Obama in Mexico: Marijuana on the Agenda?
April 15, 2009
In Possible Rebuke to Obama, Mexico’s Ambassador Said an End to Marijuana Prohibition “Needs to Be Taken Seriously”
(Washington, D.C.) With President Obama leaving for talks with Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Thursday, marijuana policy reformers are wondering if the role of U.S. marijuana laws in subsidizing vicious Mexican drug gangs will get the serious attention that Mexico’s ambassador to the U.S. recently said it deserves. Obama’s visit comes immediately after Mexico’s Congress held a historic debate on ending marijuana prohibition.
“In his only public statement on the issue since taking office, President Obama treated the question of ending marijuana prohibition as a joke, but the families of the 7,000 murdered by Mexican drug gangs know it’s not funny,” said Marijuana Policy Project executive director Rob Kampia. “By refusing to bring the massive marijuana industry out of the shadows and regulate it as we do beer, wine and liquor, we’ve handed a massive subsidy to some of the most brutal thugs on the planet.”
In an April 12 discussion of Mexico’s brutal drug cartels on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan was asked by host Bob Schieffer, “What if marijuana were legalized? Would that change this situation?”
Rather than dismissing the idea as President Obama did in his recent online town hall meeting, Sarukhan said, “This is a debate that needs to be taken seriously, that we have to engage in on both sides of the border.”
“Ambassador Sarukhan got it exactly right,” said MPP director of government relations Aaron Houston. “The public in both countries is ready for a serious discussion about the marijuana laws that are directly aiding the murderous gangs that are killing people daily and now operate in 230 U.S. cities. It’s time for Presidents Obama and Calderon to show the sort of decisive leadership that’s needed to get both of our countries out of this mess.”
With more than 27,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org.
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CONTACT: Bruce Mirken, director of communications
Marijuana Policy Project,
POB 77492 Capitol Hill
Washington, DC 20013 United States
Posted by News LI Editor · Filed Under Politics
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5 Responses to “Obama in Mexico: Marijuana on the Agenda?”
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Barrack obama should seriously consider legalizing marijuana. There is no way to beat the Mexican mafia by force: they simply replace members that are killed or jailed. Legalization would cut the legs out from under the Mexican mafia. Marijauana should be legal. A group of 20,000 very serious policemen, prosecutors and attorneys have formed a group to legalize ALL drugs, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (http://leap.cc ) They see what happened when we legalized alcohol in 1932 as a good example of how drug legalization would work. We can’t stop drugs. They’re sick of chasing drug users and sending innocent people to prison for decades just because they like to get high. This foolish war on drugs has lasted 37 years and cost us over a TRILLION dollars and we are not an inch closer to stopping drugs. How many millions of Americans are we going to lock up in prison for decades? Legalize ALL drugs now. Mark Montgomery boboberg@nyc.rr.com
- Posted by: Mark Montgomery
Waaah! Waaaaaaah! Waah! Waaah! De’ mean ole librals are pickin’ on me again! Waaaaaaaaah!
- Posted by: scooty laye
[…] - Long Island Exchange “Obama in Mexico: Marijuana on the Agenda?” The War on Drugs has gone on longer than all modern American wars […]
- Posted by: Obama in Mexico: Marijuana on the Agenda? | NORML's Daily Audio Stash
It seems to me that those in opposition of legalization of marijuana bring nothing to the table, much like scooty laye. Their arguments are old and proven incorrect like brain damage (http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20030701/heavy-marijuana-use-doesnt-damage-brain) or lung cancer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJmQ16cGBHU) and those claiming it is a gate way drug…. most people START at alcohol and tobacco. Its no more a gateway drug than those are.
Illegaization is silly and good for nothing. Amsterdam’s teen usage has gone DOWN since decrim.
- Posted by: travis
End the prohibition against marijuana. It is way past time. The politicos must have some hidden reason to keep it going. It has been proven very mild for many years.
- Posted by: Irhad