Obama admits marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol (Congress, wage, legal)

[atltechdude]

So the leader of the federal government finally admits what the government has denied for years.

Obama says marijuana

A more interesting part for me though, is that he also basically stated that he views cocaine and meth as "harder" drugs that there would be greater risk in legalizing.

“If marijuana is fully legalized and at some point folks say, Well, we can come up with a negotiated dose of cocaine that we can show is not any more harmful than vodka, are we open to that?” Obama wondered. “If somebody says, We’ve got a finely calibrated dose of meth, it isn’t going to kill you or rot your teeth, are we O.K. with that?”

I believe most of the public views marijuana as less dangerous than these drugs as well.

The question I have then is, if that is the view of his administration, how long before he realizes how absurdly hypocritical is it for the DEA to still classify marijuana on schedule I while cocaine and meth are on schedule II?

[Redraven]

It doesn't change my mind in any way.
IMO, if somebody wants to fry their brain with drugs, let them. STOP the so-called "war on drugs". Legalize it all, with strict controls, even more strict than booze.
while we are at it, stop the silly war on tobacco. just outlaw the stuff and be done with it. Sure, the drug cartels will pick up on it, and begin smuggling tobacco, but so what!
Again, if somebody wants to destroy their lungs with the junk, let them.

[afoigrokerkok]

He's using the slippery slope argument.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by afoigrokerkok

He's using the slippery slope argument.

Yes, but a structural precondition of the argument he is making is that you are sliding down the slope from something less dangerous (marijuana) to something more dangerous (cocaine or meth). The DEA's current policy says they view it the opposite way, that cocaine and meth have more legitimate uses than marijuana.

[afoigrokerkok]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

Yes, but a structural precondition of the argument he is making is that you are sliding down the slope from something less dangerous (marijuana) to something more dangerous (cocaine or meth). The DEA's current policy says they view it the opposite way, that cocaine and meth have more legitimate uses than marijuana.

I know. I don't agree, but don't see it changing soon federally.

[pch1013]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

Yes, but a structural precondition of the argument he is making is that you are sliding down the slope from something less dangerous (marijuana) to something more dangerous (cocaine or meth). The DEA's current policy says they view it the opposite way, that cocaine and meth have more legitimate uses than marijuana.

I don't know about meth, but cocaine does have legitimate uses -- in sinus surgery, for example.

Still, there no reason for marijuana to be a schedule I drug.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by pch1013

I don't know about meth, but cocaine does have legitimate uses -- in sinus surgery, for example.

Still, there no reason for marijuana to be a schedule I drug.

I agree with that.

Really I was just saying that these statements by Obama make the schedule I status of marijuana even more absurd than it already was.

You now have the left hand of the federal government not agreeing with it's right hand.

[sullyguy]

His words on this will have great impact - little doubt about that (and "FINALLY" is all I can say!).

I've believed for, like, 40+ years that drugs should be legalized and controlled just like alcohol. Change DUI laws to reflect whatever they need to reflect. Treat the "drug problem" as the SOCIAL problem it is rather than a CRIMINAL problem.

And for MORE than 40 years I've been saying to others as well as myself "Prohibition does NOT work".

[OpinionInOcala]

My biggest problems with the criminalization of drugs is fourfold:

• It's a subversion of personal liberty.
• It's an arbitrarily imposed, selectively for-profit form of government depravity.
• It wholly ignores the fact that addiction of any sort is a medical condition and not a criminal action.
• It's a convenient scapegoat that government and private employers can use to both avoid specific liabilities and, maintain wage & social oppressions.

[katzpaw]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

The question I have then is, if that is the view of his administration, how long before he realizes how absurdly hypocritical is it for the DEA to still classify marijuana on schedule I while cocaine and meth are on schedule II?

The schedule is an act of Congress and can be changed by Congress.
Controlled Substances Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia