Obama said he will decriminalize marijuana. Will Hillary follow suit?

[Alexander]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQr9ezr8UeA

"We need to decriminalize our marijuana laws." - Barack Obama January 21, 2004

[lurky]

1. Wow!

I hadn't heard that.

[ursi]

69. That's great! A finger stuck in the eye of the establishment crap!

[reality based]

2. Oh my.

[panader0]

3. He already had my vote

Can I vote twice?

[KennedyGuy]

4. Obama is trying to hide from this one...

http://bigheaddc.com/2008/01/31/obama-covered-up-desire-to-legalize-marijuana/

Last fall during a nationally televised presidential debate, Sen. Barack Obama hesitantly raised his hand and joined with most of his Democratic rivals to declare that he opposed decriminalizing marijuana,” the Washington Times reports. “But as a candidate for the U.S. Senate four years ago, Mr. Obama told Illinois college students that he supported eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana use or possession…”

“Asked about the two different answers, Mr. Obama’s presidential campaign said he in fact has “always” supported decriminalizing marijuana as he answered in 2004, meaning the candidate mistakenly raised his hand during the presidential debate last fall,” the paper continues. “That position leaves Mr. Obama as the lone presidential candidate among the four leading challengers in either party who supports eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana. Mr. Obama’s chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, opposes decriminalization, Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer said.”

Would Republicans have a field day with this, if Obama were nominated as the Democratic candidate?

[reality based]

9. I wonder if Tom Daschle and Ben Nelson feel the same?

[Alexander]

10. Let them try. Over 60-70% of Americans support decriminalization.

According to your article, Obama kept his 2004 answer straight. Most Americans agree with him on this.

[cd3dem]

15. where do those stats come from?

[Alexander]

19. An October 31, 2002 Time/CNN poll, for starters. 72% support decrim.

http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101021104/story.html

"But a vast majority have become mellow about official loopholes: 80% think it's O.K. to dispense pot for medical purposes, and 72% think people caught with it for recreational use should get off with only a fine. That seeming paradox has left a huge opening for pro-pot people to exploit. Eight states allow medical marijuana, and a handful of states have reduced the sentences for pot smokers to almost nothing."

[cd3dem]

22. well I must be in the minority

[Jed Dilligan]

42. Are you saying you believe in locking people up for pot?

That won't get you much mileage on this site.

Death to the Prison Nation!

[bagimin]

72. Everybody knows Bill Richardson also favors

relaxing pot laws and he's less liberal than Barack.
Are you sure you're a dem?

[cd3dem]

75. people are fooling themselves if they think pot is harmless

keeping it illegal does not mean letting go sex-offenders to jail pot smokers... pot smoking in young people has long term health problems and to say it is not as bad as meth is like saying prostitution is better than rape...

pot for medicinal purposes is ok... people with small amounts should be followed up with social services and education... smugglers and growers should be tossed in jail....

[ErnestoG]

11. Ever consider that he...GASP..changed his mind?

Believe it or not, wise and growth oriented people do that all the time.

Only Rethugs stick to a flawed position out of ego-driven stubbornness.

[KennedyGuy]

23. ifv Hillary did that Ernie, you'd be wailing "flip flop"

[bread_and_roses]

25. Well, if he changed his mind, it couldn't be for any fact-based reason...

...the reasons for decriminalization are overwhelming and obvious. So let's hope he didn't change his mind.

[MagsDem]

50. Well that wasn't just a flip flop, that was a flip flop flip

First he's for it, then he's against it, then he's for it again.

[sharp_stick]

5. Now he's got my vote n/t

[Ken Burch]

6. Hopefully. She'd come across as far more likeable if she got righteously baked now and then.

:sarcasm:

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. HA!

:evilgrin:

[polichick]

7. Hope he still feels that way...

And I sure wouldn't mind legalization ~ looking forward to some nice organic plants on my window sill one day!

[SammyWinstonJack]

24. By the time the Prison Industrial Complex is through with him, he'll be singing a different tune.

Gotta keep that "cheap" prison labor well supplied, ya know? Not too mention that it might also lead to legal Industrial hemp and the corprats would shit bricks over that.

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. It would take more than Obama to change that law. It would never

happen in a million years anyway.

[Alexander]

14. Decriminalization only takes the Attorney General...

to move marijuana from Schedule I to another drug schedule.

[Perky]

12. We will be hearing about that again and again and again and again

[REDFISHBLUEFISH]

13. If your vote swings on this.............

You will probably forget to register anyway!

I just had to..Sorry!

[napi21]

16. He better keep THAT ONE a secret during the campaign!

Between the the Media, they'll KILL HIM!

[goodgd_yall]

33. I'm sure it's probably in the Republican bag of dirty tricks already. n/t

[napi21]

49. BTW, I happen to agree with him, but it sure seems like there's a LOT of people

who thank that's NUTS! I admit I'm old (64), but my son (38) and I were discussing that several weeks ago, and I said I thought they shouldecriminalize it. He looked shocked. amd asked ,e "WHY?" I told him there were sooo many people serving time, and clogging up our jails & prisons for possession of a couple of ounces of a weed. Jails & prisons should be for real criminals who harm people and commit crimes that really affect those around them. Somehow, I don't believe MJ does any of that.

[joshcryer]

17. OBAMA RULES!

[Clintonite]

18. I agree totally. That shows some balls on his part! The pot laws are in the stoneage!

[femrap]

21. And you think that is on his platform

now???????? Go find out....at least that would give me one reason to vote for him. Today, he'll say we need to study that. He's slick.

[zulchzulu]

26. I forgot that he said that...

:smoke:

Why do you think I've been an Obama supporter...

[FiveGoodMen]

27. Don't know if he can or will get it done, but that's the talk I want to hear.

[Fresh_Start]

28. He's for it, except when he's against it

When a voter asked Obama if he was for the legalization of medical marijuana, Obama said that he wasn't in favor of legalization without scientific evidence and tight controls. Citing his mother who died from cancer young, Obama compared marijuana to morphine saying there was little difference between the two.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/25/479649.aspx

[Alexander]

29. He's for decriminalization. He's against legalization. Obama's consistent here.

[Fresh_Start]

30. the only way to decriminalize it is to legalize it

otherwise state laws most of which have anti-marijuana laws still apply

[Alexander]

31. That's not true. You can make it a ticketable offense.

Marijuana is still illegal in this country but the penalties can easily be changed.

[Fresh_Start]

35. that is still under state control

he can't do it.
the individual states would have to
unless there is a national law making it legal
individual states can still make it illegal

[Alexander]

41. If marijuana were moved to a different schedule...

it would provide exceptions to allow medicinal use and many of the harsh penalties associated with it would be removed. That's a pretty big step.

Obama can also petition a Democratically-controlled Congress to completely decriminalize it under federal law and regulate medical uses for marijuana.

He certainly has the best position on this issue, it seems, even if I don't totally agree with it.

[Fresh_Start]

53. Obama's on the record for not wanting to legalize medical marijuana

yet.

Its like Bush promising to protect the children from gay marriage.
He's waving something which people really want but is not within his power to accomplish

[Alexander]

55. On the record? You mean votes? Can you link to these?

[MediaBabe]

54. His mother didn't die young, she was in her sixties and

There is no comparison between morphine and mary j.

[On the Road]

32. Y'Know, He Might Just Have Won My Support with That Position

For one thing, it would reduce the huge prision population, which has a tremendous ripple effect on the working class. For another, I might actually smoke once in a while.

[goodgd_yall]

34. Fine that it has gotten all your support

but, knowledge of that position will doom his candidacy.

[water]

36. He's changed his mind, during the Presidential debates he said he wouldn't.

[More Than A Feeling]

39. ah, figures!

sigh

[Alexander]

47. He raised his hand but his campaign maintained that he's for decrim.

I suspect he may have raised his hand because he thought he heard "legalization", to which he is opposed.

[Lucinda]

63. Wouldn't be the first time.

[Alexander]

66. Obama has spoken in favor of decrim, and Hillary Clinton has not.

Clinton's policy is decent (she will stop the DEA raids), but Obama's is better.

[More Than A Feeling]

37. Wow, he said that?

Was not aware! That's pretty cool, but it was more than four years ago. He might have changed his mind or forgotten that he said it by now.

[David Zephyr]

38. K&R.

Great OP. Thanks Alexander!

[jillan]

40. That'll really help him in the GE -

[ZinZen]

43. Well... he has Bill Maher's vote

[BootinUp]

44. What does that mean "decriminalize?" same as legalize? nt

[Alexander]

46. No. It means if you're caught with small amounts, you get a ticket.

You don't get arrested and you don't have a criminal record, is the basic principle. I support legalization, taxation and regulation but Obama seems closest to my view out of all the candidates on this one. Unless Hillary Clinton agrees.

[Clintonista2]

65. No, it means that it's not a criminal offense. Getting caught would be like getting a parking ticket

You pay a fine.

[depakid]

45. Sensible policy

beats spending multi-billions on a policy that's both a failure and detrimental to economic and social well being even assuming one supports its goals.

[jlake]

48. He changed his mind on that issue once he realized the president is not drug tested.

[Alexander]

51. At least he could be truthful about the fact that he inhaled.

[jlake]

52. Yes, but I found his bragging of coke use to be a little off-putting.

[Alexander]

56. Only a total idiot would think Obama bragged about his cocaine use.

[jlake]

62. He wrote of it in a boastful way. Apparently the only time he was cool

in school was when he hung with the stoners. ... and his page in the yearbook boasted of his mj use.

[Alexander]

67. I stand by post #56. You'd have to be an idiot to think he was bragging.

Or you are a dishonest Shillbot who is making things up.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

73. Or a Clinton supporter.

It's easy to tell who they are. They've got the giant sticks up their asses.

[Blue-Jay]

57. Because SOME drugs are worse than others.

[jlake]

61. Of course they are.

[NJSecularist]

58. Bragging of coke use?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Some of you people just live to create something out of nothing.

[jlake]

60. Did you read his book? He boasts of it.

[Alexander]

68. Either post #56 describes you or you are being dishonest.

Pick one.

[BootinUp]

70. disagree.

from the quotes I have read it was not a boast.

[HughMoran]

59. mmmm, pass the spliff

[fadedrose]

64. It's about time

I never used it and to my best knowledge, never even laid eyes on it. But I hear so much about how safe it is and the benefits that I think we should give it a try.

We need to start growing HEMP period, not just for marijuana, but as a cash crop with many many uses.

[eridani]

71. Of course he inhaled! That was the fecking point!

Glad he's caught up to Kucinich on this one.

[MethuenProgressive]

74. This, and the Grateful Dead endorsement, will win him the druggie vote, if...

..they can remember to go vote.

[BlackVelvet04]

76. No HE won't....

congress would have to vote.