Petition to legalize pot is first to hit White House threshold; ET proposal close

[kpete]

Source: The Hill

Petition to legalize pot is first to hit White House threshold; ET proposal close
By Brendan Sasso

A proposal to legalize marijuana is the first idea on the White House's online petition site to gather enough signatures to break the threshold required to receive an official response.

The White House has promised to evaluate and issue a formal response to any idea that receives more than 5,000 signatures within 30 days. Visitors are free to offer their own proposals.

The first proposal to reach that limit asks, "Isn't it time to legalize and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol? If not, please explain why you feel that the continued criminalization of cannabis will achieve the results in the future that it has never achieved in the past?"

Currently, the fourth and sixth most popular petitions on the site also advocate legalizing marijuana.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/183411-marijuana-legalization-first-online-petition-to-require-white-house-response

[Fumesucker]

1. Oh boy, another chance for Obama to play stand up comic..

I'm sure all the Very Serious People will be laughing right along with him.

[Renew Deal]

2. The same thing happened during the transition.

The stoners drove the legalization issue to the top of the list. The question was answered at the time.

Q: "Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?" S. Man, Denton

A: President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.

http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/open_for_questions_response

[eomer]

10. The stoners?

Don't you mean "people who are in favor of legalizing marijuana"? Some of them, like me, have no desire to use marijuana and favor legalizing it because of the negative effects prohibition has on our society.

The way you said it seems a lot like using a disrespectful nickname for some of your fellow Democrats.

[Renew Deal]

27. I was being silly.

It sounds funnier than "marijuana legalization supporters." :D

[truedelphi]

28. Eomer, count me in with you.

I can't for the life of me use pot, as it makes me sleep for days.

But I do want it legalized.

It already is pretty close to being legal in Calif - one of last things that Gov. Schwartzennegger did, with Mark Leno's help, was to see to it that amounts under an ounce cannot bring about any type of prosecution or persecution.

And already newspapers have articles about how taxes on medical marijuana are keeping vital public servants on the job and paid for.

Marijuana is the largest crop grown in the US borders. Taxing it would add to the government coffers; while prosecuting those who use it costs us tens of billions of dollars a year. (Some try to act as though we need a drug war because of so many Americans using hard drugs, but the fact is that only 5 percent use hard drugs - the other 95% of all drug users are just smoking dope.)

[RoccoR5955]

13. Not just "the stoners."

But also former stoners, and those of us who know that this war on drugs is as futile, as was the war on alcohol.

[bitchkitty]

22. Stoner yoursef, baby.

It's not only recreational - it's medicine. I couldn't eat without it and would have been dead long ago.

The stereotypical "stoner" is not your average pot user. Medicinal use aside, it's the preferred choice for millions over alcohol, which is a true killer drug but legal.

[Scuba]

3. You can also petition to end corporate personhood. K&R

[FreeBillClinton]

4. K&R

[SugarShack]

15. Obama said no to this on the campaign trail....will this finally be one truth of his?

[the other one]

5. Excercise in futility

Obama and Biden are old-school drug warriors.

Change you need to believe in, because it's not gonna really happen in the real world.

[duhneece]

6. Every effort, every baby-step, every opportunity to raise awareness

of the insanity of keeping cannabis illegal for adults IS a good thing. One of these days, our efforts will hit a tipping point. I want to know I am part of those efforts to end these laws that have destroyed and hurt so many lives.

[RainDog]

12. exactly. good on you

eventually the govt. has to accept that people are not going to accept this stupid prohibition.

it's up to people who know this law is wrong to keep reminding the PTB that they lose the respect of the people when they try to pretend this is something other than a way to protect favored industries and target the poor and people of color.

[truedelphi]

29. Former President Bill Clinton said as an aside to a reporter

Back in 2005 that he thought that some President should step to the plate and legalize marijuana.

The reporter added to her account of this, to the effect: "Bill, you were President for eight years, why didn't you do it when you had the chance?"

I think one of the biggest hurdles is that the inside the Beltway, that crowd, lives on booze and prescription drugs, and they are paranoid about there being a bad political reaction to legalizing pot.

But in reality, I think most people favor it being legal.

[Hotler]

7. I'm in favor of legalizing weed, but

it sure would have been nice to see a petition to go after the crooks on Wall St. be the first.

[SixthSense]

30. Well...

people are trying to keep their expectations realistic

[fascisthunter]

8. just let us all smoke and toke... we never harm others

its the most begnin substance out there, less damaging than alcohol. Hemp itself can be used for tons of things that could spur job growth and textile manufacturing here in the US. The war on marijuana would need less fundung, less criminals in the justice system and jail... come on, it is a no brainer!

[Lint Head]

9. The savings would repair the economy. Billions are wasted on the war on drugs

related to pot.

The police could stop arresting people for pot and just arrest them for photographing cops beating people up.

[jwirr]

11. They really make you jump through hopes to even be able to sign

the petitions. I fill the thing out to join and they reject it and I absolutely hate those idiot words/letters you are supposed to copy - usually have at least one letter that could be anything. I will try again.

[RainDog]

14. you have to register with an email address and a zip code, that's all

and then you have to verify that the email address actually exists by clicking on the register link in your email.

that's just to keep people from spamming - and not as many "hoops" as many other less important sites ask.

[jwirr]

21. Okay - I did all that and I got the email and I am supposed to click the

url in the letter which is not they type you can click on - I am waiting for my grandson to come to help me cut and paste so I can answer it. Not all Democrats are computer savvy. I am 69 years old and when there is something different needing to be done I need help. But then no one ever thinks about that as long as they know how to use it.

[RainDog]

24. you can copy and paste the url into your browser address box

(the long rectangle that shows you where you are, online, at the top of your browser window.

then hit "return." that will also take you to the page.

hope this helps. if not, I won't be back here till tomorrow, but I'll check back to see if it worked out for you.

[Trillo]

16. Not just to sign, but also to view.

In order to view the content or the petitions, browser scripting has to be turned on, additionally cross site scripting for "addthis" must be allowed.

Because cross site scripting must be allowed, it appears as an insecure page, sharing information with third parties, in spite of its HTTPS protocol.

[Duer 157099]

18. I'm glad I'm not the only one left who cares about such things

The number of sites I cannot or will not visit keeps increasing due to such constraints.

[RainDog]

19. well, since I went there, another 10k people have signed the petition

honestly, if people want info about me badly enough, they'll get it.

but if people keep silent about this issue - no one in govt feels pressure to respond.

as I've noted in the past, more people in California voted to legalize medical marijuana than voted for Bill Clinton.

this is a criminal justice fairness issue.

this is a waste of taxpayer dollars issue.

this is a nanny-state issue.

this is inhibition of fair trade issue.

it's not just about the stereotypical stoner.

[Uncle Joe]

17. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[Politicalboi]

20. I would have thought

Legalization of pot would have been before gays in the military. And it's not just "stoners" it's also med patients too.

[RainDog]

26. exactly. it's about people getting to make the best medical choices for themselves

rather than having a pharma co. get favorable status when you need a medicine.

that just shows you how much money some of the corrupt in power are making - the fact that the majority of Americans OVERWHELMINGLY approve of medical marijuana, yet just this year this administration said there is no medical benefit - which is a lie - tells you someone is making money on prohibition and is working hard to keep this product away from people who could benefit.

that's what's criminal.

I want to see more research into the cancer-killing properties of cannabis - so far results have been really promising. but the DEA wants to be able to act as your doctor.

[Myrina]

23. ET proposal? Googly eyed aliens want marriage legalized?

:shrug: WTF?

[Hoosier Daddy]

25. K&R to THAT!

[glowing]

31. And we knew it would.. Every time they do a survey or question the President, the topic

rises quickly to the top. Its just stupid to continue on with the "drug war"; especially concerning Marijuana. Instead of spending money, the Govt could be collecting tax revenue. Instead of dealing with violent cartels, the govt could be dealing with friendly mom and pop growers and small dispensaries that collect lots of revenue... AND the customer has a regulated product that is tested and doesn't contain any "extras" mixed in OR isn't sold a bag of Oregano.