In last week’s March 26th townhall-style question and answer period, President Obama got some questions on marijuana online, mostly about whether it could help the economy to make it legal for general use. I think it’s clear that legalizing marijuana could not only help the economy but it could help end the violence in Mexico and on the border with the U.S.
A congressman from California thinks it legalizing marijuana could save his state, or at least its economy.
Marijuana would be sold and taxed openly in California to adults 21 and older if legislation he proposed in late February is signed into law. What harm could it do? Marijuana is very useful medically and compared to legal drugs that kill thousands of people every year, (alcohol and tobacco) it’s most likely much less harmful. Critics call it a “gateway” drug, but it’s obvious to many people that alcohol is the ultimate gateway drug, yet no one would consider making it illegal again.
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, said his bill could generate big bucks for a cash-starved state while freeing law enforcement agencies to focus on worse crimes.
“I think there’s a mentality throughout the state and the country that this isn’t the highest priority – and that maybe we should start to reassess,” he said.
President Obama is not sold. In fact, he more or less laughed at the question and brushed it off, insinuating it was a ridiculous question. It appears as though he doesn’t have the facts (though that’s hard to believe). The following letter appeared on an online radio show website last week after Obama’s answer to the marijuana question. It was written to President Obama and it contains some great points about why President Obama should take the issue of legalizing marijuana seriously.
“ I’m a grandmother, and was a delegate for you, just organized my town to get 13% of the 1300 pledges gathered in WA state for you and ourselves. But today, you laughed and dismissed marijuana reform as if it hasn’t landed over 20 million people in jail or prison. As if the arrests and imprisonments haven’t ruined hundreds of millions of lives of family and friends of marijuana users. As if a urinalysis isn’t keeping millions of disabled people from even part-time work.
My brother’s a retired cop, he wishes it was legalized so they could stop wasting time going after pot smokers and deal with the crimes that really hurt people. I’ve read of entire associations of cops that feel the same way.
I had a stroke when my son was arrested. His wife and kid suffer the money lost to court and probation costs. But you know what makes him turn from a sweet caring man who works hard for his family to a dangerous beast who can’t get up to work with a hangover and remorse, Sir? Yep, you guessed it – alcohol. Alcoholism killed a grandparent on both sides of his biological parents.
Your dismissive and dare I say immature response was wrong. A natural drug that yes, makes some people lazy and eat too much, but yes, also relieves pain, has a strain that energizes rather than stupefies, helps people with life-threatening illness, and generally just does so much less harm than the alcohol you serve at your cocktail parties, is not that big a threat, Sir.
The biggest threat is the violence and death that results from keeping a plant that is non-addictive in the illegal column. You could end most of the violence at our southern border as well, with a stroke of the pen. I’m hugely disappointed in your response. You blew that, big time.
I’m a Truman Fellow, a policy nerd, I’ve supported or at least accepted most of your proposals, but on this, I’m against you. I’ll keep organizing for the Top 3, but I’ll probably join, if not even help organize, a mass smoke-out and arrest on your front lawn. Being reasonable has gotten marijuana users nowhere, while alcohol flows, women get beaten, families ruined, and a drug war makes the funeral business the only secure work in town.”
More facts about marijuana:
Medical use of marijuana already is legal in California, but the new legislation would go a step further by allowing recreational use.
Assembly Bill 390 would charge cannabis wholesalers $5,000 initially and $2,500 annually for the right to distribute weed.
Retail outlets would pay fees of $50 per ounce of cannabis to generate revenue for drug education programs statewide.
The bill would prohibit cannabis near schools. It also would ban smoking it in public places or growing it in public view.
California reported 16,124 felony and 57,995 misdemeanor arrests linked to marijuana in 2007, the most recent statistics available.
Possessing less than 28.5 grams of cannabis can result in a base fine of up to $100 under state law, an amount that can rise to more than $350 with state and county penalty assessments.
Possessing larger amounts of marijuana can draw a maximum six-month jail sentence and/or a base fine of $500 under state law.
A state-sponsored survey of California children in 2007 found that marijuana had been used by 9 percent of seventh-graders, 25 percent of high school freshmen, and 42 percent of 11th-graders
Think of this in two ways: people are jailed for marijuana possession and at a cost of about $30,000 per year to incarcrate someone, and about 775,000 people jailed for marijuana offenses, that’s 2.3 million dollars a year just to jail marijuana offenders. That does not take into consideration all the police and administrative costs to patrol the streets and arrest these people. It is estimated the 162 milllion people use marijuana worldwide, but I’m guessing that number is much higher (no pun intended).
Considering all of the above, why would any president laugh off a question of legalizing marijuana?
I agree 100% with this. Alcohol intensifies mood changes and has led and caused people to engage in violence, cause many regrets and embarassment by doing things they wouldn’t normally do if they hadn’t drank at all or at least drank socially, responsibly or in moderation instead of excessively. I have never known of anyone to become violent after cannabis use they are always very mellow and calm. Cannabis is more effective in calming than natural ways such as Yoga or meditation.It is also very therapeutic for a massive variety of ailments as well in which Doctors are giving reccomendations for medicinal use. Asian cultures for many years have found many purposes and therapeutic uses with Opium which is derived from a natural plant grown from natural soil as do many fruit trees, vegetables and fruit vines such as grapes used to make wine an alcoholic beverage. My mother who passed away from cancer at the age of 47 in 1994 found many therapeutic properties with the use of cannabis while enduring the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. She said it had significantly reduced side effects and made her feel alot better. My brother is currently a medical marijuana patient who suffers from migraines and has much relief from the use of cannabis. I too think that many benefits for our economy from legalising cannabis for recreational use for responsible adults 18 to 21 years of age or older who keep it out of reach of their younger children,use it where their younger siblings or children don’t see them using it. Keeping the cannabis and paraphenelia where the younger children don’t ever see it. Cannabis is just a natural plant that grows from soil with a twist being the only difference from fruit trees, vegetables, and fruit vines. Rotted fallen fermented fruit from fruit trees naturally turns into alcohol where animals in the wild become intoxicated from eating them and its naturally grown from soil.I feel that this is a contradiction because Opium, cannabis, fruits, and vegetables are natural plants grown from soil yet its illegal to grow cannabis but not vegetables all because of what cannabis contains and classify it as a drug when I think that it should not be classified as a drug. We don’t see fruits and vegetables being classified as a drug all because of what they contain in them all because there are no intoxicating effects in them unless they are used in the process of making alcholic beverages. I feel that cannabis is not as bad society is making it to be as long as cannabis is used in a very mature and responsible manner. People aren’t gettin prosecuted or arrested for growing fruits and vegetables being natural plants like opium and cannabis.
Also cannabis use itself does not lead to hard drug use. It is the individual wanting to try or experimenting to see what the hard drugs effects are like, liking them causing continual usage of these hard drugs until they become addicted due to continual use of the hard drugs. I know and have known many cannabis users who just use cannabis and have no desire to try hard drugs. My mother wasn’t wanting to go out and try hard drugs when she used cannabis to ease and releive symptoms from chemotherapy and radiation. My brother who is a mm patient for his migraine headaches has no desire to try or use hard drugs.
You’re right, this gateway drug claim is nonsense…. everything can be a gateway to something, but there is no proven cause and effect between marijuana and anything else. It’s a big scam. In general, marijuana is a very helpful medicinal herb and I wish it was totally legal for everyone to use. It can’t harm people like alcohol or tobacco can and it makes no sense for it to be illegal.