Almost Everything Barack Obama’s Ever Said About Marijuana Over The Years

[Jesus Malverde]

Barack Obama on Marijuana Decriminalization (2004)

2006: “I inhaled frequently…that was the point.”

2007: “My attitude is if the science and doctors suggest that the best palliative care, the best way to relief pain and suffering is through medical marijuana, then that’s something I’m open to…”

2007: “I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users. It’s not a good use of our resources.”

2008: “When it comes to medical marijuana, I have more of a practical view than anything else….I think there are legitimate concerns in not wanting to allow people to grow their own or start setting up mom and pop shops…”

2009: “There was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation….the answer is no…”

2011: “I am not in favor of legalization. I am a strong believer that we need to think more about drugs as a public health problem.”

2012: “It does not make sense from a prioritization point of view for us to focus on recreational drug users in a state that has already said that under state law that’s legal.”

2014: “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”

Via buzzfeed http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/barack-obama-weed

[Scuba]

1. Words. Actions. Hard to reconcile.

[Luminous Animal]

2. Brilliant!

[struggle4progress]

3. His position seems clear enough

[Jesus Malverde]

4. Clear for sure, consistent is another thing.

I do support, that he seems to be heading back to his roots and standing up for the right thing.

It's amazing the cheap shots people take at President Obama for being honest about a plant many Americans are familiar with.

Seeing the reaction I understand his lack of leadership on this issue. There is little to gain politically for President Obama on this issue and many entrenched interests making money of the status quo.

He's being forced into this debate by the people. I have been shocked at the nation wide momentum.

Cannabis was the surprise of 2013. Who could have predicted all the AMAZING milestones.

[struggle4progress]

5. I'm not sure what inconsistency you see here. He supports decriminalization but not legalization,

which matches the current situation for certain instances of possession in various states. He would support physician prescription of medical marijuana, insofar as supported by scientific evidence, but is unenthusiastic about recreational use and self-prescription, which matches current handling of many other prescription drugs. He is uninterested in prosecuting medical marijuana user but does not necessarily hold an analogous view for retail operators. He hasn't disavowed the long-standing federal pre-emption in this area but limited criminal justice enforcement staff and is not eager to squander time and resources prosecuting individual users, let alone in states which have legalized

[Jesus Malverde]

6. The inconsistency has been that he says one thing

But the bureaucracy below him does something else. The crackdown on the medical marijuana industry continues to destroy lives and keep people in fear.

I understand the "why". There's no upside for him to work for Justice, Liberty and undoing the madness of the Reagan years if he's going to be attacked. In some cases by scions of the party.

In the end, President Obama's support for a sane cannabis policy just pisses off a bunch of cops, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, corrections officials, medical rehab "professionals" and other parasites whose Raison d'être is the war on cannabis.

Freeing the people from the police repression of the war on cannabis has no upside. The people will free themselves.

[struggle4progress]

7. Here's the new federal guidance on marijuana prosecutions from last August

http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/3052013829132756857467.pdf

Marijuana arrests nationwide seem to fallen significantly in recent years