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Barack Obama on Marijuana
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• Obama has publicly admitted to using illegal drugs in the past. “Junkie. Pothead. That’s where I’d been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man,” He wrote in his 1995 book, ‘Dreams of my Father.’ • Obama stated, "Ok, look, you know, when I was a kid, I inhaled frequently. That was the point." • He believes that if the best way to relieve pain and suffering is through use of medicinal marijuana then it's something 'he's open to'. • Obama pledged to end medical marijuana raids in the 12 states that allow medical marijuana use. • He has stated that there is no difference between medical marijuana and morphine when it comes to just giving people relief from pain. • Concerning medical marijuana Obama stated in March 2008, "When it comes to medical marijuana, I have more of a practical view than anything else. My attitude is that if it's an issue of doctors prescribing medical marijuana as a treatment for glaucoma or as a cancer treatment, I think that should be appropriate because there really is no difference between that and a doctor prescribing morphine or anything else. I think there are legitimate concerns in not wanting to allow people to grow their own or start setting up mom and pop shops because at that point it becomes fairly difficult to regulate. I'm not familiar with all the details of the initiative that was passed (Oregon Medical Marijuana Act) and what safeguards there were in place, but I think the basic concept that using medical marijuana in the same way, with the same controls as other drugs prescribed by doctors, I think that's entirely appropriate. I would not punish doctors if it's prescribed in a way that is appropriate. That may require some changes in federal law. I will tell you that...the likelihood of that being real high on my list is not likely. What I'm not going to be doing is using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue simply because I want folks to be investigating violent crimes and potential terrorism. We've got a lot of things for our law enforcement officers to deal with." • Obama believes the disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated. • He would give first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs designed in changing bad behavior. |
