Yesterday we wondered whether or not Obama would address the question, and he has.
Links:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
http://stopthedrugwar.org/...
The banal pot-jokes and rank stereotyping that have often tainted mainstream discussion of the legalization movement have no place in this conversation, and the President's words should serve to discredit those who've voiced distracting insults instead of potential solutions. Whatever else the President may put forward, his singular decision to accept and defend our advocacy as "entirely legitimate" is a leap forward, both for the discussion as a whole and for Obama himself.
Also, big thanks to L.E.A.P (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition)
The question that Obama is answering was asked by a retired law enforcement officer, whose own firsthand experience with the failed drug war was the basis for the question.
Keep in mind: the WH asked for an INCREASEin drug war spending last year. In this economy, can we afford the current levels of spending on a failed war? Or even increase them?
L.E.A.P. responded to the President:
LEAP head Neill Franklin, a retired Baltimore narcotics cop, applauded Obama's comment but called for him to turn the words into action. The White House is preparing a budget to submit to Congress in the coming weeks, and how much priority it gives to drug treatment versus incarceration will be an indication of the direction the administration plans to take.
"The president talks a good game about shifting resources and having a balanced, public health-oriented approach, but it doesn't square with the budgets he's submitted to Congress," Franklin said in a statement. "The Obama administration has maintained the Bush-era two-to-one budget ratio in favor of prisons and prosecution over treatment and prevention. It doesn't add up. Still, it's historic that the president of the United States is finally saying that legalizing and regulating drugs is a topic worthy of discussion. But since the president remains opposed to legalization, it's clear that the people are going to have to lead the way. Police officers and innocent civilians are dying every single day in this drug war; it's not a back-burner issue."
This subject, for some readers, seems to beg the question: "But how can Obama legalize cannabis?". Others supply the answer to this unasked question in diaries I write, saying "There's no way the federal government or Obama will change anything". I addressed concern trolling in regards to this issue right after the last election (not saying that it's a big problem here, just saying)
Also, in 2010 there was a fair amount of progress made, including: the decrim of cannabis in CA, passage of medical mj in AZ, and lifting of the US federal ban on medical mj in D.C. So if you say 'nothing' can be done, it says more about you than it does cannabis politics.
As I diaried last year, we can start with the US Federal budget. For the most part, save for a few exceptions, the US Drug War budget is very similar to Shrub's. That's not change. More critically, it's not even lip service to change. We are not failing to make progress on the federal level because it's impossible. It's just a policy and public messaging failure, especially outside of the Western U.S., where marijuana legalization polls below 50%. In the Western US, there is slight majority support, which redefines the definitions of 'mainstream' cannabis opinion.
And that's just the political side of things. Many of us can tell you firsthand what the criminal (in)justice system is like, and how it plays a part in America's longest war.