Obama to Address Drug-Related Violence Near Mexican Border
January 27th, 2009 by Perry
In a break from the norm, Obama met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon to discuss violence and drug trafficking in his country. Since FDR, presidents have been severely scrutinized with what they do in their first 100 days, and expected to work on domestic issues first, especially in light of the nation’s economic woes.
The meeting is an indication of just how out of control the violence down there has become in the world’s No. 1 producer of marijuana.
The issue of violence south of and near the border however, was the No. 1 issue of national security people asked about on Change.gov.
Marijuana Is Not Just a Political Liability Anymore
January 15th, 2009 by PerryFor the 2nd round of voting on Change.gov, marijuana law reform is again near the top of the list at number two the number one issue of concern.
A question regarding incarcerating marijuana users came in sixth, with the most important issues still pertaining to our dreadful economic conditions.
Under the category of national security questions, reducing the violence of drug traffickers by our neighbors to the South, wound up being the number one question.
As The Hill’s congressional blog notes, the times when the issue of marijuana reform led to a candidate being demonized or ostracized by his party may be behind us.
Either way, it should be completely apparent to Barack Obama and his incoming administration that legitimate marijuana reform is a high priority for a large number of people in America.
Obama’s Vague Stance on Smoking
December 19th, 2008 by Perry
Straight from Obamablunt.com, here’s a great picture of the president-elect from his youth smoking a cigarette. In recent interviews, the president’s cigarrette-smoking habit has come under scrutiny, especially in light of a no-smoking policy in the White House since the Clinton administration. That gave us all the opportunity we need to justify posting this picture.
On Obama’s Change.gov website, the soon-to-be president addressed the issue of marijuana legalization:
President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.
Update: Looks like our friends over @ CelebStoner got the jump on Lisa Jack’s 1980 shots of Barack Obama, his fancy hat and what looks like a cigarette. Good find.
Team Obama Says “No” to Legalizing Marijuana
December 16th, 2008 by Alex
A few people have written to us for an opinion on the recently updated ‘Open for Questions‘ feature on the President-elect’s official Change.gov website.
It’s a pretty simple format. People submit questions that they would like answered by Obama’s transition team, then those questions are voted up or down depending on their popularity / relevance. The 5 most voted on questions then get answered.
Out of the 5, here is the question that most of us are interested in:
Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.? – S. Man, Denton
And here is the transition team’s expansive response:
President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.
It might not be the answer we wanted, but at least their reasoning is clear. And by clear, I mean non-existent.
Before everyone gets worked up about this, let’s think about the venue more than the response. Is a Change.gov blog post really going to be the launching point for an incoming administration’s marijuana policy? I don’t believe so.
Instead, this feels more like a boilerplate response than a final answer. Out of all 5 questions, the marijuana response was the shortest answer (only 1 sentence) and there was no attempt made to delve into any of the root issues.
In other words, this isn’t what marijuana progressives wanted to see, but it’s not an end-all / be-all either. I’m sure the MPP, NORML and LEAP will all continue to push just as hard for marijuana reform. I also bet they’ll hold the incoming administration accountable for a logical and thorough response to the legalization movement as a whole.
The Time is Right for Marijuana Law Reform
November 13th, 2008 by Perry
According to recent blog posts by NORML, never before has there been a more perfect time to push for marijuana law reform.
The election of Barack Obama, coupled with Democrat control of both the House and the Senate, presents a unique and critical opportunity for federal marijuana law reform.
A good point, and remember… electing a good politician is only half the battle. You still have to stay on top of them in hopes they don’t get too politician-y on you. Don’t forget, people liked Bush at one time too and now his approval rating is in the low 30s range.
Being the helpful and forward-thinking organization they are, NORML created three prepared statements you can send here, directly to the new administration… Something we touched on earlier in another recent post.
The statements prepared by NORML:
Statement #1: President Obama must uphold his campaign promise to cease the federal arrest and prosecution of (state) law-abiding medical cannabis patients and dispensaries by appointing leaders at the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the US Department of Justice, and the US Attorney General’s office who will respect the will of the voters in the thirteen states that have legalized the physician-supervised use of medicinal marijuana.
Statement #2: President Obama should use the power of the bully pulpit to reframe the drug policy debate from one of criminal policy to one of public health. Obama can stimulate this change by appointing directors to the Office of National Drug Control Policy who possess professional backgrounds in public health, addiction, and treatment rather than in law enforcement.
Statement #3: President Obama should follow up on statements he made earlier in his career in favor of the decriminalization of marijuana by adults by calling for the creation of a bi-partisan Presidential Commission to review the budgetary, social, and health costs associated with federal marijuana prohibition, and to make progressive recommendations for future policy changes.
[img via Flickr/Vincent Brown]
Allow Your Voice to Be Heard
November 13th, 2008 by Perry
Barack Obama wants to hear what you have to say.
As his transitional team prepares for the next four years in office, he has set up a website to hear your thoughts on what he’s doing or what he should be doing when sworn in.
It’s a simple, easy way you can become involved in the political scene. By sending an e-mail to www.change.gov, you’re in direct contact with president-elect, or at least one of his staffers, so send along your thoughts or causes and allow your voice to be heard.
