The President Has a Growing Marijuana Problem [View all]

[FlaGatorJD]

Not to be confused with a marijuana growing problem, but the President's problem is not going away. In fact, it's growing like a weed. sorry

The problem is not that he stands in an unfavorable position with the minority of Americans on legalization and medical marijuana, it's his inability to be clear about the matter and to adequately address the questions and positions of not only the growing mass of 20-somethings as indicated by online activity, but also the increasing number of state legislators who are pressing him and the administration to reconsider. Just a few days ago, a bi-partisan group of 42 Washington legislators requested a reclassificaton of the drug by the DEA to allow medical marijuana.

When the President decided to team up with YouTube and Google to stage a 45-minute "hangout" session where he answers the most asked questions from voters, he probably could have guessed that the millenials and generation xers, who dominate online forums, were not going to be concerned about social security. In fact, it could easily have been assumed the dominant questions would be about marijuana, legalization, medical, etc., especially as it had last year.

The top vote getting question was this one one from a retired LA police deputy chief who asked
about legalization. His question received 1.6 million votes, and this gives you an idea of the level of interest among young voters on the matter:

Sorting the questions by popularity reveals that 18 of the 20 most popular questions, according to YouTube, have something to do with marijuana policy, including the legalization of marijuana use, the cost of the war on drugs and other related issues.

This thought-provoking question came in fifth:

"With over 850,000 Americans arrested in 2010, on marijuana charges alone, and tens of billions of tax dollars being spent locking up marijuana users, isn't it time to regulate and tax marijuana?

Again, Mr. President? . . . . . .crickets . . . .

Being all about voter participation and all, you figure the President would have answered some or at least one of the questoins about pot, which was obviously on the voters' minds, but no. Not one. Now they are claiming YouTube or Google screened the questions, therefore the President didn't get any of those questions.

Really?

Well he did go on record a year ago, and thanks to the internet tubes we can go back a year and see what his stance was then, and I have to say aside from his Mr. Mackey impersonation, "drugs are bad", the rest of his answer was probably the worst answer to any question I've ever seen him answer anywhere on anything.

So in summary, legalization is just wrong, cause I say so, and it's a public health matter, incareation is bad and education is good, and we must reduce demand?

That's what you got? . . . from possilby the brightest President ever?

. . . and here in August 2011 in MN, it's really seems like he wants to give it more than a few seconds of consideration, but then he punts.

In the video the woman asks "If you can’t legalize marijuana, why can’t you just legalize medical marijuana?” His Palinesque response was:

“A lot of states are making decisions about medical marijuana,” Obama explained. “As a controlled substance, the issue is then that is it being prescribed by a doctor as opposed to… you know, well, I’ll leave it at that.”

Back in 2008, candidate Obama said that federal prosecutors were not going to be prosecutiing medical dispensaries, because "it wasn't a good use of resources". Then the federal government change it's tune on interfering with states' right and their decisions to allow medical marijuana, but not longer after they made that statement, they started raiding dispensaries.

So in conclusion, on one side you have the majority of Americans

thttp://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/gallup-poll-is-first-to-find-plurality-support-for-marijuana-legalization/

who either favor legalization, or are not opposed to it, and on the other side President Obama and the federal government. For me, it's tough to watch the President either sidestep the issue or attempt to justify his position, but in his defense, I would argue that the reason he avoids the question or stumbles on his answers is that he's conflicted. While a part of him has to say "you know, this whole thing does wreak of paternalistic government and it takes a huge bite out of personal freedoms and rights, and states' rights, and there is that whole hypocrisy concerning alcohol and prescription drug use, which may be a greater problem in our country', 'I'm a father and I don't think this would be good for our daughters, and I would really be in trouble trying to tell them not to do it, if it ever became legal". The Gallup poll did indicate:

. . . there is some evidence that support for legalization can erode as people age and have children.

.

. . . at least that's the only thing I can figure which is clouding his decisionmaking ability amd lands him on the wrong side of this issue, and while anti-weed folks like to dismiss this as an unimportant issue, because I guess they can tell us what is important, that's how the President is handling it too. . . and well . . it comes off . . . .. really condescending.

Now, if you'll excuse me ladies and gentlemen, I have a 4:20 appointment