Obama's New Drug Strategy Opposes Legalizing Pot

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: In The News ,; Obama Administration ,; State Politics

The Obama administration's newly-released drug control strategy may set up a confrontation between the federal government and the state of California, if residents of the state pass a ballot initiative this year to legalize marijuana.

President Obama today released his administration's first National Drug Control Strategy, which sets up five-year goals for reducing drug use and the problems associated with it.

The strategy states that "this Administration firmly opposes the legalization of marijuana or any other illicit drug."

But this November, Californians will get to vote on a ballot initiative that, if passed, would legalize marijuana in the state, making it the first state in the nation to do so. The measure would permit those age 21 and over to possess small amounts of marijuana, and the sale of it would be regulated and taxed by local governments.

Polls suggest the initiative has a shot at passing. In a Survey USA poll released last month, 56 percent of adults living in California said the state should legalize the use of marijuana, while only 42 percent opposed the idea. The results of that poll mirrored a CBS News poll conducted last month showing that 55 percent of adults in Western states supported legalization, while 41 percent opposed it.

Mr. Obama has in the past expressed his opposition to legalizing marijuana.

The document released today argues that the administration is opposed to the idea because keeping drugs illegal reduces their availability and lessens people's willingness to use them.

"Diagnostic, laboratory, clinical, and epidemiological studies clearly indicate that marijuana use is associated with dependence, respiratory and mental illness, poor motor performance, and cognitive impairment, among other negative effects, and legalization would only exacerbate these problems," the document states.

The Obama Justice Department last year said it would not seek to arrest users or providers or medical marijuana, so long as they are in compliance with state laws.

However, Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, last month declined to speculate on what actions the Obama administration would take if the ballot initiative passed in California, the Hill reported.

The strategy released today adopts a multi-faceted approach to combating drug use, focusing on prevention, treatment, enforcement and international cooperation. Some of its five-year goals include reducing the rate of youth drug use by 15 percent, decreasing drug use among young adults by 10 percent and reducing the incidence of drug-induced deaths by 15 percent.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Marijuana Nation
Medical Marijuana Bill Goes to D.C. Mayor
Poll: Just Over Half Still Oppose Legalizing Pot

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

77 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 77 Comments


by SteveHydro July 24, 2010 7:39 PM EDT: A)Marijuana is NOT addictive B)Obama and the rest of the Senate are politicians NOT doctors C)I'm 3x Terminally Ill and to see Obama and the Senate debate on this issue is similar to watching children attempt to act smart yet making themselves look even worse with each sentence! ~Steve; Reply to this comment


by MichaelNmBelen July 11, 2010 3:20 PM EDT: Legalizing Cannabis wouldn?t be considering a bad thing. There are 100 of thousands of people arrested for possession each year. In 2007 police arrested an estimated 872,720 people for possession of cannabis. (According to Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation.) 89% (755,137) of those American citizens were arrested for Cannabis possession only. This means that American citizens are being arrested every 38 seconds for Cannabis crimes.; Reply to this comment


by DannyWright22 June 3, 2010 7:54 PM EDT: I'm in seventh grade in NYC. Though i can buy alcohol and cigarets, and anything you can imagine being in a gas station. It is still by far the easiest to purchase weed. To legalize weed would be the best option, though kids will to some extent be able to get the weed, the amount being distributed will decrease greatly. Also, many drug dealers and gangs can get away with making these drugs even more dangerous, by using chemicals and such things.

peace; Reply to this comment


by Educate2010 May 24, 2010 1:21 PM EDT: Making marijuana legal and taxing and regulating it would be the right and smart thing to do. - That being said our government never seems to do the right and smart thing. It seems to me that WE THE PEOPLE need to take back OUR country from those who are really in charge , The BIG MONEY . There is a reason for keeping marijuana illegal, its all about MONEY,MONEY,MONEY !!!; Reply to this comment


by carterfielden May 16, 2010 8:53 PM EDT: I am a High School student in Florida where Marijuanja use is illegal, even for medicinal purposes. I can speak for the majority of my student population by saying that aquiring marijuana on the black market is much easier, and even less "sketchy," than attempting to purchase alchohol; which is sold and restricted on a legal market. Some people will always want to use drugs for pleasure,and inhibiting their ability to do this is a regulation of personal privacy(unconstitutional). I dont know why people are so against the use of Marijuana when the symptoms of it's high do not cause aggression and impaired judgment like the ever so popular "DRUG" known as alchohol commonly does. The prohibition of marijuana was started by racists biggots who felt hatred toward latin American immigrants, so I challenge anyone who opposes the drug to do some research of their own before making claims about marijuana and the "dangers" that it is associated with.; Reply to this comment


by aahpat May 16, 2010 8:31 AM EDT: The Drug War exposes more generations of American kids to drug abuse.

As long as the War on Drugs prohibits responsible adult supervised sales the sales force for intoxicant drugs will continue to be abusers, dealers and gangsters. All of whom have a vested interest in selling drugs to new generations of American children.

America could regulate, license and tax this criminal anarchy out of drug sales. For the first time put responsible adults in control of drug sales. Adults who share society's goal of preventing premature access to drugs with the potential for abuse.; Reply to this comment


by davewk2002 May 16, 2010 5:38 AM EDT: If President Obama really believes this he needs to adjust the antenna on his tin foil hat...; Reply to this comment

by d1ng1z May 13, 2010 5:12 PM EDT

ha, these prohibition and anti-marijuana idiots operating under the guise of protecting our country from this "evil drug" are laughably dumb or must have no conscience to be able to spout lies so easily.
One, you seem to pretend that marijuana is just theoretical because it's criminalized. As if, when legalized, suddenly everyone is going to smoke a joint and get behind the wheel, or that kids will finally be able to try it. Anyone who wants marijuana can get it, the only difference is we allow it's purity, potency, cost, distribution, sale, and consumption to go unregulated and forsake any taxes we could be getting. Right now, we're spending billions on a drug war proven to ineffective and trampling over people's rights to choose their means of inebriation, especially when that inebriate is proven to be less toxic, harmful, and addictive than alcohol. You say, so what if it's less harmful, it's just one more thing? Again, as I've said, we already have 15 million people lighting up on a regular basis, trying to throw them all in jail isn't the answer.
You also continue to shout "gateway effect, gateway effect" with absolutely no proof. If anything this is just another reason why we must legalize and regulate. To distinguish marijuana, a plant, from the hard drugs by regulating it's sale to adults would take it away from the drug dealers who also purvey harder drugs like cocaine and heroin.
Also you say "well it's definitely not completely harmless so everyone out for legalization is just a liar and we shouldn't legalize it". This is flawed because you're only trying to prove a negative. It's a lot less harmful than any other illegal drug, a lot less harmful than alcohol, nicotine, caffiene, aspirin and almost all other prescription drugs. Try naming some specific dangers of using marijuana backed up by actual studies before saying it's harmful enough to justify spending billions of dollars enforcing prohibition and throwing millions of people in jail over it.

Reply to this comment


by carterfielden May 16, 2010 8:57 PM EDT: the "gateway effect" is a logical fallacy ("slippery slope," "snowball effect")


by WakeYourself May 13, 2010 12:34 PM EDT: The more I see of this War on "Drugs", and the more I hear from the anti-pot people, the more I realize that the problem is not marijuana or the people who use it. The real problem is the people who are AGAINST it. They are the ones attacking marijuana dispensaries in Montana. They are the ones breaking into our homes in full riot (terrorist) gear and shooting our dogs. They are the ones breaking our families apart and ruining our lives under the guise of "law enforcement." This war on drugs is a lie. It is a subversive war on American citizens. It is a means to create a caste system of black and dark-skinned men and to destroy their families. It is costing all of us BILLIONS each year and it is NOT justice. It is NOT fair. It is a charade to take from the poor and give to the ever richer. For the sanctity of our country, it must be stopped.; Reply to this comment


by sarcasticfrog May 13, 2010 8:34 AM EDT: Obama is missing the boat... he is truly out of touch with society.

This is probably going to ruin his chance of doing anything in 2012.

Gary Johnson & Ron Paul 2012!!!; Reply to this comment