tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941907998599600650.post3005861362996552466..comments2010-03-18T06:38:53.463-04:00Comments on Legal.Now: Obama Responds Again to the Marijuana QuestionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941907998599600650.post-76699231671813637432009-01-12T16:37:00.000-05:002009-01-12T16:37:00.000-05:00A new feature on Obama's website, Citizen's Briefi...A new feature on Obama's website, Citizen's Briefing Book, allows us to submit longer proposals to his transition team.<BR/><BR/>http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=087800000004lqN<BR/><BR/>President Obama,<BR/>Millions of Americans have recognized the need for change in the way this country addresses marijuana. Ballot initiatives in many states have gained overwhelming support for the decriminalization or legalization for medicinal use of marijuana. It has been proven many times over and over that it is safer to smoke marijuana than it is to consume alcohol or tobacco. <BR/><BR/>Many non-violent, harmless people are crowding our jails and costing our nation billions of dollars that we can not afford. The case for legalization has been made by countless people over the years, and there is no reason for me to parrot the case. Harvard economist Dr. Jeffery Miron estimated that by repealing prohibition, our country would get an extra 10 to 14 billion dollars per year, including taxes from sales and decreased spending on enforcement. <BR/><BR/>It is obvious that prohibition has failed. Marijuana is everywhere. Instead of wasting money trying to prevent a plant from being sold, focus on education and responsible use. <BR/><BR/>Legalize it to help fix the economy. Legalize it to prevent the money going towards organized crime. Legalize it for the thousands of terminally ill patients who need it to help them get through the day. Legalize it to keep hard dangerous drugs away from kids. Or, simply legalize it because there is no logical reason not to. It does not matter why you choose to legalize marijuana, the outcome is what is important. By legalizing it, you are putting this country back on track towards fulfilling the goals of our founding father. <BR/><BR/>President Franklin Roosevelt saw that alcohol prohibition had failed miserably, thereby saving us from the worst economic depression this country has seen. The answer is clear. Prohibition must be ended now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com