Politics | November 08, 2008 | 22 comments

Change we can Toke Up to

source: http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/106237/pot_policy_at_the_federal_level:_time_to_get_to_...

Image
davemcgrail
Three suggestions for how Obama can take immediate, practical steps to reform America's antiquated and punitive pot laws:

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.

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.

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.
  1. groups:
    Politics,   Culture
  2. tags:
    Politics,  Culture,  Obama,  Marijuana,  1 more
  3.     
    |

22 comments // Change we can Toke Up to

  • shroomfairy
    • 0
      shroomfairy  

    • I agree with pjacobs51. The government would get their tax, farmers would have a job, manufacturers would be able to make hemp clothes, etc & pot smokers would not be in jail.

      We'd all be happy!

    • 3 years ago
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  
    • Image

    • This isn't just about getting high or medicinal use alone. There are so many uses of this plant it is astounding.. our economy could greatly benefit from decriminalizing cannabis AND hemp!!!

    • 3 years ago
  • Ish05
    • 0
      Ish05  
    • simplecj:

      Not about getting high? Yeah right. If hemp was legalized for its industrial uses, you'd still bitch because it wouldn't be legal to consume. Nice try, buddy.

    • 3 years ago
  • pokesmot
  • pokesmot
  • pokesmot
  • metalcookiesxy70
  • DeliaTheArtist
    • 0
      DeliaTheArtist  

    • Legalized Marijuana in our lifetime?

      Yes We Can!

      Change.gov has been circulating around current, it's the website Obama set up to get feedback from the people. Head over and tell him how you feel about marijuana!

    • 3 years ago
  • Gargaryun
    • 0
      Gargaryun  

    • Let's see...a Governmental prohibition against Alcohol proved to be extremely unpopular leading to the distribution of booze becoming the biggest, most profitable criminal venture ever undertaken , with commensurate levels of violence involved, by Organized Crime of that time....
      Marijuana, even as a Recreational Drug,without even taking into account its' medicinal properties in numerous applications, is less harmful, non-addictive, almost impossible to overdose on,ridiculously easier to produce, (largest cash crop in the U.S. until the 1930s) and ask any Street Cop Who He'd rather deal with AT ALL, not just have to arrest,... someone stoned on Pot, or Someone Who's Drunk. Except for the fact usage itself is illegal...Pot-Heads don't commit crimes ..as a rule, unless You count eating up all the Cheez-Its & Count Chocula in the house as a crime.
      Unlike Drunks, Who tend to be violent, uncontrollable Maniacs.
      It was DuPont Oil, wanting to eliminate a competitive renewable resource(hemp), and farmers in the Southwest U.S. needing an excuse to get their migrant farm workers shipped off after harvest but before payday Who were responsible for the demonization of Marijuana in the 1930s
      So let's not just decriminalize it, LEGALIZE & TAX IT for ADULT usage, and You'll have gone a long way to both saving taxpayers money being thrown away in an un-winnable War, and providing a proven profitable venture for Thousands of American Citizens ...Anyone that can grow Tomatoes can grow Pot, Anyone that knows how to control flavor can grow ASS-KICKIN' Pot!

    • 3 years ago
  • justright
    • 0
      justright  

    • One problem that no one addresses though is that with legalization, most marijuana growers and dealers would be out of jobs. We could solve this by setting them up as video game beta testers, or maybe junk food taste testers.

    • 3 years ago
  • cantucwearebrothers
  • deeblackangel
  • Bigdog_mike
  • simplecj
  • Ish05
  • pjacobs51
    • 0
      pjacobs51  

    • How to pay off the deficit, make cannabis legal, tax it like alcohol and cigarettes, this would create jobs which in turn would create more tax revenue on top of the cannabis tax. Less people in prison (Each prisoner costs taxpayers around $36,000 per year). Problem solved!

    • 3 years ago
  • Bigdog_mike
  • blueman53
  • unphiltered
    • 0
      unphiltered  
    • blueman53:

      Can't be a state issue only, as the people in states where it is legal to possess, dispense and prescribe are still arrested and prosecuted under federal penalty. That and the national government spends around $50-$60 Billion a year on enforcement.

    • 3 years ago
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  

    • 4. President Obama should force the DEA to comply with law stating that any substance should be rescheduled immediately upon change of status of said substance. Cannabis should have been rescheduled from a Schedule 1 to a Schedule 2 substance back in 1996 when California passed it's first medicinal marijuana law. Now more than 12 years later there are 13 states with such laws, yet the DEA continues to refuse the rescheduling of cannabis to reflect the reality of accepted medicinal value. In such refusal they are actually breaking the law!

      Schedule 1 is reserved for dangerous substances with no accepted medical use. This gives any such substances top priority in law enforcement. This catagory includes, heroine, LSD, peyote, magic mushrooms, GHB, and THC (cannabis), - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Schedule_I_drugs

      Schedule 2 is for substances that may be dangerous yet have accepted medicinal uses. This category includes cocaine, methamphetamine, opium, and morphine. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Schedule_II_drugs

      Do you think cannabis is more dangerous than cocaine, crystal meth and morphine???

      I would actually argue that cannabis should be no more than Schedule 3 to accurately reflect reality.

    • 3 years ago
  • schobiz
    • 0
      schobiz  

    • These are exactly the kind of objectives we need if we are going to reform drug policy in the United States. It should also be clear that reforming drug laws would not open the gates to increased violence and crime in our communities, but promote the idea that there are more sensible and effective ways to combat drug abuse.

    • 3 years ago
more from Politics:
from the community

top videos