Marijuana question sky-rockets to top of new White House petition site

[Ohio Joe]

A petition to legalize and regulate marijuana quickly jumped to the top of a the White House's online petition site on Thursday, the first same day it was launched.

The petition, on the White House's "We the People" site, 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?"

The White House has promised to issue an official response for any petition that gets at least 5,000 signatures within 30 days. As of Thursday night, the marijuana petition already had more than 10,000 signatures.

The petition was created and promoted by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/09/22/marijuana-question-sky-rockets-to-top-of-new-white-house-petition-site/

About time.

[in_cog_ni_to]

1. Awesome. For some idiotic reason, BO has a real issue with pot.

I just don't get it.

I tried following the link on Rawstory to the petition, but it wouldn't work. I'd love to sign that! Legalizing Marijuana is LONG overdue. I'll keep trying. :)

[meow mix]

2. yah i also tried to register and sign... and it wouldnt let me. errors as a fix for this outrage?

:rofl:
wow they are real desperate to avoid pot discussion.

[tridim]

3. It is ONLY because he wants to get reelected.

Scheduling changes will have to happen after 2012, as I've been predicting since 2008 BTW.

As long as the polls remain under 50% for legalization he'll be with the people. Legalizing now would be like giving the Republicans a nuclear bomb to use against him.

If the hemp bill is signed by Gov Brown in CA, that will be the catalyst for Federal changes after the election.

[Upton]

5. Medical marijuana is above 50%..

an example: http://elections.firedoglake.com/2010/04/05/pew-poll-73-favor-legalizing-medical-marijuana/ marijuana

Yet, Obama continues to raid dispensaries at a rate greater than the Bush administration.

And your assertion that there will be a rescheduling of pot if Obama is reelected is just plain nonsense. The status quo will prevail, as both major parties are pushing and riding the drug war gravy train..

[tridim]

8. It is above 50% in some states.

Below 50% in others.

And Obama's fed is not raiding dispensaries at a greater rate than before 2008. That is a myth.

I lived the MMJ biz for years in CO, and it is simply not true. The few raids I saw were state initiated for basic illegal practices and tax evasion. It had nothing to do with Obama's fed.

[Upton]

11. A "myth" ??.....Take it up with ASA..

In October 2009, the Justice Department declared that prosecuting medical-marijuana users and caregivers who clearly comply with state laws was not a wise use of its resources. That declaration has dominated public perception of President Barack Obama's policy on the issue -- minimal progress, but a welcome improvement on his predecessors.

In reality, however, the Obama administration has attacked medical-marijuana providers on several fronts. Since January 2010, it has staged more than 90 raids on dispensaries and growers, according to figures collected by the patient-advocacy group Americans for Safe Access. That represents a pace double the Bush administration's, says ASA spokesperson Kris Hermes.

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=6471

And while we're at it, lets revisit Obama's campaign promise:

"I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users. It's not a good use of our resources."

http://granitestaters.com/candidates/barack_obama.html

[tridim]

12. Yes, it's a myth

First off, note that dispensaries have exploded in number since 2008. That skews the numbers a lot.

Secondly, the article states specifically why the dispensaries were raided, usually because they were breaking STATE law.

If a dispensary is breaking the law, the owners should be arrested and prosecuted. Most are prosecuted by the state for breaking state law, not by Obama's Fed.

[Upton]

13. The feds have raided dispensaries here in Washington state..

Police and federal agents conducted another raid on medical marijuana dispensaries Wednesday, bringing the total to seven since late April in the Spokane area.

The raids come as U.S. Attorneys in Washington have reiterated federal stances on the distribution of medical marijuana, which is legal to use under state law.

Backers of medical marijuana had managed to get a measure approved by the Legislature that they say would bring the voter-approved medical marijuana system out of a legal grey area. But Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed the measure, saying that it put state workers at risk.

The Spokesman-Review reports that in April federal prosecutors sent letters to dispensaries in the Spokane area to shut down or face enforcement. Most of the 40 dispensaries complied.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015090947_apwamedicalmarijuanaraids.html

Thanks to Obama's feds and Gregroire's subsequent cowardice in refusing to stand up to them, the MM industry in this state is in worst shape than at anytime since the initiative was first passed in 1998. Something I can attest to myself as all the dispensaries in my particular county have now been shut down..

Now, you can try to spin it all you like, but the truth is, for those of us who care about access to medical cannabis, President Obama has done a 180 since the campaign and has been a major disappointment..

[theaocp]

33. Fuckin-A.

Some like to think he AGAIN cannot do something due to outside considerations and then wonder why there's so much goddamn flak in the aftermath. You play defense all the time and wonder there's a perception of weakness? Vraiment? I'm sure he would give a fuck if somebody he CARED ABOUT could be helped with MMJ. If I had some extra money, I'd send him some fucking comfortable shoes to walk with them.

[NOMOREDRUGWAR]

36. I want to move to California and get a pot card

I used pot in college and loved it. I don't really have a qualifying reason to get it but I know friends who have gotten it and they say it's pretty easy. I don't want my name to end up in some state database however that can be used against me later? Is it confidential?

[Fly by night]

30. I seem to remember your posting on DU a while back that CO dispensaries were not being raided.

Oops. They are now, and it's not for breaking state laws.

In fact, one of the CO labs set up to test for purity, potency and contamination of medical cannabis for state-licensed patients and dispensaries has ALSO been raided by the DEA recently.

If state laws are being broken, let state agencies do the raiding. The fact that it is the DEA doing the dirty deed says it all.

[theaocp]

34. Narcs are NOT to be trusted. NONE of them.

They are not human, nor worthy of respect. They take pride in hiding behind a badge and someone else's illegitimate authority. If there is a sliding scale for career admiration, narcs rank below zero. Am I being clear enough?

[RainDog]

16. no. across ALL political lines, 68% of Americans want medical mj to be legal.

the difference is between social conservatives in both parties (and more of them are republican) and the rest of the nation.

social conservatives are the minority on this issue, however, and have been for a long, long time.

And, as I've noted so many times - more people in CA voted to make medical mj legal than voted for Clinton in 1996. More than a decade ago.

So, no, the problem with this issue is that there are certain industries that have strong lobbies and they don't want this issue on the table. And politicians who allow this to be more important than not putting people in jail are, honestly, in the same camp with those people in Georgia who just executed an innocent man.

whether they accept this knowledge about themselves or not. the rest of us know this is true about them.

[tridim]

17. That's great, but I thought we were talking about full legalization.

It's going to hit 51% nationally soon, maybe next year, which would be like the stars aligning. 2012 is the year.

[theaocp]

35. Pi in the sky. n/t

[RainDog]

38. people can understand that legalization of medical mj means several things

in relation to the issue of prohibition in the U.S.

recognizing the medical benefit of cannabis means that it should immediately be moved out of schedule 1 - which could be done with the stroke of a pen. The Attn Gen. could do this tomorrow, and should - but won't. but medical benefits have been obvious for more than 30 years.

this recognition/rescheduling issue means full legalization is about whether or not we want to favor certain substances, like alcohol, and prohibit others, like cannabis, without any basis for such prohibition in reality - b/c the reality is that cannabis is safer than alcohol - or cigarettes, for that matter.

the propaganda that has surrounded the issue of legalization is based upon the assumption of "zero benefit." When this is obviously untrue, the issue of full legalization, again, becomes one of playing favorites with one industry v. another.

If Americans were presented with evidence, or rather, WHEN Americans are presented with evidence that indicates the value to society of ending prohibition, the majority of Americans are smart enough to move from the "okay, I get this" position of legalizing medical marijuana because of its obvious benefits to people with certain illnesses to a move to full legalization. This is what the numbers mean - that Americans are ready for the federal govt to stop this racist prohibition.

In spite of this move in public opinion, however, the Obama administration has increased the number of arrests related to cannabis policy. In spite of the decades of medical evidence, the administration has continued to claim there is no medical benefit. The administration is on the wrong side of history with this issue and if they can't lead, they should at least not hinder the move toward greater fairness in the application of the law.

[gateley]

6. Purely political, IMO. nt

[musiclawyer]

31. Out here in CA

I would bet that more people smoke or vaporize bud than drink wine
There is still a big beer market but that's mostly boomers who are leaving us and getting sicker and they now slowly turn to bud ( as medicine)
Helps you sleep, great sex, no hangover, no side effects, no impaired judgment ( unlike alcohol) You still remember to take out the trash and lock the door and NOT drive. Heck I know two doctors whose main choice of recreation is bud not liquor. Very good herb it is.

[SwampG8r]

32. he admitted to using it

so he must always be a super fighter against it
every ex pothead holding office does the same
i guess it deflects from the previous usage issues

[droidamus2]

4. Saw this same story on another site

and what really bugged me was the writer pointed out that this question and another couple of pot questions were in the top ten. Okay so far, but then in the next to last paragraph (at least in the version I saw) he mentions that one of the questions in the top 20 was that the President should admit that aliens from another planet are among us. I see this as some dweeb writers attempt to discredit the legitimate question of whether pot should be legalized by connecting it to what most people would classify as a 'wacko' question (hey they could be here but most people don't see that as a legitimate question). This is why pot legalization is so hard to get through peoples heads. The media and the government refuse to treat it as a serious question (and they lie through their teeth about the effects of smoking pot) then laugh and spout talking point propaganda that people just eat up.

[yurbud]

7. respond or ACT? This petition site is a step in the right direction

if they actually do anything with it.

[jwirr]

9. From what I could see there are about 5 petitions regarding legalization

and I would think that they would be better served if they were combined. I assume the people who look at these will have enough sense to combine the totals.

[NorthCarolina]

10. Criminalization helps keep unemployment numbers lower than they would be otherwise, plus it makes

LOTS of $$$$$$$$ for the private prison industry. Don't expect to see any real effort in DC to decriminalize and regulate it any time soon.

[DLine]

14. Signed... Heres the link

This thing I think will easily have 50,000 signatures within a few days.
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/legalize-and-regulate-marijuana-manner-similar-alcohol/y8l45gb1

Here is another one I signed in support of industrial hemp.
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/allow-industrial-hemp-be-grown-us-once-again/V2gV7rWy

[GoneOffShore]

15. Legalization YES - Regulation NO!

[sarcasmo]

18. Tax it and Legalize it.

[Fly by night]

19. After an hour of TRYING to sign in to sign this petition, here's the message I got:

Our Apologies
This Section of our site is currently undergoing maintenance
We appreciate your patience while we make some improvements
Please check back shortly

Hope? Change? Bull. Shit.

[piratefish08]

20. bull-fucking-shit.......

[Fly by night]

21. Tried again. Here's the new message I got:

404 Page Not Found
The page you're looking for is currently unavailable to view

We've been upgrading our site. It is possible that this page has been moved or renamed. You can use your browser's Back button to return to the previous page, go to the homepage, or you can browse or search for the information you're looking for.

If you think that you have reached this page due to an error on our part, please let us know.
------------

I think the "error on my part" occurred in 2008. Fool me once ....

[piratefish08]

22. renamed alright. renamed to "oops. we meant questions we are comfortable addressing"

[Upton]

23. Keep trying...I just got in..

the petition now has 25,595 signatures.

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/legalize-and-regulate-marijuana-manner-similar-alcohol/y8l45gb1

[Fly by night]

25. Clicked on your link. Got this message:

Our Apologies
This Section of our site is currently undergoing maintenance
We appreciate your patience while we make some improvements
Please check back shortly


Damn, it must be tough to pretend you give a shite what the voters think these days.

The Audacity of Nope.

[RainDog]

39. It works for me. Now up to more than 27k signatures. n/t

[Fly by night]

24. Tried one last time. Got this:

A request to reset the password for your account has been made at The White House.

You may now log in to wwws.whitehouse.gov by clicking on this link or copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/user/reset/686263/1316866760/bc07540485afa249d840449fe013c710

This is a one-time login, so it can be used only once. It expires after one day and nothing will happen if it's not used.

After logging in, you should visit
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/user/686263/edit so you can change your password.
----

SO ... I tried to log in this way and got:

Error 404 Page Not Found.
----

SO ... I tried cut-and-paste one more time and got:

A page that allows me to receive weekly "updates" from the White House BUT does not allow me to sign the petition or change my password. I guess "updates" is newspeak for -- vote for us (again), we don't suck as bad as the other guyz and galz. Maybe, but that's not what I was trying (and trying and trying ...) to do this morning.

Fuck this. If others are having the same experience as me, it's likely this question would already be over 50,000 signees. It shows 25,000+ already -- five times more than is needed to have this question asked (again) to the President.

Back to the Garden. I've never gotten a "404" message from my Goddess yet.

[Arkansas Granny]

28. I just now went to the site, created an account and signed the petition.

It took all of 3 minutes, if that long.

[JesterCS]

26. the website is being hammered n/t

[Fly by night]

29. I emailed NORML officials about my problem. Here's the reply I got back from a NORML board member:

"Yep. I tried yesterday and am still waiting on the confirmation email from the site so I can respond."

So it's not just me.

[JesterCS]

27. Seems to be back up.. and now at 25k+ signatures n/t

[Shagbark Hickory]

37. It's high time for an answer!

:silly:

[Upton]

40. Kick for visibility..

petition now has almost 29,000 signatures..

[Warren DeMontague]

41. Watch them ignore it or treat it like a big joke.

LEGALIZE, REGULATE AND TAX IT. NOW.

[DLine]

43. Next petition will be...

A petition for the President to actually take the marijuana issue seriously.

[DLine]

42. Looks like it just hit 30,000 signatures.. link

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/legalize-and-regulate-marijuana-manner-similar-alcohol/y8l45gb1