Obama: Pot is not more dangerous than alcohol

Japan could legalize pot so easily.. as the cancer rate increases in Japan because of the change to western diet and cancer causing foods.. patients are going to want to have the relief that smoking or eating a little of this plant can bring... it is less dangerous than alcohol on many levels... and if people could grow their own.. it would reduce crime, chill out bad people.. give old people some joy in the old peoples home.. give farmers a cash crop that can be grown with gov't approval.. and taxed.

How many die every year from alcohol, liver failure etc? How many die every year because of alcohol, violence, accidents etc? How many die every year from marijuana?

I guess we will all find out as-soon-as Obama get's his home made Maui-Woowie in every drugstore in America.

All joking aside, I can understand the idea that responsible adults should be able to make their own decisions about how they want to live their lives. However, marijuana does have side effects that most seriously affect younger people (if you believe the scientific studies on that). And there are likely some of the same issues as found with tobacco use.

American's tried to outlaw alcohol and that didn't work out so well during a much more conservative time in the nation's history. Decriminalizing it will definitely reduce the number of people killed as a result of the illegal drug trade. I don't know if there are any statistics on how many people are killed as a result of driving under the influence of marijuana. I suspect that with the loosening of laws in different parts of the country this will be a more closely tracked number than it the past.

I think the single aspect about legalization that concerns me the most is the fact that pot does seem to have a demotivating influence on a lot of people. In a nation that seems to be getting lazier and lazier over the last half century - that isn't very hopeful prospect for the future.

RomeoRII JAN. 21, 2014 - 02:01PM JST

It is a Schedule 1 drug for a reason.

But maybe not the reason you think. Of course I may be wrong about that, but let’s look at the reason.

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 established five schedules to classify various controlled substances. The criteria established for inclusion in Schedule I is that a substance has a high potential for abuse, no recognized medical use and lacks acceptable safety for recreational use.

At the time of scheduling, research into the physiological and psychological effects of cannabis was still ongoing so the Assistant Secretary of Health recommended that the substance be temporarily placed in Schedule I until all the data was in. The US Attorney General was given the full authority to change the Scheduling once the studies were complete.

The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse was created to study the issue; with the former conservative Republican Governor of Pennsylvania, Raymond Schafer at its head. In its 1972 report to Congress and the American people, the commission recommended the de-criminalization for simple possession of cannabis and the adoption of the same kind of regulatory policies as those that are applied to alcohol.

Well… President Richard Milhous Nixon was not too happy about that. As revealed in his “tapes” he felt that this whole marijuana menace was the work of the Jews, commies, and homosexuals. Nixon really hated weed, in fact he thought it was worse than ‘Meth”. Consequently, Nixon instructed his Attorney General to take no action on the commission’s recommendations and Marijuana remains a Schedule I substance.

That might be a good enough reason for you, not for me.

What I'd really love to see is the feds require pamphlets to be available at dispenseries stating the side effects from both long and short term use as well as the fact that some folks bodies will adapt to the stuff and it just won't give them a buzz anymore. The science crowd would really love to start an officially big study on a larger majority of users to see how things work out health-wise for stoners in the long run. Nows their chance.

“I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol. [...] it’s a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy.”

President Obvious?

I want marijuana to be decriminalized so that stoners can come out of hiding and give Fox News and conservative whites a huge shock that whites are just as likely to be stoners, as well.

They are just never racially profiled when it comes to this type of thing.

Obama's words, as always, are without substance.

Law abiding Americans denouce Obama's stance on this poison. It is a Schedule 1 drug for a reason. His opinion does not reflect mine nor millions of other like-minded Americans.

RR

Yes, I did vote for Obama, but im very against drugs!! I wanna see his face when Air Force 1 with some stoned out surfer dudes like Spicolli, from that Hollywood classic movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High!! Here Mr.President, check out our bong!! Etc...

There will be less of a mess to clean up that way.

Where there is a mess to clean up, there is money to be made. So called "non-mafia" businesses also profit from the war on drugs, such as police contractors, private prisons, and police themselves.

The land of freedom has more people in prison either in sheer number or per capita than any other country on Earth. And I think most are in for non-violent offenses like drugs. Land of freedom my posterior. More like the land of incarceration, or even the land of greed. Another way to term making money off of stealing people's freedom is slavery. Slavery lives on in America.

All I need now is someone to accuse me of an obsession against America for stating facts like these, when in truth, the people with the obsession are the ones who will try and pretend the fact that America is prison capital of the world must be some sort of fuzzy statistics or something.

Obama is very realistic.

Colorado has already done this study prior to marijuana casual use decision. I am not a marijuana smoker, but I would like to applaud the President who can deliver a straight talk.

Truth is too much and hurts some who are still in denial. Alcoholism is a disease.

Probably not as a drug itself. But the delivery system might have the same issues as cigarettes, or something similar. There's a downside with everything.

As far as the "war on drugs" is concerned that's a lost cause just like prohibition of alcohol and prohibition of guns in Chicago and NYC is. People will always get what they are willing to pay for. Better to legalize pot and get the drugs gangs out of the business. There will be less of a mess to clean up that way.

The problem is, cities in states that have legalized marijuana (medical or otherwise) must sign an affidavit stating that they are in full compliance with all state and FEDERAL LAWS if they want to receive any federal funds (for roads, libraries, you name it.) As it stands under Obama, his top cop Holder and the Justice Department say they won't pursue criminal violations of federal law for marijuana, yet they still keep the same federal law prohibiting the sale or growing of marijuana on the books and unchanged! So as it stands, cities that have pot pharmacies and want federal funds either have to lie to the govt. or else find another way.

The 1970 Controlled Substances Act is still on the books, still lumps marijuana into the same category as cocaine, heroin and opium (i.e. Schedule I Controlled Substances~alcohol, by the way, has yet to be regulated in any way by this global "drug" regime), and is simply the local legislation passed as outlined by the UN's Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, of which 184 of the world's countries are signatories.

As long as the US allows such global legislation to remain in effect (and believe me, were the US to change its national laws concerning cannabis, much of the rest of the world would quickly follow) marijuana will continue to be outlawed around the world, even for medical use.

Obama's not going to touch any of this with a 10 foot pole while he's in office; in fact, the UN's Single Convention has a watchdog organization called the International Narcotics Control Board which is presently urging Obama's federal government to SUE states like Washington and Colorado that are decriminalizing the drug to various degrees! So aside from Obama's, ah, rhetoric, there's still a long long row to hoe on this issue, folks.

Documentary from Al-Jazeera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y25rg9Jd9Go&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_Convention_on_Narcotic_Drugs

http://www.naturalnews.com/039423_United_Nations_US_government_marijuana_decriminalization.html#

Diss information.

And more vicious, more deadly even than these soul-destroying drugs (opium and heroin) is the menace of marihuana

Reefer Madness (film, 1937) 0:06:45〜

I bet he wont be so happy if his daughters come home stoned and with stoned boyfriends!!

Some of would prefer that over our kids coming home drunk with drunk boyfriends.

I got stoned with Obama once. He said "Man, I am going to be the President of the United States" I was like, whatever. We don't see each other so much these days.

Best line of thread :D

What you folks are arguing about is just a small bit of the issue. Sure, there are people who puff who may be bipolar...but what about people who have diagnosed severe pain? Seizures? Glaucoma? Loss of appetite as an end result of bouts of chemo from...say cancer?

Marijuana is not a cure-all, by any means of the imagination. But by no means is it the boogyman that the drug enforcement agencies back in the 80s instilled on everyone. Face it...States eventually realized that medicinal marijuana was not a bad thing for its residents, then more have taken appropriate measures to legalize sales.

What Washington and Colorado have done is just the next evolutionary step. The end of the world didn't happen then, and it isn't going to happen with it being legalized for recreational use. If anything, now the the black market and cartels will dry up, and tax revenue monies will be enjoyed. Puff Puff, win-win.

I bet he wont be so happy if his daughters come home stoned and with stoned boyfriends!!

He's not running for re-election and his most vocal critics won't agree with anything he says anyway, so what does he gain?

A shot at a respectable legacy. Also a position as an influential elder statesman. Yes indeed, a man who goes as far as President of the United States does consider how he will be viewed when he leaves office. Its not like he leaves office and is promptly struck down by lightning.

I got stoned with Obama once. He said "Man, I am going to be the President of the United States" I was like, whatever. We don't see each other so much these days.

You sir win the internets for the day! This thread is done.

While, I'm no supporter of pot - research has clearly showed that it accumulates over time in the body's fatty tissue, of which the brain is the biggest fatty organ in the body, and the links to mental health issues is clear - I kind of see the point being made. Alcohol is linked to violence, addiction and health problems such as with the liver, yet it is legal. We need to draw the line at what we think is acceptable for society in respect to the balance between private responsibility and public menace. Once that line is drawn, we accept everything on one side, and reject everything on the other. What we need now is honest debate over where the line falls.

"The people who crave drugs are to blame"

Even though they do it quietly in their homes without even letting others know? I think you mean people who abuse drugs and ruin their lives along with the loved ones.

As long as there is a demand for drugs in the U.S., there will be problems. The people who crave drugs are to blame, so this solution is the lesser of two evils. If Obamas solution takse a downturn, the only people to blame are the people who demand drugs, you cant blame Obama, the war on drugs was a failure, and the legal system a joke. Im guessing with it being legal, it might have some benefit, like the stigma of being an alcoholic gets many people fired or shunned, might end up being the same for stonners, meaning it will now be mainstream and out in the open for all to see.

Always pissed me off paying some rich drug dealer and watching them drive off in a luxury car to their luxury home and their tax free lifestlye. Yea the war on drugs managed to put my hemp growing Grandpa out of business and start a whole new gang/cartel blackmarket dynasty of ultra violent thugs. Nice one for the pulp and paper lobbyists and industry that created the laws way back in the 30s ! Obama haters chill out, he is not making a law for you to give up your current habits for a new one!

I got stoned with Obama once. He said "Man, I am going to be the President of the United States" I was like, whatever.

We don't see each other so much these days.

"And No, there's essentially nothing I agree about with the socialist/collectivist."

"...the Obama-messiah, Barry is counting on Americans getting all doped up so He can muddle through the final three years of his term."

"The Emporer Obama tells the minions..."

I guess my point is proven that it's less a debate about pot and more about anti-Obama sentiment.

The Emporer Obama tells the minions Maui Wowee will take care of what ails you as long as you have no need of a clear head in terms of making a living,, being responsible for yourself & your family and all those everyday items that get in the way of your reefer madness.

To put it in simple terms you're taking someone with a pre-existing brain chemistry imbalance and you're giving them access to a substance that will imbalance it even further.

I must have missed that part, could you point out in the article where Obama said he is for people who have a pre-existing chemical imbalance such as bi-polar using pot?

Some people with an inner ear imbalance should not drive. Does that mean everyone should not drive.

Again, the one point you made that I agreed with, was that the same care that should be taken with alcohol should be taken with pot, especially in the case of someone who is not mentally healthy. However, you have managed to dilute that point to the point that it is almost pointless. Congratulations!

Frungy,

And yes, alcohol is also bad, but because one thing is bad doesn't mean you should add to society's problems by legalizing something slightly less bad. That is idiocy at its finest.

Obama's point was that marijuana, like alcohol and tobacco, is harmful and should be avoided, but that its harm in no way justifies the collateral harm done to society in fighting it. In particular:

Compared to Non-blacks, California’s African-American population are 4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana, 12 times more likely to be imprisoned for a marijuana felony arrest, and 3 times more likely to be imprisoned per marijuana possession arrest. Overall, as Figure 3 illustrates, these disparities accumulate to 10 times’ greater odds of an African-American being imprisoned for marijuana than other racial/ethnic groups.

http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/64#sthash.znl1Z0Zs.dpbs

A little-known fact is that those convicted of felonies are no longer eligible for a vast slew of government programs, including government-guaranteed student loans. The upshot is that whites caught with a bit of marijuana as a teenager may proceed with their life as planned, while blacks and Hispanics are in disproportionate numbers marginalized at an early age, destroying their chance to correct their course.

People diagnosed with bipolar disorder and similar serious mental conditions should not be allowed unrestricted access to psychoactive substances.

They already are - alcohol.

yes, alcohol is also bad, but because one thing is bad doesn't mean you should add to society's problems by legalizing something slightly less bad. That is idiocy at its finest.

Currently the worst side effect of marijuana is being incarcerated. The punishment is disproportionate. After all, it's a victimless crime. If someone wants to harm their bodies by ingesting a plant, they should have that right. Conversely, by maintaining it's illegal status they have created an environment that allows for a thriving black market, and THAT has created plenty of victims of crime.

Treating addiction as a criminal matter rather than a medical matter does no good for anyone other than the criminal organizations, and the organizations that police them. We should be making all drugs legal, and investing the money currently spent on policing them on education and rehabilitation.

Rowan, the critical difference is that I AM a medical professional and know what I'm talking about.

Thank you for the smile of the day.

Obama developed his point of view because he was himself a weed smoker and not base on any scientific research.

the critical difference is that I AM a medical professional and know what I'm talking about.

Frungy, if you're going to post your opinion under that guise, I think you should state exactly what qualifications you have and what your area of expertise is.

Outside of Lead there is probably no substance that has caused more human suffering than Alcohol. Heck in the USA more people die from Alcohol than the grand total number of people that die from guns and car accidents combined. The death rate in UK and Australia from alcohol is higher than the gun death rate of the USA.

RowanMJAN. 20, 2014 - 10:40AM JST @Frungy you criticize Obama for not knowing about these things and make sweeping judgements and baseless predictions in the same comment. It kind of undermines your point.

Rowan, the critical difference is that I AM a medical professional and know what I'm talking about.

I'm all for legalizing pot... With the important restrictions that it should be available on prescription only. People diagnosed with bipolar disorder and similar serious mental conditions should not be allowed unrestricted access to psychoactive substances. To put it in simple terms you're taking someone with a pre-existing brain chemistry imbalance and you're giving them access to a substance that will imbalance it even further. Genius!

And yes, alcohol is also bad, but because one thing is bad doesn't mean you should add to society's problems by legalizing something slightly less bad. That is idiocy at its finest.

Frungy you criticize Obama for not knowing about these things and make sweeping judgements and baseless predictions in the same comment. It kind of undermines your point

This is a valid point. It seems it is almost impossible for Frungy to make a post about any subject without first ciriticizing something about the US. However, having said that, the point about self-medication, especially with regard to mental health, is a very valid one even when dilluted by the criticisms you mention. Of course the same can be said for alcohol, but when someone discusses the safety of 'pot', it is better to be clear about the risks as well.

Finally, a president with some balls to say something like this. I wonder if changing attitudes like this will ever reach Japan? :(

Obama’s administration has given states permission to experiment with marijuana regulation

Talk about hubris. The 10th amendment should very clearly apply to this issue, and so no "permission" is required. Respect state rights, down with federal supremacy!

Obama will be known in history, as president who allowed Pots!

One can hope. But we're not there yet, it's still illegal for the most part.

Quite right too. about time the government butted out of this topic. and stop victimising smokers too.

What Obama is saying is just common sense. Anyway, anything in excess is bad for you, bottom line. The only problem I really have with pot is if it is smoked around me as I don't want the second-hand nor the smell of it.

Obama will be known in history, as president who allowed Pots!

With dropping poll numbers and many on the Left losing their faith in the Obama-messiah, Barry is counting on Americans getting all doped up so He can muddle through the final three years of his term. But looking on the bright side, all those Americans with the munchies will be a boon to Doritos stock. Buy now folks, the whole country has been invited to join Obama's "Choom Gang".

Jean - we agree on something for once - the war on drugs is a failure.

But even if Obama is doing it for the ratings - so? Ratings go up when the president does things people want/like. So if his ratings go up, it means he is following the will of the people. How is that a bad thing?

" He's not running for re-election and his most vocal critics won't agree with anything he says anyway, so what does he gain?"

No, he's not running for re-election, but trying to prevent becoming a Lame Duck even before the upcoming midterm election. And No, there's essentially nothing I agree about with the socialist/collectivist.

"Pot is not more dangerous than alcohol." from a smiling Bush.

Very true... also has a much lower crime association rate (despite possession of substance, possession of sales, selling of substance, etc).

Not that bad of a "drug" in comparison to what else is out there. But it shouldn't be abused... just like anything else you can ingest into your body.

Summertime and the livin's easy Bradley's on the microphone with Ras-MG All the people in the dance will agree that we're well qualified to represent the LBC (me) Me and Louie we're gunna run to the party and dance till the rhythm it gets harder

"He's jumping on the pro-marijuana bandwagon for one reason and one reason alone, it is currently popular."

"Obama is just trying to appeal to populists in order to reduce his falling approval numbers."

He's not running for re-election and his most vocal critics won't agree with anything he says anyway, so what does he gain?

We all know how massive a failure the "War on Drugs" has been, as was Alcohol Prohibition, and how it helped create the now Global drug black market, empowering and enriching the worst people in society. I agree that using the substances themselves, for the large part, is unwise, that is a decision for the individual to make, not for the collectivists to decide for everyone else.

Obama is just trying to appeal to populists in order to reduce his falling approval numbers.

When XVIII was repealed by XXI, FDR celebrated by having a beer.

@Frungy you criticize Obama for not knowing about these things and make sweeping judgements and baseless predictions in the same comment. It kind of undermines your point.

We Dutch can agree on that ;)

No one is encouraging people to smoke pot. The question is whether we should be spending time and money prosecuting and locking up people who smoke pot.

Learn the difference.

"Oh wow, just wait for the freak-out from the right."

And just wait for when it's revealed those critics also smoked pot.

Not a big fan of him but his comment makes sense.

Great points Frungy.

While I choose not to be part of the drug scene and knowing it all can lead to a disastrous life. Many can function daily with no impairment.

I did inhale as well as other things back in the day. I am not ignorant of the drug scene. I saw many crash and burn or worse. I saw others chose to live life w/o intoxicants happily and successfully. Very few can moderate substances in their lives and much less successfully in terms of standard of living.

I say legalize simple because it doesn't work as illegal. And I also say it will create some problems. I hope much less than currently with the legal matters concerning marijuana.

Yeah, bi-polar people should most definitely not be drinking alcohol. Oh wait, alcohol is legal. So that means you guys think that alcohol should be legal so that there is no chance a bi-polar person will drink it, right?The comparison is the same as with marijuana. While it's true that bi-polar people should not smoke, there are very few bi-polar people out there. So why should we imprison people by keeping marijuana illegal, just because it is bad for an insignificant portion of the population? Especially when you consider that the overall detriment to society of imprisonment of otherwise normal people will be worse than the cumulative effects of a bipolar person smoking a plant. Keeping marijuana illegal only makes sense to the brainwashed, and to those who have a vested interest in it mainaining its illegal status.

I could never drive stoned. Always got super paranoid looking in the rear view for the cops.

Frungy,

I know you probably absolutely hate the idea of me agreeing with you. But, you get my thumbs up for the above post, anyway. Self medication, especially when dealing with mental health disorders is indeed a very bad idea.

Obama isn't a mental health professional, he isn't a doctor and he doesn't have a clue. He's jumping on the pro-marijuana bandwagon for one reason and one reason alone, it is currently popular.

I was watching a new report last night about pot tours in Michigan. They were interviewing a woman on the tour who stated that she had bad knees... and bipolar disorder. The reporter didn't comment, and no-one pointed out what a FANTASTICALLY bad idea it was for someone with bipolar disorder to be smoking pot (a psychoactive substance).

I predict a rapid rise in mental health problems in the U.S. in the coming years. Of course it is unlikely to be noticed for at least a decade or two. Marijuana use has been shown time and again to make underlying mental problems MUCH worse.

I guess all things in moderation is the best thing. While pot is not as dangerous... It can really screw your brain cells. My mother and brother are pot addicts now. So much that when I told her she needed to quit it or I would be forced to leave home (at the age of 15), she took me to the bus station.

I guess we will have to wait and see weather or not Obama is right on this one.

One danger I do see is an alcohol intoxicated driver reeks an odor. A stoned driver may go undetected. Impairment is similar in studies. I sure do hope designated drivers are used when choosing to get high.

Good comments from Obama in my opinion

Oh wow, just wait for the freak-out from the right. Good on Obama.

Seal of approval?