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Marijuana
While marijuana is legal for adults in Washington State and will soon be for adults in Colorado under state law, it is still technically illegal under federal law. The federal government could theoretically prosecute newly licensed marijuana retailers, growers, and even regular users in both states. When deciding how to respond the Obama administration should note that a majority of America would oppose federal involvement.
A new HuffPost/YouGov poll found that 51 percent of Americans think that adults who are following their new state laws should be left alone by the federal government. Only 3o percent think the federal government should ignore the new laws and continue enforcing federal marijuana laws as they do in all other states.
This is only the most recent poll since the passage of the two marijuana legalization ballot initiatives which found most Americans want the federal government to leave these states alone. A survey by Public Policy Polling similarly found that 47 percent of Americans voters want President Obama to allow the states to implement their new legalization laws, while just 33 percent want him to use federal resources to try to stop the laws.
In a more general sense the American people overwhelmingly think marijuana policy should be set at the state instead of at the federal level. According to a CBS News poll, 59 percent think marijuana’s legal status should be decided by the individual states and only 34 percent think it should be the job of the federal government.
If the Obama administration wants to respect not only the decision of the voters in Colorado and Washington State but also the will of the electorate nationally, they should take a hands-off approach. As of now, the administration still hasn’t given any real indication of how they plan to proceed.
Photo by marijuana2007b under Creative Commons license.
9 Comments
So Barry’s perfectly happy to get the votes of the 52% of Americans who put him in office but wants to satisfy the 30% who are staunch Bush/GOP supporters when it comes to pot.
Can’t have it both ways, Barry, but since you aren’t gonna run again your true colors will now come out.
Go to hell, Obama. Maybe you can get the seat Reagan is saving for Bush pere.
How is respecting the will of the voters going to get Obama into any new country clubs?
But, but, Mr. O. is all for states’ rights when it comes to marriage equality???
All this evolving is hard work I guess.
“Americans Want Feds to Respect
State Marijuana Legalization Efforts”There. Fixed it for ya.
Now, what?
http://news.yahoo.com/feds-remain-awol-public-pot-smoking-begins-111610927.html
The link poses a question of whether Holder would try to overturn the new CO and WA laws, but how would he do that? Technically aren’t those laws essentially the absence of penalties? Then, how would he require either state to apply a Fed penalty as its own?
OTH it will be an interesting political conundrum as it spreads.
That’s not a good allusion, I’m afraid. “States rights” has always been inconsistent, contradictory, in so many ways.
Nixon outlawed Marijuana and hemp because many opposed the Vietnam war were part of the peace movement and smoked at that time.
We were considered too radical & could overthrow the government in their minds!
Nixon didn’t outlaw it. It was already illegal. He made it a felony though and elevated it to public enemy no.
O is just a cru-el dude. He will side with the nasties every time. Nor will he scruple but to ladle out the unctuous progressive-oid crap for the benefit of his deluded supporters.
Another politican pumpin’ out the piss
another ragged beggar blowin’ you a kiss
B. Dylan