And again, Medical Marijuana is treated like a giant joke by the White House.

[Warren DeMontague]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/20/obama-medical-marijuana_n_3786350.html

"Har! Har! Oh, you scallywag! I never would have guessed such a ludicrous question to come from you, you... heh heh... heh... okay, moving on, next!"


Yeah, it's all a giant fucking joke. Unless you're a granny trying to ease your chemo nausea with a pot brownie, in which case it's deadly serious when they send the helicopters and SWAT teams in to drag you off to prison in your wheelchair.

[dotymed]

1. It is never mentioned

that disabled people, arrested for these horrific felonies (trying to survive) lose their disability......

[n2doc]

2. Medical MJ doesn't give campaign contributions

Prison industry does. That's all DC cares about.

[Civilization2]

3. laughing off sending people to prison for years, destroying families, ruining lives,. yeah "funny".

NO plant should be illegal,. it is a friggin' flower.

Big-pharma and law-enforcement are to blame.

[bunnies]

9. Can you show me where something was "laughed off"...

I cant find what you found in the article.

edit: I just watched the video. Is the surprised reaction to the question what you mean?

[Civilization2]

14. Seriously? Like every time it comes up! Big-Pharm together with Big-DEA keep this the case,.

Here is one example; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/26/obama-takes-pot-legalizat_n_179563.html

Despite the president's flippant comments today, the grievous harms of marijuana prohibition are no laughing matter. Certainly, the 800,000 people arrested last year on marijuana charges find nothing funny about it, nor do the millions of Americans struggling in this sluggish economy. It would be an enormous economic stimulus if we stopped wasting so much money arresting and locking people up for nonviolent drug offenses and instead brought in new tax revenue from legal sales, just as we did when ended alcohol prohibition 75 years ago during the Great Depression.

[tridim]

4. Full legalization is the goal, the WH has already said they are discussing the CO and WA situations.

This administration is scientifically based. They have done nothing that would lead me to believe that's not true. Those that pay close attention know the administration is way past the content of the Gupta doc. Moving forward, not sideways or back.

[SHRED]

7. "moving forward" "way past" and "done nothing"??

Obama Administration Has Spent Nearly $300 Million Cracking Down On Medical Marijuana

An analysis from pro-medical marijuana group Americans For Safe Access found that President Barack Obama's administration has spent nearly $300 million on combatting medical marijuana in states that have legalized the drug.

The report calculates the total amount of federal spending on medical marijuana intervention at $289 million over Obama's four-and-a-half years in the White House. According to the analysis, the Drug Enforcement Administration alone spent 4 percent of its budget in 2011 and 2012 cracking down on medical marijuana across 20 states. Taken as a whole, Obama's participation makes up the majority of what ASA says is a $483 million war of lawsuits, indictments and asset forfeiture attempts waged by the Department of Justice under the past three presidents.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/13/obama-medical-marijuana_n_3437636.html

[tridim]

8. Which has exactly nothing to do with the goal of full legalization.

And try to find a link that describes the details of that $300 million number. It will drive you mad.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. "discussing the CO and WA situations" - the election was almost a year ago.

Here's what they've done- they've gone in and raided medical marijuana facilities in WA since then... They have more or less "left CO alone"... why? Because CO is a swing state. Period. That's my guess.

Their "discussions" on legalization have- to my mind- most likely been how to shut it down without making lots of voters mad. They haven't been able to come up with a way to do that (since there isn't one) so they've just been silent.

I hope you're right, but I don't think you are. If you ARE right, eventually the Administration is going to have to take a brave stand and actually come out and say something on the matter.

[geckosfeet]

5. I ain't no granny - maybe I could qualify as a grand-dad - but I am not a dad

But I am going in for chemo treatment #6 out of 12 today and I can say from firsthand experience that pot relieves the chemo related nausea. It is fast, efficient and I don't have to swallow pills every 4-6 hours.

Plus it is a great help in sleeping and offers some pain relief.

There must be thousands of medically documented cases similar to mine. Why the medical community and congress cannot do something for people who prefer this drug over synthetic drugs is a real mind bender.

The fact that they don't take it seriously is insulting, demeaning and discounts thousands of personal first hand experiences as not valid.

[Javaman]

6. the basic issue as to why pot is still illegal...

because people can grow their own. Thus, keeping obscene profits out of the hands of the pharmacorps.

[bunnies]

10. To be fair...

it seems that the laugh was in response to his surprise at the question. Messing around with the reporter, it seems?

[Warren DeMontague]

11. It's a pattern, whereby these aren't considered "serious" questions. Like the issue is one big joke.

Same way Obama handled the fact that the overwhelming leader in the WH online polls for issues to be addressed, was marijuana legalization. It was treated like some silly prank put on by stoned kids in a dorm room.

Why would the WH press secretary find this question "surprising"? Maybe you should ask yourself that.

[bunnies]

12. Not knowing the reporter who asked the question,

I couldnt say why it would be surprising coming from him. Maybe the WH is caught off guard that reporters are taking the question seriously. I have hope for this issue yet. They'll have to face it soon, I think.

[Warren DeMontague]

13. I agree.

but again, to be "caught off guard that reporters are taking the question seriously" - that says something, right there.

[bunnies]

16. Definitely.

I gave him a pass on this until the 2nd term based on the predictable RW froth of "a black guy decriminalizes / legalizes weed". But I dont want any more fucking around by this Administration on this issue. When even his choice of Surgeon General comes out in favor of Cannabis as medicine, its time to cut the bullshit and do the right thing by the people of this country. Clock is ticking and its way past time, imho.

[Warren DeMontague]

17. Yeah, it's like LGBT marriage equality, which he did take a brave unequivocal stand on eventually.

about time.

[bunnies]

18. Exactly. Yes.

Heres to hoping for another "evolution".

[questionseverything]

19. not gonna happen today

today current admins doj is busy defending the war criminals