Obama Should Keep Promise on Medical Marijuana

“As a former police chief, I recognize we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem.” Gil Kerlikowske (in the White House response to eight cannabis petitions)

So stop doing it already!

DonDig of CA 9:54PM October 28, 2011

Due to the rather inevitable & nefarious effects of Prohibition we have now become totally subordinate to a corporatized, despotic government with a heavily armed and corrupt, militarized police force whose often deadly intrusions into our homes and lives are condoned by an equally corrupt and spineless Judiciary who are intentionally protecting transnational corporate Institutions over individual Citizens.

Colombia, Peru, Mexico or Afghanistan with their coca leaves, marijuana buds or poppy sap are not igniting temptation in the minds of our weak, innocent citizens. These countries are duly responding to the enormous demand that comes from within our own borders. Invading or destroying these countries, thus creating more hate, violence, instability, injustice and corruption, will not fix our problem. We need to collectively admit that we are sick. -- Prohibition is neither a sane nor a safe approach; left unabated, its puritanical flames will surely engulf every last one of us!

The illegal drug trade is now estimated to be somewhere in the region of $400 billion a year ( equal to the defense budget ). This "former land of the free" arrests 1.5 million of it's citizens a year for drug law violations, half for marijuana alone, The majority of the 2.2 million inmates in the USA are incarcerated because of this insane drug war (Prohibition 2) at a staggering cost to all taxpayers and trauma to their families.

Prisons have been filled to capacity. Violent criminals, murderers, rapists and child molesters are released early to create space for these so called drug offenders. Half of court trial time and also a huge chunk of police officers time is pointlessly wasted. Enormous untaxed profits from illegal drugs fund multi-national criminal empires which bribe law enforcement authorities and spread corruption faster than a raging bush fire. These laws take violent criminals and turn them into multi-billionaires whilst corrupting even entire countries such as Columbia, Panama, Mexico and Afghanistan. The extreme violence on and south of the border is drug gangs fighting for turf in this lucrative business. The drug laws are also funding the Taliban whose illegal opium profits allow it to buy weapons and pay it's fighters more than $300 a month, compared with the $14 paid to an Afghan policemen.

When governments prohibit drugs they effectively and knowingly hand a monopoly on their sale to dangerous criminals and terrorists. Without a legal framework in which to operate, these black-market entities can always be expected to settle their disputes violently, while terrorizing many peaceful and innocent citizens in the process. Were the users of alcohol to blame for the St Valentines massacre in the US in 1929? Of course not!

malcolm kyle of NY 3:03PM October 28, 2011

Most people do NOT fake their illnesses in order to recieve thier medications. I wish each one of you had to live just two days (so that some of their med.s would where off), in these peoples shoes whithout there med.s. Then maybe you would know how it feels to be in pain or troubled by things they cannot control.

jennifer marks of OH 11:12PM October 27, 2011

This is pure Communism; 50% of Americans want weed legal so if our democratic govt. doesn't listen it's time to take action! We are a Free country, feds it's time to let go of your little CASH COW that you use to support all your under handed regimes. The people have spoken; LEGALIZE NOW!!!

Bhonze of MS 4:31PM October 27, 2011