightened and are smarter about their economy. Educate yourself on an issue before claiming that this has no merit. Actually, the whole of health care could be resolved by simply regulating the use of marijuana. The "greening" and fuel independence we seek may well be found also in this plant. Is it really that out of bounds that we ask our incoming president to look at this issue? I really do not think so. |
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tomv
1/13/2009 4:10 AM | Does anyone know why this wasn't adressed in the second round of questions?
It was the highest (last time I checked) in the other issues category.
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Kevin J. Kauth
1/13/2009 4:43 AM | We need a version of this for congress, then we could have more traction with this issue. |
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magman
1/13/2009 5:09 AM | I believe we are ready to do away with this bogus law but there is so much more to consider why it has not been done before. The money made by law enforcement agencies is astronomical. Billions of dollars of income from seized property, money, and other worldly goods is the real reason it has not been made legal in my opinion. Also how to release thousands of prisoners and what to do to compensate the time spent wrongly imprisoned. I have a solution for both. Give the released prisoners an acre of government land for every month spent in jail to be done with as that person deems fit. All those farmers could then be free to live a life they only dream about behind bars that should never have held them. And to make it easier for those “institutionalized” have communal farms with housing setup like cell blocks (without bars). They could then produce a crop to support them and sell it to the government which would be the sole seller of the product. The Tobacco companies are a major profit generating industry and why not let the government have not a tax but the WHOLE profit to help reduce our deficit? |
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Blakester
1/13/2009 5:33 AM | Barney Frank (D-MA), Ron Paul (R-TX), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), William Lacy Clay Jr (D-MO), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Pete Stark (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Jim McDermott (D-WA)
These are the co-sponsors of the "Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008" This bill has not been voted on yet, to my knowledge.
These are the people we need to be pushing. They've already got the will, which is the hardest part, now they just need us behind them.
“It's time for the politicians to catch up with the public on this. The notion that you lock people up for smoking marijuana is pretty silly." - Rep. Barney Frank |
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Uncertain
1/13/2009 5:35 AM | The legalization of marijuana will be subsequently followed by the greatest economic boom this country has seen since the California Gold Rush. From ending drug violence in Mexico to cutting court costs of prosecuting marijuana offenders to allowing research on the medicinal properties of cannabinoids, the legalization of marijuana is too good of an idea to ignore.
We will stop pestering president-elect Obama about legalizing marijuana whenever marijuana is legalized. Simple. |
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William
1/13/2009 6:08 AM | Legalizing marijuana would actually end the drug war. The connections between the Prohibition crime spike and the the drug wars is obvious, so I won't draw the connction here again. However, if the government could tax marijuana like they do with cigarettes... and they regulate its growth like they do with everything else? Heck, that would help the economy significantly and completely evaporate the illegal drug trade. Why would users risk buying crappy weed when they could get some quality-controlled, government-approved stuff at their Walgreens? It's a simple concept and an easy fix. |
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patrick tanksley
1/13/2009 6:45 AM | booze is not good for you either so why not ban that? it would effect to many politicians |
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Sam_D
1/13/2009 8:13 AM | The problem with getting the government to do anything is that that thing must fit one or both of two criteria.
1) Maintain or increase the flow of money from the less privileged to the elite and/or
2) Obfuscate that 1) is true.
Regarding cannabis - It is well known that playing upon attitudes towards the nationality, drug prohibitionists during the 1920s and 1930s used the pretext that pot smoking illegal Mexicans were raping white women to obfuscate the fact that eliminating a competing intoxicant was sought as a means to increase cash flow to owners of the alcohol and tobacco industries.
Today cannabis is a vital part of the drug enforcement and penal industries. You may have noticed the outsourcing of penal institution operations to the private sector and the growth of sales of private property confiscated by drug enforcement agencies. If it were legalized cannabis related convictions might be overturned releasing inmates and leaving vacancies that would decrease cash flow to the owners of prison operation businesses, and their suppliers. Drug enforcement agencies would loose cash flow from the sale of confiscated property.
The press would have a field day with the massive release of “criminals”.
Unfortunately racism still exists in our country. A majority of inmates are black men incarcerated for sale, possession and/or use of cannabis or other crimes associated with the operation of the cannabis industry. Having identified himself as black, president–elect Obama might be wary of appearing to support actions that could be denounced as being racially biased in favor of blacks.
I doubt that even sweet "back room" deals would get owners of the religion and Mega-Agri industries to push for legalization and mask what racists will consider black favoritism. |
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Reebo
1/13/2009 8:20 AM | All I know is I downvoted the #1 idea to try and move up the cannabis question and it added 10 points to it instead.
Either a technical glitch or a politicians ploy to get what THEY want in the end. After witnessing and participating in the "Open for Questions" charade, I vote for the latter. |
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Bpeace
1/13/2009 8:45 AM | "Junkie. Pothead. That's where I'd been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man," Obama wrote. "Except the highs hadn't been about that, me trying to prove what a down brother I was. Not by then, anyway. I got high for just the opposite effect, something that could push questions of who I was out of my mind, something that could flatten out the landscape of my heart, blur the edges of my memory. I had discovered that it didn't make any difference whether you smoked reefer in the white classmate's sparkling new van, or in the dorm room of some brother you'd met down at the gym, or on the beach with a couple of Hawaiian kids who had dropped out of school and now spent most of their time looking for an excuse to brawl. ... You might just be bored, or alone. Everybody was welcome into the club of disaffection." |
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Licensed Sales
1/13/2009 8:47 AM | 1. The personal use of marijuana by adults in the privacy of their own home and in licensed establishments should be legal.
2. The production and sale of marijuana by licensed and reputable businesses in accordance with all relevant regulations should be legal and taxed.
3. The personal production of marijuana for personal use should be legal and untaxed, just as the production of homebrew is legal today.
At the same time, unlicensed production and sale, and the consumption of marijuana by minors, should remain illegal and continue to be subject to enforcement by the DEA and local police. Also, just as with alcohol and tobacco, advertising of marijuana should be illegal. The goal is to prevent use by minors and drive criminals out of the market, not encourage use of the drug. |
