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Obama opposes legalizing marijuana

Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:17 PM EDT
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Associated Press
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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama had some fun with at least one question at his online town hall, saying he doesn't think legalizing marijuana is a good strategy for turning around the economy.

Obama told the audience Thursday that one of the most popular questions was whether legalization of the illicit drug would help pull the nation out of the recession. The president jokingly said: "I don't know what this says about the online audience."

In a serious response, he said he didn't think that was a good economic policy.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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steelerFan-995262

Looks like Obama doesn't Realize that this is a serious matter that WE THE PEOPLE want serious discussions about.

  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:41 PM EDT
blackcat-77-1

I guess he hasn't noticed how much gets spent both ON pot from foreign sources and in COMBATING the importation and sales of pot as well as the costs of imprisoning people who use it. Legalizing marijuana would be an instant change from billions in spending to billions in revenue.

  • 1 vote
Reply#2 - Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:47 PM EDT
Pacific Northwest Blogger

Thinking the administration will "legalize" it while there's a border war with Mexican drug cartel's is pretty naive guys.

  • 1 vote
Reply#3 - Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:40 PM EDT
steelerFan-995262

Oh don't get me wrong, this early in his presidency to even discuss such a controversial subject would be career suicide, I fully understand that. Still I have to criticize him for not being a man and considering a very plausible and possibly rewarding change for the US and its people.

  • 1 vote
#3.1 - Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:51 PM EDT
Pacific Northwest Blogger

I think the best you can hope for from the government or any administration for decades would be decriminalization for pot - only pot. The war on drugs has conditioned average American's into thinking pot is a hard drug, a gateway drug. That conditioning would need to be overcome. The best path I can envision would be for the government to actually have dialog with other countries that have decriminalized (not legalized) it and show how crime has dropped, people are healthier, happier, et.

The other way would be financial, if the Government understands that putting people in prison for pot is not economical...

  • 1 vote
#3.2 - Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:10 PM EDT
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