Will Obama Ever Support Legalizing Marijuana? 5 Potential Scenarios

[bobandtorey]

President Obama will probably support medical marijuana one day, and perhaps even the full legalization of marijuana. Obama himself was once a heavy smoker and he turned out alright, but as President, Obama has been very cautious with causes of the left wing. He has preferred to position himself as a centrist on issues such as gay rights, marijuana and health care.

 

On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said that President Obama “does not at this point advocate a change in [marijuana] law.” The “at this point,” turned a few heads, but unless there is something imminent, it’s unlikely that Obama gathered his spokespeople together to say, “Hey, I’m going to come out for medical marijuana in a year or two, but don’t tell anyone right now, but it's okay to vaguely hint at it.”

 

However, Obama is aware of the shifting public opinion on marijuana—multiple polls have found a majority of Americans support the idea that marijuana be legalized, taxed and regulated like alcohol—and this viewpoint may mirror the President’s personal beliefs.

So, when will Obama evolve on marijuana? Here are the 5 most likely scenarios:

 

1)      Obama Bong Rips Apart The Status Quo: support for full legalization of marijuana while he is still President.

This is included for completeness sake. Obama is probably far too cautious and worried about painting Democrats into a corner for the 2016 race to endorse full legalization. Get back to me when those poll numbers climb up to 60% for marijuana legalization.

 

2)      Obama Lets Colorado and Washington Pass the J: support for states that have legalized marijuana.

This could actually happen while Obama is still President. He could frame it as a states’ rights issue, combined with an acknowledgment of changing times and a failed War on Drugs. It’s unlikely that anything involving Congress could make it into law, but Obama could act within his administration to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I drugs. The fact that Obama has not come out against Colorado and Washington already indicates that this may happen while he is in office.

 

3)      Obama Says You Can Hit The Pipe With A Doctor’s Note: support only for medical marijuana

It seems inevitable, given that 20 states have legalized medical marijuana, and that 77% of the public supports medical marijuana, that Obama will one day support medical marijuana. It’s the sort of politically dicey thing that Obama always goes into reluctantly, but it would inject some life into the Democratic party on an issue that would make Republicans seem old and out of touch with what the country wants. Expect that chess move in 2015.

 

4)      Obama Rolls One With The Pages Of His Post-Presidency Book: supports some of the above after his presidency.

Like many politicians who start speaking truth to power when they are no longer in power, Obama might wait until someone else has his job before the real opinions come out. Obama might come out for marijuana legalization in sentence three of paragraph nine of chapter four of I Was President And You Weren’t, available on your Kindle in 2018.

 

5)      Obama Just Says No

It is possible that Obama and his spokespeople simply spend the next three years deflecting these questions. Maybe he really does think marijuana should remain illegal for medical purposes or otherwise, or he just doesn’t feel like answering questions about a sticky topic that he doesn’t see much political upside in. It’s possible, but given Obama’s previous statements, gradual leftward shift, marijuana’s ever-increasing support, this is not the most likely option. My money is on options 2 or 3.

 

 

http://www.carbonated.tv/news/will-obama-ever-support-legalizing-marijuana-5-potential-scenarios

[imiubu]

I'll go w/ number 4 LOL

 

4)      Obama Rolls One With The Pages Of His Post-Presidency Book: supports some of the above after his presidency.

Like many politicians who start speaking truth to power when they are no longer in power, Obama might wait until someone else has his job before the real opinions come out. Obama might come out for marijuana legalization in sentence three of paragraph nine of chapter four of I Was President And You Weren’t, available on your Kindle in 2018.

 

Now that is just plain funny, imho!

[Kingdiamond]

No he will not make cannabis legal its going to take a civil war type of occurrence that finally turns the tide on cannabis prohibition whereas a state that has legalized it for recreational use by adults files suit against the DEA  and the Justice department.

[t-pain]

yeah sorry, remember all those articles and people saying 'obama would be better on marijuana after the 2012 elections' ?

 

now we have a year and a half more of medical marijuana prosecutions.

hes not going to go easy on medical, he wont go easy on recreational.

 

all making whoopee baloney.

 

obama was for 'hope and change' but instead has been 'more of the same'.

 

i wonder if the downside of legalizing is that the pharma/oil/prison/cops/cartels will all funnel  money into republicans and screw the democratic party forever ?

 

obama needs to stop the bloodiest war. the cartels are corrupting the planet.

the banks are helping the cartels but banning the medical marijuana. funny huh?

 

i guess option 2, but only on his last day in office.

thats the only thing he might possibly do. but i have my doubts.

Edited August 23, 2013 by t-pain

[pergamum362]

Obama is a puppet. The last president who started to speak out was shot in the head.

 

Edit: spelling

Edited August 23, 2013 by pergamum362

[Beans]

obama needs to stop the bloodiest war. the cartels are corrupting the planet.

the banks are helping the cartels but banning the medical marijuana. funny huh?

 

Yeah Funny!

how this has been going on for decades but

Obama has to stop the cartels ?

Seems like a bipartisan issue to me although many try to make it something else

.

[bobandtorey]

No he will not make cannabis legal its going to take a civil war type of occurrence that finally turns the tide on cannabis prohibition whereas a state that has legalized it for recreational use by adults files suit against the DEA  and the Justice department.

Agreed and if that does happen it would be in court for years and years and the Lawyers would have a life time job

[t-pain]

Obama has to stop the cartels ?

Seems like a bipartisan issue to me although many try to make it something else

 

well the senate and house seem to be preoccupied with trying to repeal obamacare.

if obama wont do it, doesnt seem like anyone else is going to step in.