Democrats led by Obama again lead country down path of moral decay by publicly endorsing druggies!!

(or similarly worded phrasing)

Legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana and hemp. Release all inmates convicted of possession or non-violent "trafficking."

If Obama doesn't take steps to actively change the rules to protect these people, then they'll get comfy under Obama and then get hammered and all sent to jail with the next repub admin.

It's possible that common sense, supported by ACTUAL, FACTUAL research (rather than the "Refer Madness," anecdotally-based approach of most law enforcement personnel), might begin to rule our government policies regarding marijuana.

Imagine what we could save if the "war on drugs" went after the actually dangerous drugs and two-thirds of enforcement actions moved to the suburbs where about two-thirds of the use of such drugs actually happens?!

Our President is a renowned constitutional scholar, we should see a precedent set for a defense of the 10th Admendment. No where in our Constitution does the federal law trump State law in terms of medical practice. If the hemp in question never crosses state lines, there is no Federal issue here.

Most of the huge number of people who smoke pot in this country aren't doing it for medical reasons, nor do they face very great odds of being arrested, no matter WHO is in power. That's just the way it is. Street enforcement of anti marijuana laws has been ramping down for decades and there's no reason to think that trend will be reversed.

However, the economic crisis in the states MAY very well become the catalyst for the final push to full, alcohol style legalization. There's simply too much potential tax money just sitting there, ready to be collected, combined with a population not just willing to pay that tax, but eager to trade legalization for taxation.

It could happen. Marijuana is a HUGE cash crop in many states, and it's ALL underground. That's both a good thing and a bad thing, in that it funds a lot of underground boho economic activity (musicians, artists, other interesting fringie types), and yet, simultaneously marginally contributes to the generalized drug market lawlessness (although pot is the least of the problems in that regard).

As a 40 year, daily pot smoker I'm more optimistic now than I have ever been about the prospects for full legalization... but, while I AM inhaling, I'm not holding my breath any more than necessary (sorry, couldn't resist)

Isn't it time we simply decriminalized marijuana and focused on more important criminal activities.

Can it be that federal drug warriors will have to go after real criminal for a change? Will they be forced to go after meth and heroine dealers who might have real guns and pose an actual threat to society in order to get their names in the press instsead of harrassing cancer and fibral myalgia patients? Say it ain't so. It would be a shame if, after devoting their lives to locking up nonviolet pot smokers, these brave warriors for the police state had to find real jobs. Or, worse yet, have to risk their lives arresting actual crimminals.

legalize it and tax the shit out of it. Turn the cultivation, marketing, and distribution over to the private sector and let Philip Morris sell me a pack of joints for $100 bucks. $90 of which can go straight to the government. Think of the job creation and benefit to the farmers of America! Also, release all non-violent drug offenders from federal prisons which would open up more than enough room for the 280 something detainees at Gitmo, as well as save hundreds of millions of dollars a year in taxpayer money. If Obama wants to cut the deficit in half, this is a good way to start.

What a day it will be when the government finally admits that the war on drugs has been the biggest policy failure in the modern era. Sorry LAPD, but all the DARE program ever did for me was teach me what shitty weed looked like so I knew what not to buy.

The only real problem with a leagalize and tax approach is that it already is a huge business and it is, as you say underground. That means that there are already thousands and maybe hundreds of thousands of people who already grow their own and aren't going to be particularly willing to pay someone to do something for them that they can do for themselves.

There isn't ever going to be a Marijuana version of Budwieser. Too many people are already used to microbrews. That's a good thing because it means that at least one industry in this country will stay decentralized.

But as things stand now, if you try to control marijuana the way you control alcohol there's going to have to be some kind of a program, like for home beer and wine makers where you'll be allowed to grow a certian amount, untaxed, for personal or nobody will pay any attention anyway.

"However, the economic crisis in the states MAY very well become the catalyst for the final push to full, alcohol style legalization. There's simply too much potential tax money just sitting there, ready to be collected, combined with a population not just willing to pay that tax, but eager to trade legalization for taxation."

Well, in CA Tom Ammiano has proposed just that idea. He wants to legalize it, sell it and have it taxed. The rules against it would be along no smoking in public, no growing in view of other people and no selling it within a certain distance of schools. I think this will be the first step in seeing if people really would be willing to just add pot to list of legal drugs like nicotine and alcohol, allow people to start businesses from it and tax it. Ammiano's plan would call for 50 dollars to the state for every ounce sold.

Plus it would free up law enforecement to focus on harder drugs and hopefully release a lot of people who've done nothing wrong besides smoking a plant and maybe doing a little dealing to pay the bills. It would open up prison space, but of course the problem in this current climate would be more unemployed people.

So far the opposition I've read is they are going to use the health angle. Oh so you banned trans fats, but you want to legalize something that harms health. Plus there will always be the tetotalling moralizers that could get financial support from drug and alcohol companies.

Regarding Holder, well I'm glad. At least it's a step, leave my state and it's hippy laws alone.