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| President Obama gives his opinion on state's legalization of marijuana. (Courtesy of AP Photo) |
Marijuana
users of Colorado and Washington may again rejoice in the recently passed
legislation this past November, legalizing marijuana for recreational use in
the two states. Last Friday President Obama stated his opinion on the issue
stating that federal law enforcement agencies have “bigger fish to fry" than prosecuting marijuana users
in those states.
The news comes with some surprise due to Obama’s
current record on the issue. During his term in office, he put more force
towards regulation of dispensaries in California and had many close down due to
improper running of the businesses. In California dispensaries are supposed to operate
solely to provide medical use for those with illnesses such as cancer, insomnia,
and eating disorders, not for recreational use. Compared to his predecessor,
George W. Bush, President Obama was much stricter on the issue. According to
CNN, “Last year, law enforcement agents seized 3.9 million plants in the Golden
State and were poised to collect more this year”.
However, as other issues arise and continue such
as our country’s fiscal situation and foreign affairs with countries such as
Iran and Syria, Obama’s indifferent reaction to the issue may be considered
well-suited. Obama further stated in his interview with ABC "This is a
tough problem, because Congress has not yet changed the law. I head up the
executive branch; we're supposed to be carrying out laws. And so what we're
going to need to have is a conversation about how do you reconcile a federal
law that still says marijuana is a federal offense and state laws that say that
it's legal?"
This issue is an ongoing problem because
marijuana remains illegal under the Controlled Substances Act. Yet more states
are going towards the trend of giving partial legality to use of the marijuana.
Currently 18 states and the District of Columbia have allowed legal use of the
drug for medical reasons, including Massachusetts who just passed a medical
proposition this past November. According to the DEA (Drug Enforcement
Administration), Marijuana is a category 1 drug. Other on the lists includes
drugs such as ecstasy, mushrooms, and cocaine. Category 1 drugs are classified
as dangerous and having no medical purpose or benefits.
