The federal government continues to wage an unethical war against medical marijuana. Despite the fact that overwhelming majorities of people disagree with this policy, no one seems willing to stand up for our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Fortunately, we now have a chance to reverse the losing policies of the past 70 years. Candidates who campaign for legalization will be in-line with the views of over three-quarters of American voters.
I wrote this article in February of 2008.
I then broke the news in early August that:
Obama will End War on Weed – McCain Will Push Booze!!
So be sure and read that article after you read this one. We now need to put some firm and friendly pressure on Barack to follow through on his policy to end the Federal War on Medical Marijuana. Each state will then have the right to legalize, regulate, and tax as they see fit. Wow – seems like a win for all!!
Now that Obama has become president we need to hold him to his promise that he will eliminate government programs that do not work. The war on marijuana is clearly an economic and ethical failure. Read my latest plea and start contacting our new leaders!!
Please President Obama: Stop War on Marijuana
One of the best things about Barack Obama is that he is honest and real. Does not try to cover up his past and will admit if he makes mistakes. There is a recent article from the New York Times written by Serge F. Kovaleski on Feb. 9, 2008. The article, “Friends: Drugs a bit part in Obama’s young life,” includes interviews with old college friends who remember the Democratic hopeful as a model of moderation.
Given his early experience I am confident that Senator Obama can finally end the ineffective and unethical federal war against medical marijuana which has been approved in a growing number (15) of states. He also will show compassion toward the millions of young people – particularly minorities – who have been hurt by this war against our own citizens.
Here are some of the highlights of this article. Then I offer more interpretation and justification for Obama to take a courageous and ultimately very popular position. Come on Barack – be a REAL leader and tell us that you will end the federal war against marijuana. As always, enjoy the funny pix!!
Nearly three decades ago, Barack Obama stood out on the small campus of Occidental College in Los Angeles for his eloquence, intellect and activism against apartheid in South Africa. But Mr. Obama, then known as Barry, also joined in the party scene.
Years later in his 1995 memoir, he mentioned smoking “reefer” in “the dorm room of some brother” and talked about “getting high.” Before Occidental, he indulged in marijuana, alcohol and sometimes cocaine as a high school student in Hawaii, according to the book. He made “some bad decisions” as a teenager involving drugs and drinking, Senator Obama, now a presidential candidate, told high school students in New Hampshire last November…
Mr. Obama, of Illinois, has never quantified his illicit drug use or provided many details. He wrote about his two years at Occidental, a predominantly white liberal arts college, as a gradual but profound awakening from a slumber of indifference that gave rise to his activism there and his fears that drugs could lead him to addiction or apathy, as they had for many other black men…
In more than three dozen interviews, friends, classmates and mentors from his high school and Occidental recalled Mr. Obama as being grounded, motivated and poised, someone who did not appear to be grappling with any drug problems and seemed to dabble only with marijuana.
Vinai Thummalapally, a former California State University student who became friendly with Mr. Obama in college, remembered him as a model of moderation — jogging in the morning, playing pickup basketball at the gym, hitting the books and socializing. “If someone passed him a joint, he would take a drag. We’d smoke or have one extra beer, but he would not even do as much as other people on campus,” recounted Mr. Thummalapally, an Obama fund-raiser. “He was not even close to being a party animal.” … (SKIPPED A LOT)
In his freshman year at Occidental, Mr. Obama and his dormitory mates would gather around a couch in the hallway of their floor while stereos blasted songs by bands like the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, the B-52’s and the Flying Lizards. The conversations revolved around topics like the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, President Jimmy Carter’s proposed revival of draft registration and the energy crisis…
While he would sometimes attend parties held by black students and Latinos, Amiekoleh Usafi, a classmate who also spoke at the rally, recalled seeing him at parties put together by the political and artistic set. Ms. Usafi, whose name at Occidental was Kim Kimbrew, said the most she saw Mr. Obama indulging in were cigarettes and beer. “I would never say that he was a druggie, and there were plenty there,” she said. “He was too cool for all that.”
So clearly we can hope Obama will be able to clearly see the right way out of this mess. Instead of claiming as the Clintons do that they “did not inhale,” Barack Obama needs to get real with us about how he will end the wasteful war on weed. He has given some strong signals that he will stop the madness given that he has actually admitted that marijuana has benefits. Bet he would say it helped him through some difficult decisions and transitions. He also realizes that the drug war unfairly hurts minority youth. He also seems to agree that it is not a national issue – but one left to the states — 14 of which have already approved medical marijuana. However, watch for Hillary the Hypocrite to continue stigmatized his views on marijuana as being soft on drugs.
In fact, almost everyone has privately agreed for decades that marijuana should no longer be illegal. The last time it took up the issue, the US Supreme Court reluctantly sided with the Bush administration in overturning the rights of two terminally ill patients from California. Their decision directly challenged congress to deal with this untenable situation in a comprehensive manner. The US Supreme Court ruling upholding the power of the federal government to ban medical use of marijuana has been soundly rejected by public opinion and consumer behavior.
The bong is now in the hands of the next president and congress – both of which will finally be Democratic. Clearly public opinion has been strongly behind decriminalization for decades. If marijuana users and supporter were to come out of the closet, they would see how much power they have in numbers. In fact, groups like NORML and the Marijuana Policy Project have been working diligently for years trying to support American’s rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Politicians who admit they know what it is like to “get high” will garner greater public support than those who maintain that the war on weed is working.
The US congress has never shown the political courage to set things right. As I explain in another BLOG, the most hypocritical position comes from House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. She represents northern California marijuana growers who are licensed by her state to supply medical marijuana. As a result, California supplies billions of dollars of medical-grade marijuana to the rest of the country on the black market. Everyone needs to put pressure on her directly to simply be fair. We also need to stand up for our freedom of religion, speech and public assembly. Start getting high in public together at 4:20.
So given the overwhelming support among citizens for marijuana reform, why does it remain illegal? For almost a century, large pharmaceutical, chemical, paper, and alcohol corporations have waged an aggressive attack on this natural plant because it will dramatically affect all their businesses (which are based on non-renewable petroleum resources.) These are the major sponsors of the Partnership for a Drug Free America and the DARE program that falsely target marijuana as a “gateway drug.” In fact, most young people start with alcohol and tobacco.
The pharmaceutical corporations are aware of the huge potential of medical marijuana to replace many of their more toxic compounds. Problem for big drug companies is they have no way to patent the products and make money. The same is true with the booze companies who are responsible for countless deaths worldwide. Young people are unanimous when asked – they would drink less if marijuana were legally available. Even law enforcement officers acknowledge that they would rather deal with stoners than drunks behind the wheel. Booze causes domestic violence, smoking pot together promotes reasoning.
Societies determine which substances are acceptable and which are deviant. In fact, even opium and cocaine were all legal in the United States until the drug companies stomped them out. Other cultures (including Muslims and Hindis) prohibit consumption of alcohol; but generally encourage cannabis consumption. Since our troops in the Middle East have no access to alcohol, marijuana use is widespread among our soldiers (just as it was in Viet Nam.) Americans at home should have the same rights as our soldiers and those Muslim people who are now being force-fed this corporate brand of democracy.
It seems foolish to focus our scarce law enforcement resources on the wide-open borders we have with Canada and Mexico (not to mention California). Money spent on stopping the tidal wave of weed would be better spent on dealing with immigration issues and homeland security. Canadian liquor producers and the mob profited from the US market during the other failed attempt at legislating morality via prohibition. Once marijuana is legal, some of the billions spent might actually go to benefit American farmers and tax payers – not to mention cancer patients. Currently all the money cannabis consumers spend is taken up in the black market.
We have been waging a losing “War on Weed” against our own citizens for seven decades. Enough is enough. Our jails are filled with people whose only crime was possession of a plant that has been grown and used freely for thousands of years. In fact, most of those jailed for drug offenses are young, poor and minority. Of course, the prison, drug testing, and counseling industries have a strong vested interest in keeping marijuana illegal.
The real challenge of marijuana is to the capitalist system itself. People who get high tend to be more skeptical and less likely to fall lock-step onto these degrading treadmills. Hemp was a major industrial crop in the US until Henry Ainslinger (one of Joe McCarthy’s cronies) decided it was a threat to a radical right-wing, corporate, agenda. We see the same push now from the ultra conservative Bush regime who want to eliminate many of our civil liberties by prohibiting actions that encourage citizens to think for themselves or question authority.
The Bush regime refused to open up and get real with the American people about the First Family’s past and present use of alcohol and drugs. We know Bush had serious personal problems with drugs and alcohol — and some suggest he has been drinking again. Allegations abound about the first daughters’ continuing use of illegal drugs. Rumors persist that the First Lady was actually a marijuana dealer in college. As long as marijuana remains illegal — all members of the first family, cabinet and staff should submit to regular drug tests that must then be made available to the American people.
Only a fool or a hypocrite would continue to wage a losing war against a plant that most people realize is safe and beneficial. Marijuana does much less harm than the currently promoted substances (alcohol and tobacco.) The federal government must stop wasting our limited resources on a war against our own people that mainly hurts the young and poor. Time to use that money and personnel to rebuild our country.
This is simply another way in which the radical, right-wing, Republican regime has been so out of touch with the needs and wishes of the people. The corporate machine and its US government pawns should be afraid of the power of marijuana. People who smoke pot and watch the Daily Show quickly see through all the lies and actually become happy. As Bob Marley said, “The more man smoke herb, the faster Babylon will fall.” That is the true challenge and potential of marijuana. Think of all the other amazing musicians, artists and spiritual leaders who enjoyed the many beneifts of marijuana!! Pix below Bob are of Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, and Peter Tosh.
The HipHappy Times 
The United States sucks big, sweaty donky balls. I’m leaving this turd cuntry for good in 44 days.
i think he shouldlegalize it… there are way to many people getting into trouble over it… its a natural herb… its not chemically made. Things like Meth and Coke are chemically made and harms your body, while weed is pretty much a pain killer… either phisically or emotionally (ha lol)… it should be a choice… its not like the world is going to go haywire just cuz you smoke a little… plus there are other places in the world that have it legalized so why cant we?
i love weeeeeeeeeeeed.
please obama be a man and fight for what you believe in.
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Yes im from Georgia in fact one of the most hik county’s in the whole state, Personally I smoke, I have been for two years and am a current tabacco smoker, I dont drink at all due to the fact that I know what it does and I know that when your drunk you really cant think straight, Look at it this way you can drink 12 beers and get alchohal poisening, OR Smoke a pound of Marijuana and be totally fine. I think we should legalize the use of it it is far better for you than anything else you can put in your body. Allthough I dont support Obama for his other policies I do support the legalization of Marijuana, thats why he’ll have my vote.
LEAGALISE CANNABIS NOW fucking government keeping such a beautifull and natural plant from us wankers
he won’t legalize weed him being the first atleast half black president. i can hear the rednecks now… “i knew soon as a negro gets elected drugs start bein damn legal!”
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Well when his kid gets thrown in jail for having a laugh! I´m sure he´ll make it a “government” Priority! ha Politicians don´t give a rat ass till they hear the bullet graze their head. “Should I? Shouldn´t I?” Wake up world gotta fight for it!
All freedom coes with a cost! 3.6 % world pop smokes weed! – Thats the ones who´ve admitted to smoking! I´d say about 50 % of 17-30 smoke weed. More people die using medicine than from marijuana related crime! Legalise it sell it to adults, as alcohol or tabacco,advertise it´s effects like with cigarettes.
The world wants robots not leaders! But Obama isn´t tough enough to face up to the billonaires that want to keep it illegal!
I agree with you 100%. it should be legal and a reveue put on it, like tabacco if sold in stores. We should be allowed to grow it as well. It would save the government millions of dollars trying to stop the use of and fighting it, a big waste of taxpayers mony.
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it’s a fucking plant, it would generate billions from states taxing it and selling it like they do alcohol and tobacco, and it’s still not legalized….well whether they want to legalize it or tax it or whatever im gonna smoke the stuff illegally till the day i die!
4:20 🙂
Weed should be legal it is less harmfull then cigs and would help bring in alot of money in to states And plush it is a plant y be so negative towards. I will smoke to the day that i die
i defintly think marijuana should be legalized, asprin has killed more people and weed because weed has never killed anyone! it would create thousands of jobs and help us get out of this great dept were in! and why in world is alcohol legal and weed isnt when it harms you wayy more! another reason it should e legal is because itll reduce the crime rate, and cops will stop bothering us and actully find something useful to worry about! this is something that has been contriversed for toooooo long, LEGALIZE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If Marijuana got legal all around the globe, the imapact on nature and on society would be tremendous cause oil can be perfectly replaced by cannabis seed from wich you can make oil,fule,omega-3 and you can get fibers out of its stems and you can even make paper out of it.
that is soooo true on what u said
Look to what extent we have come, we human beings place patents on plants and determine wich one can be used and which cannot. It is just a plant that should be sold at the groccery store on the courner and at the farmacy, It should not be sold by drugsdealers and violent gangsters, just like it is in holland where only a 4% of the population use it. I should be legal all around the globe,so that everyone can plant it on the backyard, hence , no mafia will remain standing…
If you have a medical need for marijuana use then why limit it? You have tobacco, liquor, Oxycodone, and much more harful stuff already on the RX Shelves, Why are the poloticians not listening to the doctors? What supports your arguements other than what you have been negitively looking for. I am sure if we dug deep enough into why we should not reelect you then we would find plenty, my point is, if it does the job, and it is a lesser evil then why would Washington DC make it happen for them? Do you think you have ever won an election because you were a chosen lesser evil, I promise no candidate has a 100% approval rate, and it is the older society that is pushing for ignorance when they are supposed to be smarter.. I am a business owner and diabetic, I am not depressed and NEVER smoke around children or family. I am clean cut non hippy stereo type and can pass a drug test right now. But when I have smoked marijuana and I have for many years ( I am in my mid 30’s) and never had a heart attack and never had anytype of negative reaction. Matter of fact ( PROVEN PERSONAL FACT) I am diabetic, it lowers my blood sugars from 250 to les than 100 in 3 hours, I only smoke at night and I have actually been ordered off all diabetic meds, and origionally I was insulin dependant, so what say you about that? Harmful I think NOT!
Ignorance is harmful, even if you personally do not agree to this I know for a fact all diabetics will gain from its use, people just hate what it represents, I agree that alot of people that use it for no medical resoning could increase their exposures to certain ailements but as a medically prescribed drug you should weight the benefiets again.
Marijuana should always be controlled just as alcohol and cigarettes, decriminalzing it would only free up the govt to pursue harsher crimes like Murderes, and Rapists, and Thieves, and CRAK HEADS (meth addicts) they really have not put much thought into leaglization of marijuana in GA, just as it ok to go to a bar on sunday and drink but you cant buy liquor and take it home.. any other day of the week you can buy liquor but sunday, so why is that? DUI ’s are rampant on sundays, ask any local enforcement officer, that $$ day for them, so we are encouraging DUI’s on sunday by not allowing purchase of liquor or beer.
Marijuana is by far the very least of our worries as far as drugs go, it has less of a side effect than a hangover, you are more likely to be drunk and try new things as far as gateway things than marijuana. You have the technology to find out if soone is DUI mor marijuana and alcohol so prosicute it the same way. Do not deny people the treatments they need if they could eliminate the symptoms of diabetes or migrains, or several other case studies. Several poloticians use it, have been found using it, and hav openly admitted to using it, so why the big frown upon its use? Simply put whats wrong with being happy? Society has an opportunity to allow it to be controlled and tax it. I am sure everyone knows somone who smokes and hides it cause of the laws, so why do we not as a people give the govt somthing better to waste our tax dollars on? We could help clear the national debt just with this alone, there are so many reasons why people should look into this again and allow its law makers to pass a law that allows it. Common sence tells you there as many if not more than half that smoke. The law will not stop the determined, so why should it be prosecuted? I mean for real people what you know about it is it illegal and thats about it, when they passed the law to criminalize it they did not have any research in the fields of medicinal use and if they did they sure did not have the technology to back up their arguements. We now do and I think its about time to reopen our minds to the idea that we could have been wrong in making it illegal.
FYI Washington DC and 15 other states and our president have all declared it good for medicine, so why can’t Georgia?
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Obama needs to legalize Marijuana bacause for one, Everyday there are alot of people who go are getting into alot of trouble just for using, not for intent to sell. Do you know how much income the economy would make? This state needs this!
YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!
WEED IS FOR THE WIN! LEGALIZE IT EVERYWHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DO IT WEATHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! YEAH OBAMA!
ok.. this is what i think. instead of all the people that have “problems” and take like 5 medications a day(which ruins there body). they could just smoke a lil’ herb. marijuana would help tons! of people. lots of people get introuble because of marijuana and all that does is ruin their lifes. i could understand if there were some restrictions on the use of weed but it still should be legalized. 🙂 peace,one love, and weed
yes i love all of this people
yes i love all of thees people
Obama you dumbass do something constructive during term. Legalize the bud! If you did that then the country would b out of debt in no time. I’d be in a pot store all the time. Legalize the green. If you ever have second thoughts about it then just ask yourself…. What would Bob Marley do?
Guys, it’s not the government’s fault. Our economy is highly dependent on the tobacco and alcohol companies. If hemp was legalized these companies would be shaken to their knees. Instead they post propaganda on the internet. I do not smoke weed, and never have even tried it. I’ve done alot of research tonight and discovered that only when the quotations of a doctor are present the physical negative effects are nothing but temporary, but when it is “educated opinions” pulled out of the air by public corporations or the government the effects are protrayed to be worse than tobacco and alcohol. Research this for awhile and you’ll notice the pattern. I’m not saying the government is good, but it does the only thing it can do when trapped under this kind of pressure.
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Sorry pal whatever doesn’t work that’s what Obama will do. Just like the enterprising holes before him. legalizing marijuana even for medical use would take money out of their greedy hands. I have asked this question to many people ‘how many beer drinkers or pill poppers all for the sake of relaxation or in many cases for pain do you think there will be if they legalized weed’ and that means less of a market for the real thugs and thieves not the ones dropping their hands to the green Earth to pick a and smoke a plant. I say hey Mr. Obama lets liberate another group of citizens cursed by stereotypers who have received lies instead of facts in order to demonize what God put here on Earth way before pharmacies or your fake ass governments laws even existed. But I know not gonna say we that its just not in the cards for you and that bathhouse of losers the hopeless public rely on.
yes i love all of thees people
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