Obama addresses marijuana questions in online town hall

Updated 12:32 p.m. with text from White House transcript.

Among the 13,728 questions submitted to the White House's open call for questions for President Obama to address during his online town hall, more than a few of the most popular were about legalizing marijuana -- a topic that seems to come up frequently whenever politicians poll the Web public for questions.

In fact, the top six questions in the popular "Budget" category, as well as top questions in the  "Health Care Reform" and "Green Jobs" categories addressed pot and drug legalization. 

Though some of us expected Obama to sidestep the politically sensitive topic, he chose instead to take it head on.  Between questions from Vice President Joe Biden's chief economist, Jared Bernstein, Obama went out of his way to say the following:

Can I just interrupt, Jared, before you ask the next question, just to say that we -- we took votes about which questions were going to be asked and I think 3 million people voted or --

DR. BERNSTEIN:  Three point five million.

THE PRESIDENT: Three point five million people voted. I have to say that there was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy -- (laughter) -- and job creation. And I don't know what this says about the online audience -- (laughter) -- but I just want -- I don't want people to think that -- this was a fairly popular question; we want to make sure that it was answered. The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy -- (laughter) -- to grow our economy. (Applause.)

 

-- David Sarno

Comments

[JuliB55]

Hope! Change! Hypocrite!

[Bob]

The US government should legalize ALL drugs, and TAX them as a source of revenue... This will also remove the burdensome governmental costs of law enforcement, courts, and the prison system... It will not only reduce crime, but i believe it will also reduce drug addiction by taking the glamour out of the illegal...

[Uh]

That's still sidestepping the question. When will we get a real answer? Who's really in control here if not the President?

[disappointed]

I think it's a shame that Obama did not take the question as seriously as his online audience obviously does.

[Leroyvsworld]

They should legalize it. If we legalize it that would stop the drug wars that are going right now in our borders, It would kick start our economey with all of its profits. I rather our country make the money, then let some other country pocket our money. Our countrys crime rate will go down a lot. They would make more money selling it then bustuing people with it. There is an average of 162000000 users in the us alone. 22 million use it daily. So figuire out the math.

[Keith]

This is not an answer. The President needs to present his argument as to why he does not believe marijuana should be legalized. If he doesn't have one he should admit that and begin seriously adressing people's concerns instead of makng a joke out of them. .

[chet]

Although obviously many people,including the president, feel that the question of legalizing weed is a joke, the amount of support demonstrated recently shows that many of us feel it is not. As a Purple Heart veteran who is on the verge of dropping out of college because my GI Bill benefits total less than 400 dollars a month, as someone who cannot find a job and is unemployed, and suffers from PTSD and has not gotten the help I need, I was interested in all the topics discussed. But I know the answers already. The administration has been asked and answered all of their responses. Instead of answering a question I tuned in for I was laughed at by the president of the United States for supporting policy that would help diminish crime, respect personal freedom, lower law enforcement costs, and generate jobs. Shame on you, sir. Whether you agree with legalization at least respect our legitimate questions.

[joemama]

Mr. President,
Living in your bubble, it's not surprising that you think this is a joke.

But reconsidering the war on marijuana is consistantly one issue that had broad bipartisan support.

You'd be wise to at least give it a serious discussion.

[eric]

ya good idea, legalize drugs sounds great til your kid gets run over by a stoned hippie

[Doug@usa.com]

Every dollar spent on illegal drugs is a dollar not spent in the general economy. Most money spent on illegal drugs goes out of the country and out of the US tax system.

Legalizing drugs would:

1. Eliminate the flow of money out of the US and into the hands of criminal organizations.

2. Free up police resources to deal with real, non-consensual crimes.

3. Reduce the cost of drugs to the consumer, thereby freeing up more cash to be used in other areas of the economy.

4. Introduce a small amount of additional taxes directly from the sale of drugs through legal channels.

The mafia went from a small-time local problem to a large-scale national problem because of alcohol prohibition. The prohibition of other drugs is doing the same thing for the mafia and other criminal organizations, who would lose their primary source of funding if drugs were no longer illegal and therefore hyper-expensive.

[Greg]

What? As "Uh" said, his response to the issue of marijuana legalization was laughable. I wonder if he found his comment about Internet users as hilarious as his Special Olympics joke?

[Jon]

That was very rude how Obama didn't give the most popular question the same attention he did all others. Obama, do you not see that prohibition isnt working, that it causes more crime, death and ruins more lives than the plant itself? Can you not see what a waste of American tax dollars it is to attempt to stop people from using it? What is the real reason that drugs like alcohol and nicotine are legal while marijuana is not? I voted for you because of your campaign comments regarding marijuana, and because I thought you may be the first person to stick up for the American people and do what is fair and right. Today you said that you do not favor doing the right thing, you said you do not think marijuana should be legal, and you let a large amount of American tax paying Obama voters down. Thanks for nothing, I guess well have to wait 4 more years again, and maybe the next president will be able to do what all others before him have failed to do. Enjoy the lobbyist donations from the alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical companies while you can.

[Erick]

I am VERY VERY dissapointed in Obama's not taking this topic seriously. Obviously, he is not as tough as I thought he was.

[huh]

what does that mean ? continue prohibition because it grows the economy

[Eric J.]

"I don’t know what this says about the online audience, but..."
How disappointing! I read dozens of the questions pertaining to legalizing cannabis, and the vast majority were from responsible, thoughtful, intelligent members of our society who see a real problem with the prohibition that was founded on racism, greed, corruption and misinformation. I guess he doesn't value the results of a real democratic forum, where, despite all of the pressing crises vying for attention, the hands-down number-one issue was legalizing cannabis. President Obama: Are you really just going to dismiss this issue when so many are urgently asking you to seriously address it?
What is really behind this continued immoral and ignorant prohibition?

[confused]

What does it say about the media that you expected him to side step the marijuana question? You don't think it is a serious issue? You don't think that there is a need to rethink this whole War on Drugs? You don't see the hypocrisy in thousands of American citizens who are not even ABLE to vote for Obama because they are drug felons - marijuana smokers? If President Obama had been busted as a pot-smoking kid, and received the usual penalties given to black offenders-Sarah Palin might now be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

And you are afraid of marijuana users???

[Druutopia]

He did not take this question head on! He side stepped it by making it a joke. This is obviously an important question for those he his trying to target with this system, he should make it as important as all the other questions he answered.

[Eric]

I just lost a lot of respect for Mr. Obama. He really shouldn't make fun of the people who are for legalization.

[ds]

Lets not forget the all important question...
Who are they to say what you can or cant do in your own home, to your own body?

Haters: It's a plant. Get over it.

[chris]

A good set of reasons exist to legalize weed, and as a way to reduce crime is not among them. If this argument weren't non-sequitur, then neither would an argument for an open border to reduce illegal crossings. Simply put, deviance and illegality are not necessarily functions of one another. Case-in-point: Drinking alcohol is plenty legal, but to drink a lot or often (or a lot often) is deviant.

There are a slew of better and convincing arguments to legalize weed, but asserting this one just makes the proponents seem like pot-heads.

[John Bird]

I'm a solid supporter of the President, but he dropped the ball on this one. "People online are all stoned, and so I shouldn't take this question seriously, even though it got to my attention after many people suggested I answer it."

It is a serious question, and the only reason the wise option was dismissed out of hand is because advocating ending cannabis prohibition is viewed as left-wing extremism unless it's done by Republicans.

[Andy]

What a sell out Political hack! He actually had the nerve to make a joke out of an issue that was at the heart of around 30% of the top questions posed. The white house is open for questions unless they are about marijuana reform!

[David G]

What he said was he didn't think it would make economic sense but sidestepped the real issues of drug policy.Millions of tax payer dollars are wasted every year pursuing a product with the equivilent threat level of beer.If it was commercialized,taxed and sold with the same controls and penalties as alcohol it would produce revenue and reidrect drug control efforts and funds to the drugs that actually matter.It would also lessen the Mexico border issues as pot is part of that.Pot legalization might not help the economy but it would make the spent money far more effective.It would also open up medical research of cannabis which has been stifled by illegality.I believe one reason why pot has remained illegal and with heavy penalty is the effect it's use would have on alcohol consumption which has behind it powerful political voices and lobby efforts.

[Mike P]

How is this an answer, this is a not a simple question, how about some justification!?! I am sorry, but being a Harvard trained attorney, Mr. Obama should know when the evidence is against him.

[David Jordan]

The nefarious effects of alcohol consumption obviosly far exceed those of pot.