President Obama: “Legalizing marijuana… is not a good strategy for growing our economy”
Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 12:10 pm | By: Radical Russ
The more than 92,000 people who responded either have Cheech and Chong senses of humor or there is a deep concern in America — undetected by the media — about the decriminalization of marijuana, its possible use for medicinal purposes and its potential as a new source of tax revenue.
Given the opportunity to say what’s really on their minds without going through the filter of the mainstream media, people “buzzed up” a series of questions that seemed to suggest broad interest in legalizing marijuana and taxing it.
In this moment of national economic crisis, the top four questions under the heading of “Financial security” concerned marijuana; on the budget, people voted up questions about marijuana to positions 1-4; marijuana was in the first and third positions under “jobs”; people boosted a plug for legalizing marijuana to No. 2 under “health care reform.” And questions about decriminalizing pot occupied spots 1 and 2 under “green jobs and energy.”
After taking questions lower on the list, Obama addressed the pot issue head on, noting the huge number of questions about marijuana legalization and remarking with a chuckle, “I don’t know what that says about the online audience.”
“The answer is no, I don’t think that is a good strategy to grow our economy,” he said, as the audience in the room applauded and joined him in a laugh.
Yeah, it’s only $41,000,000,000 a year we’re talking about. That’s only less than 1/4th of a taxpayer-funded AIG bailout, so it’s not like we’re talking about real money here. And there is something funny about the online community… we were a large part of your electoral success. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
Whether legalizing marijuana would grow our economy is an added benefit, but a moot point. The question is whether the next eighteen-year-old Barry Obama smoking pot with his buddies should be arrested and have to carry a drug conviction for life. The question is whether the next twenty-one-year-old Barry Obama should’ve gone to community college instead of Harvard because the government wouldn’t give him student loans because of his pot conviction. The question is whether the next thirty-four-year-old Barry Obama watching his mother die of cancer should have to risk arrest to get her the medical marijuana her doctor recommends.
Call President Obama at 202-456-1111 and tell him you don’t think this issue is a joke and you resent him treating it as if it were. Thirty years ago, he could’ve been just as busted as any of us.
CNN today: Obama will consider Legalizing Marijuana with 1 million votes !! Call 973-409-3274 & Vote !!! Email & Text this message to all your friends & family !! AMERICA needs the BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in taxes this could produce!!
420.24.7
Betcha a doob that if the 1st lady had the appropriate sickness she would be “inhaling” some presidential quality meds via presidential order.
Think he would watch another loved one suffer again like his mother?
Once attached, those puppet strings must get awful tight.
I also support Kevin’s idea of a snail mail letter post dated on 4/20. Great idea! (the first comment on this thread) One letter each and watch ‘em try to wiggle around the real stats.
Heck, even the Post Office would see a huge blip in volume and that alone may become a news item bringing the true numbers into perspective.
Let’s do it!
plus obama I thought was going to pull out the troops, then 17thousand more to Afgan, what should we expect from bush’s cousin?. RON PAUL FOR LIFE!
It’s a sad day when you look into the eyes of a leader for an anwser……and then he cuts off your head.
VIVA LA REVOLUTION!
We need Ron Paul,
illuminati apparently dosnt want us to have any trees dude…
Yeah I love how Barack Obama has all the faith in these “Open For Questions” and believes the internet campaign is the way of the future. But yet he shuns and ridicules the VERY PEOPLE HE TARGETS!
Obama YOU are the one who asked US what we wanted to know, now we ask and you laugh at us? W….T….F…..
Oh, didn’t you know? We’re trolls. We stuffed the ballot box so they don’t pay us any mind. Yeah right.
IRONIC – Obama refers to the voters as the “online community” I am curious to know what other mass opinion Obama is recieving. I didn’t realize that the only people allowed to vote on marijuana questions were to be considered to be apart of some low-life click of potheads, that being the only people to have access to the world wide web.
I told you so comes to mind regarding our new president. I voted for Ron Paul!
This along with yesterday’s raid spells “Business as usual”…man,I wish I could have my campaign donation back.
Look at this video, Obama clearly says “I am open to the Idea of Medical Marijuana, it is no different then morphine”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFddamg-ez8
Uhuu, ANOTHER F*CKING LIE!
I didn’t vote for Obama and I didn’t vote for McCain. I voted Libertarian. My horse didn’t win.
That said, I am the kind of person to hitch my wagon to the winning horse and do everything I can to support that horse. After all, despite our differences on topics ranging from legalizing marijuana to second ammendment rights to healthcare reform, we are still one country, one family. We need to help each other individually, to be strong, as a whole.
Today, however, I lost all confidence in the winning horse. When I and my fellow Americans (and not a small minority I might add) are brushed off and laughed at the way we were today, its hard to feel like your part of the family.
Thats OK Mr. President. Yuck it up. This WILL come back to bite you. When your sitting there the day after the next Presidential election and wondering, “what happened?” it will come back to you.
Dakota Gold
President Obama isn’t Head Dude in Charge of the Economy.
“The economy” is not a system that’s run by one person. It’s the sum total of over 100 million Americans who get up every day and go to work. Most of them work hard for modest pay–or less–in order to do things that other people find valuable. Supply and demand, you know.
Obama is not “the head of the economy;” he’s President of the United States. I want him to uphold the Constitution. (Where does it say the feds can ban drugs in the Constitution? Get back to me when you find it.) I want him to enforce the laws that are (constitutionally) on the books. I would also like him to conduct himself–and conduct public affairs–in a way that is consistent with fair play, decency, and liberty.
Yes, I’m sure marijuana legalization would improve the economy. We’d have fewer wasted resources, fewer ruined lives, more productive people in the work force, and a new industry with the potential for serious growth.
But, more importantly, we’d have a more just country.
President Obama, our right to liberty is not contingent on your opinion. For the sake of your own dignity and integrity, you should respect our rights as Americans. Even so, I’m not holding my breath.
Set it up Kevin and keep us posted!!!!!
Obama laughs at the notion of legalization, well here’s to another 4 years of being a criminal, cheers *lighter sparks.
Funny thing bout that online audience, those were the voices of his FELLOW CITIZENS! It looks like the only “change” prezy-B brought to the US government is the color used in the presidential portrait! Same BS, different voice man this government sucks!
Sorry had to get that off my chest watched that speech live and almost choked my monitor, snuck out fer smoke break
The O’man is obviously stifled by the money he won’t get if he looks “soft” on the subject. But to shovel the #1 question into one little joke and a snide answer….
This in contrast to his comment on the border about an equal footing for “health issue status” existing alongside “enforcement” (accent on the “force” part). Hillary also indicated this change yesterday.
Can we be hopeful when we get snubbed by BO for convenience? The staff who reviewed probably thought “stoner ballot stuffing”. Like MrSpof was sitting at home all night voting often.
Arghhhhhhhh
I hate government not being “by the people”. Tell King O to take off his imperial crown and listen to the people dammit!
OK, This bullshit!!
Mr. President, for trivializing and mocking a huge part of society, and portraying “online audience” as a bunch of stoners, you deserve an avalanch of real letters sent and postmarked on 4/20. Maybe a room full of letters clearly marked on the outside in a common way would get your attention.
Readers: Watch for a printable letter that you can print and mail on 4/20 with your signatures on them. If I have to I will set something up. PEACE@nycap.rr.com
Kevin Jones