The re-election of President Barack Obama Tuesday represents the
least bad outcome for the medical marijuana and overall
decriminalization movement, given the President’s track record, and his
rival’s statements about the issue.
GOP candidate Mitt Romney promised to fight medical marijuana "tooth
and nail" if he was elected. Barack Obama’s administration has cracked
down on the medical marijuana industry in the last year, while stating
that it respects state medical marijuana laws.
We expect elements of the crackdown to continue in the next four
years, if only because there’s too much bureaucratic inertia to stop the
70 year-long federal war on the plant. But many activists hope the
President will tackle drug law reform, now that he doesn’t have to win
another election.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi has said Congress needs to address the medical
marijuana issue, and the administration has floated trial balloons about
pot law reform in the election’s run-up. The apparent legalization of
marijuana in Colorado and Washington will test the re-elected President,
of course. Law and order types within and outside the Democratic party
will demand swift retribution on the states. States rights advocates on
the right, as well as progressives on the left will demand the
Administration stay out.
Kris Hermes, spokesperson for medical marijuana lobby Americans for Safe Access agreed President Obama was the least bad option.
"That pretty much hits the nail on the head," he said. "At least it’s
a familiar face now. We don’t expect necessarily a change in stance
from President Obama, but we’re certainly still willing to work with him
to develop a sensible public heath policy with regard to medical
marijuana. Failing that we have an ongoing lawsuit against his
administration that we will pursue until marijuana is reclassified."
Update: 11:03 p.m.
Amendment 64 and its opponent, Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper agree: Colorado has legalized pot for adults 21 and over.
Reuters and the Associated Press is also calling Washington
Initiative 502 as a win. The state of Washington becomes the second
state in the same night to legalize pot, after about 75 years of
national prohibition.
It’s poetic pot legalization is beginning in the Western states,
given that Colorado was the first state in the Union to pass anti-pot
legislation in the early 20th century. Other Western states followed
suit, and led a movement to urge the federal government for a national
ban. The feds initially didn’t want the job.
Seventy-five years later, Morgan Fox, with the Marijuana Policy
Project in D.C. says "Americans have been sick of the war on marijuana
for quite some time. Coloradoans and Washingtonians decided to take it
into their own hands."
Polls predicted accurately I-502 as a winner, and A64 as a
nail-biter. "Our opponents came out in force in the last few weeks and
tried to spread a lot of misinformation," he said.
Now, Colorado and Washington have the opportunity to show the country
how to regulate and control the drug, Fox said. He thinks the states
will succeed and doesn’t see the feds interfering.
"I think we’re probably going to see some level of federal
enforcement," he said, but the Administration lacks the political will
to shut the state systems down if they’re implemented safely.
"Personally I’m looking at this as the beginning of the end of marijuana prohibition."
