America Wants Marijuana Reform, Former LAPD Leader Tells Obama Via YouTube: Will He Respond?

By Dennis Romero Mon., Jan. 30 2012 at 4:04 PM

Joseph Leonardo

Updated at the bottom with Obama's response. First posted at 7:01 a.m.

The people who want to decriminalize marijuana are bringing the issue to President Obama this morning.

A retired LAPD deputy chief, Stephen Downing, submitted a video to the White House in which he asks what the president would say to those who want "more changes to drug policy" -- changes that would favor legalization and regulation.

It was the top video clip in a vote-based contest to see what the most popular questions would be for the president; he vowed to answer some of the winners today.

We're not sure who's the bigger glutton for punishment, the marijuana-legalization lobby, which has taken this tact before, or the White House, which is clearly uncomfortable with such questions yet continues to keep channels open to the wild wild Web.

In fall Obama took up questions from top vote-getters in an online contest the White House called "We The People." The winner? One that asked the president, "Isn't it time to legalize and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol?"

The answer, of course, was no.

But that hasn't stopped the marijuana-decriminalization group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition from putting the issue before the commander in chief once more -- this time via video.

Downing says:

From my 20 years of experience I have come to see our country's drug policies as a failure and a complete waste of criminal justice resources. According to the Gallup Poll, the number of Americans who support legalizing and regulating marijuana now outnumbers those who support continuing prohibition. What do you say to this growing voter constituency that wants more changes to drug policy than you have delivered in your first term?

Don't expect Obama to see the light, however.

He has kept his distance from legalizers, and will probably continue to do so as the election year gets under way. In October, his White House drug czar didn't seem too open to change when he said:

Simply put, it is not a benign drug.

[Update at 4:04 p.m.]: Looks like Obama's online "Hangout" session blew off the drug by which America loves to hangout -- marijuana. He didn't, apparently, address it. Associated Press.

[Added]: The folks from LEAP blame Google/YouTube for failing to present Obama with the most-popular video question. LEAP:

Today YouTube ignored a question advocating marijuana legalization from a retired LAPD deputy chief of police that won twice as many votes as any other video question in the White House's "Your Interview with the President" competition on the Google-owned site. They did, however, find the time to get the president on record about late night snacking, singing and dancing, celebrating wedding anniversaries and playing tennis.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

decriminalization, LEAP, legalization, marijuana, Obama, YouTube

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Joe Lee

I am against legalization of weed because I care about the homeboys who sell drugs on the streets. Legalization of weed will put them out of business. The homeboys and gang bangers will not be able to make money off the illegal weed business. Their criminal records and low education keep them from many jobs. They will resort to robberies, financial crimes, and violent crimes to survive because their trade been put out of business by legalization. There will be more violent crimes because of legalization. Keep weed illegal so gang bangers, homeboys, and poor Americans can make profit from the"trade."

Pole01

My new book supports the initiative...read the first chapter here http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...

Augie

Has their ever been a single documented instance of marijuana causing a birth defect, incontinence, stroke, liver toxicity, or any of the laundry list of side effects machine gunned at us in the final seconds of every commercial for legalized prescription drugs (other than cotton mouth)? It is clear that marijuana is a threat to the money, presumably big pharma, but also alcohol and so long as the many millions of dollars keep flowing from lobbyist to Congress on behalf of these established industries, Congress will never EVER legalize marijuana. It is rarely ever any more complicated than follow the money and you will know what Congress is doing. The only chance of changing this law is if Monsanto or other big food companies team up with Big Pharma and/or big Booze and figure out a way to control the market and grow and sell it themselves.

Dennis Lehnst

Every lame ass excuse known to man has been used as to why we won't tear down prohibition. Our politicians may be able to shuck off 850,000 arrest of our sons and daughters each year as collateral damage in their heroic war on pot but I can't anymore. If you support prohibition you will not get my vote. I would rather not vote than contribute to one more day of prohibition.

Adam William Majkowski

The federal and state governments that we have to deal with will only legalize this plant if they can monopolize the sales. Since it can be so easily grown by anyone like tomatoes or peppers, it would wind up nearly free and very available to anyone. This is not preferable to the way it is now for the criminals who control us all. The way it is now, illegal, controlled, monopolized. Why would they change anything? Legalization of cannabis means picking out who they want to grow it and who gets to profit from it. They have allowed it to be grow in small amounts in a few states for only medical reasons. They are not using the stems, only the flowers. Complete legalization means the paper and building companies will be forced to invest in cannabis or fall behind as new companies who use cannabis produce better paper and pressboard with less energy and money. They will not let that happen. The stock market will not allow legalization until every aspect is monopolized by a J.P. Morgan authorized company.

Cherrygurl83

The drugs that are continuously prescribed to us are not benign. There is too much information out there for people to be so ignorant especially the white house. We are a broke country that cant afford to continue the failed war on drugs. Last year the cartel leader from the zetas was listed on forbes fortune 400 list. Those are the only people benefiting from this madness. 75 years of no progress and drugs are still everywhere. Its time for responsible regulations!

Cherrygurl83

bend_time

if its a drug, then it is impossible it wd be 'benign', hello. thats an oxymoron. if a drug is benign, it's called a placebo. what a silly thing to say. the much more dangerous and insidious alcohol wd never be legal if ppl who put forth the claptrap on pot addressed alcohol in the same way. hypocrites run our land. oh, and big pharma.

Pedro Alvarez

Legalize it!

MikeParent

When we spend a cumulative $40 Billion and cage a million of our fellow Americans annually, for mostly victimless "Crimes" yet the President chooses not to address the issue. He ignored it the last time the subject headed the list on "We The People" on the WH's site and I expect he'll do it again. Mr President, do you favor ignoring a major issue while wasting tens of Billions? And why did you go back on your campaign promise regarding Med Marijuana? LEAP.cc member, NYPD, ret.