For a second I thought that team Obama was going to shut down
Open for Questions after being inundated with drug policy and particularly marijuana questions and concerns. Their flip response- "President-elect Obama does not support the legalization of marijuana"- was unsatisfying and did not fit the web 2.0 context of the exercise. Peter Guither over at Drug WarRant submitted
this for round two:
"76% of likely voters think the drug war is failing. Yet suggestions from opponents of the drug war are often dismissed. Will you appoint a blue-ribbon commission to look at all aspects of drug policy, including examining alternatives to prohibition?"
which is respectful and sets very low expectations: shades of the Nixon created National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse to study pot and come to the
conclusion- once again- that we need to reschedule and perhaps legalize it. The assumption being that Obama, unlike Nixon, will listen to the Commission.
I have to marvel in round two as I did in round one at the sheer number of marijuana questions:
"The people of this country want marijuana decriminalization, when will marijuana be decriminalized? Why continue to spend billions of dollars to prohibit marijuana when evidence shows that the war on drugs is, as you said, "an utter failure"?"
Free your mind, Guantanamo
"The Drug War has been an incredibly expensive failure since it's inception. Meanwhile, millions of our citizens have been incarcerated for using drugs. I think we need to end this folly. What do you think, Mr. President?"
Matt, Livingston, MT
"Why do you believe that marijuana should not be legalized? How is the prohibition of Marijuana any different than the prohibition of alcohol? 100,000 Americans die every year due to alcohol but none to Marijuana"
James, CA
"Will you consider legalizing cannabis/marijuana/hemp so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a multi-billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?"
DJ C, Chicago, IL
That's just page one- they go on and on- the marijuana questions are like a smell you can't get rid of. Please take a moment to sign up and submit or vote for a question. This story already had
legs in round one; if marijuana ends up the number one question again, we're likely to see more national media coverage.
I think Obama is smart not to use any political capital on pot right now. The stupified Republicans are salivating for something- anything- they can hang on him.
So appoint a Commission and wait for the report. Maybe even Biden can play a constructive role and
atone for his contribution to the war on drugs. It should be the same report we've already heard- Obama knows that- but it will supply the necessary distance team Obama needs to push this particular ball forward.
21 days and counting....
Finally, a hat tip to former DPA'er Alex over at Drug Law Blog for a must read California-centric list of the
top ten drug law stories of 2008.
Posted by J. Gibson Verkuil