Obama: Marijuana Is No More Dangerous Than Alcohol

[Fred Sanders]

Last edited Sun Jan 19, 2014, 07:40 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: Huffington Post

When asked if he believes marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, Obama said it is less damaging "in terms of its impact on the individual consumer."

And that marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington state is an “important” move towards a more just legal system.

Recently, U.S. Attorney General Holder took steps to relax federal prosecution of marijuana offenses, by averting mandatory minimums and by avoiding prosecution of marijuana users who are complying with state law. “Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long, and for no truly good law enforcement reason,” Holder said.

The significance of the recreational marijuana laws in Colorado and Washington state is that they not only remove criminal penalties for possession — at this point, 17 states and many cities have passed decriminalization measures — they also legalize or regulate distribution and growth. Legalization supporters view that latter step as critical to driving out the black market and controlling the health consequences of marijuana consumption.



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/19/obama-marijuana-alcohol_n_4627740.html

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To which can only be said that alcohol has caused more death and destruction since LAST NIGHT than marijuana has done in its entire history.

[valerief]

1. I'd rather be sitting in front of a stoner than a drunk in a Florida movie theater, that's for sure.

[L0oniX]

9. I'll drive next to a pot head over a texting asshole any day.

[Triana]

2. IMO it's much LESS dangerous. Certainly less addictive. n/t

[RoccoR5955]

15. +1

[Scairp]

36. It's NOT addictive

Not physically addictive anyway. I think perhaps a person can be psychologically addicted but not like any other substance including alcohol. No doubt Obama will get a great deal of grief over these comments from ignorant twerps who don't have the first clue about pot, or have an interest in keeping pot on the list of scheduled drugs. I'm so tired of uptight, scotch drinking assholes who think that pot is on equal footing with everything from prescription pills to heroin. It's not true, it's never been a "gateway" drug, whatever that means. When I was a teenager the "gateway" drug was the booze my friends got out of their parents' liquor cabinet. And it was free. I'm pretty sure that hasn't changed.

[Triana]

37. +1 n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

3. If he's said 'far less' rather than 'no more' I'd really be impressed

but even as it is it veers amazingly close to truthful for a politician.

[Rozlee]

4. Yeah. Alcohol has caused more carnage on the streets, more cirrhosis of the liver

broken marriages and homelessness due to alcoholism, alcohol-related violence, etc. Granted, the narco wars have caused their fair share of deaths and destruction in the distribution of marijuana to the American public, but legalizing that would address most of that.

[Schema Thing]

5. Whoa. Don't minimize this, folks. This.is.huge.

This issue has been my biggest irritant where Obama is concerned... since he did indeed toke as a younger.

But this puts the lack of reason an hypocrisy of prohibition out front.

This is huge.

[SHRED]

6. Ouch

[gtar100]

21. That last part of that video is chilling. The War on Drugs has created monsters.

And turned lives into living nightmares for no good reason.

[riversedge]

34. Indeed. It is past time for all Dems to decriminalize weed

[BlancheSplanchnik]

24. woa

gulp...last part...

[on point]

7. Sounds of Obama tacking to the way the wind blows.

Last edited Sun Jan 19, 2014, 03:35 PM - Edit history (1)

Leadership would be to come out and say
1. It is LESS harmful
2. It should be legalized
3. I am directing the AG to stop persecuting those in states with Medical Marijuana laws
4. I am calling for a bill to have it legalized in the country as a whole.

That's leadership with backbone

[dreamnightwind]

40. +1

[SHRED]

8. Isn't the DEA still kicking down doors...

...and confiscating private property via "Forfeiture and Seizure" laws??

Where is Obama's legalization proposals??

Talk...talk...talk...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........

[L0oniX]

10. Lip service is easy and cheap. n/t

[Schema Thing]

29. it's not cheap for a president.

this is how change comes about. In steps.


These steps just got considerably quickened. Be happy, not dour.

[jtuck004]

32. Sure it is. He doesn't pay the price, the people do.

What remains to be seen is how much is left on the bill now.

[riqster]

48. He started out by giving lip service to marriage equality, too.

And people bitched then, too. Look how much progress has been made since that first step.

[tridim]

11. Prohibition is ending, and you're complaining?

Sorry, I just don't get the attitude. It's a buzz-kill.

[SHRED]

12. "Prohibition is ending"

Can you give me the details of any Federal legislation that has a chance?

[tridim]

13. No, but prohibition is ending.

And Obama just gave our cause a major boost.

And you're complaining. Screw that.

Legislation will happen after we kick GOP ass in 2014.

[SHRED]

14. I wish I shared your optimisim

State by state I think Cannabis illegality will lessen however the "war on drugs" will continue I think.

[gtar100]

19. Except that State legalization is undermining the very premise of the War on Drugs and

is a very progressive step to stopping it. Obama's words may be lip service to the winds of change but all change begins with saying the right words. We're not ready to throw a victory party but at least we can say, "It's good to hear you say that." It just might open some doors. But I hear you on the distrust. Few politicians speak out of the convictions of their soul.

[SHRED]

22. points well taken...thanks

[Comrade Grumpy]

26. Obama is very prudently heeding changing public opinion, but...

as the interviewer Remnick noted, this is an area of shifting public opinion where "he seemed even less eager to evolve with any dispatch and get in front of the issue."

I'll give him credit for not getting in the way in Colorado and Washington, though.

[Schema Thing]

30. thank you.

[Divernan]

16. O's waiting for Big Pharma/Monsanto to patent/genetically modify marijuana.

Oh, you sillies - it's clear to me that Obama's comment is laying the groundwork for his full-throated endorsement of smoking pot. As soon as Monsanto completes developing genetically modified marijuana (which I'm sure they're working on right now), and planting crops next to all established marijuana growers, allowing for wind-carried cross-pollination & suits against farmers for patent infringement - probably in the next growing season, you know what's going to happen. Bob's your uncle, the justice department will be immediately called off prosecuting and Obama will hail all the jobs created and positive impact on the economy. It will be touted by him right up there with the (corporate profits) "benefits" of clean coal, nuclear power plants, the Keystone pipeline, fracking and the TPP.

[L0oniX]

33. OFFS LMFAO

jeeze ...and I thought I was sarcastic.

[Scairp]

45. On occasion yes

This especially a problem in the states that still criminalize pot. They have a big financial interest in keeping marijuana illegal, which is very infuriating. Maybe he is finally going to direct DEA to remove it from the scheduled drugs list with heroin and cocaine and crystal. Fingers crossed.

[WhoWoodaKnew]

17. Que up the complaining social cons (as they drink their beer).

[Voice for Peace]

18. Marijuana legalization is the way to get people to vote

or at least a sane drug policy. we are ready!

should be on the dem platform, asap

[Deep13]

20. The only socially negative effects pot has ...

... arises from its illegality, not its pharmacology. Alcohol kills people and destroys lives.

[Schema Thing]

31. As Obama just said.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

23. I'll bet a lot of people right here at DU have personally been affected

by alcoholism. It kills families, relationships, kids.....strongly linked with violence.....

I hate alcoholism.

[DustyJoe]

52. affected

And in the same vein, a lot have been affected watching their children start with pot, upgrade to crack or meth. Not much different than the beer drinker upgrading to straight shots of vodka IMO. Personal experience and watching tragedy unfold have me on the no-booze and no-drugs side for years.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

53. ....

Alcohol...ruined some people and relationships I love(d) very much.

[Exultant Democracy]

25. The biggest danger with MJ is the criminal blackmarket that prohibition supports.

That leads to deaths.

[AlbertCat]

27. Then there's legal pharma....

Like Lily Thomlin said:

"My high school councilor asked me if I had a drug problem. My only drug problem is I can't get my mother's prescriptions refilled...."

And every one of us knows how dreadful alcohol is.

With these two...that puts pot way down at the bottom of the list of "drug problems".

[TheKentuckian]

28. Leading from behind is better than more drug worrier heel digging. Methinks an evolution is afoot.

[Orsino]

35. Unless you're caught with it. Then you are fucked. n/t

[bvar22]

38. And yet, his DOJ wages continual War and continues to FILL the "Private" prisons with Pot Smokers.

Quite a disconnect there between the WORDS,
and the ACTIONS.

[colsohlibgal]

39. I think It's Less Dangerous

And it is a huge potential cash cow. Win-win-win (including not cramming our jails).

[Pterodactyl]

41. I guess he'd know firsthand.

[Kennah]

42. Not true. The destruction it causes to junk food is devastating. The horror. The horror.

[riqster]

49. Them twinkies had it comin'.

[Shoulders of Giants]

43. The biggest risks with Marijuana are the legal and employment risks.

The harm of the actual drug itself can't even come close to the threat of losing your job or going to jail for using the drug. This is a perfect example of society creating a problem where one didn't really exist.

[TroglodyteScholar]

44. "...alcohol has caused more death and destruction since LAST NIGHT than marijuana has done...

...in its entire history."

Wish more people understood/acknowledged/acceptied this fact.

[SHRED]

46. Actually it's far LESS dangerous than alcohol

But for political reasons I realize the President can't tell this truth.

[SunSeeker]

47. K & R

[One_Life_To_Give]

50. Not according to your DoT

US DoT still cites any trace of Marijuana in any of the individuals/workers it regulates as a Crime. So everyone from truck drivers to merchant mariners remember your license can be forfeited for it.

[Lint Head]

51. More people die from cigarettes and alcohol.

[marsis]

54. Hypocrisy

thy name is Obama. Bla Bla Bla Bla bla. What has he done on this topic other than prosecute more MM users than Bush ever thought of? ...............silence......................hypocrite!

Typical of a Chicago Democrat, God I despise those politicos up there, almost but not quite as much as teabaggers.