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Nick Adams / Reuters
Marijuana is broken up for use by customers at Frankie Sports Bar and Grill in Olympia, Wash., on Sunday.
Pot smokers in Washington and Colorado are inhaling a little easier after President Barack Obama said the federal government has more important things to do than go after "recreational" drug users in states that legalize marijuana.
"We've got bigger fish to fry," Obama told ABC News' Barbara Walters.
He was weighing in on the issue for the first time since voters in the two states approved initiatives to legalize the recreational use of marijuana – which is still a crime under federal law.
Obama admitted this disconnect between federal and local laws had put him in a tough spot.
"I head up the executive branch. We're supposed to be carrying out laws," he said. "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?"
The Justice Department is still looking into how to handle the conflict. But in the meantime, Obama suggested, the feds aren't gearing up for what might be a costly, unpopular crackdown on tokers in Colorado and Washington.
Related: Americans to feds -- Keep your hands off our pot
"You've seen the voters speak on this issue. And as it is, the federal government has a lot to do when it comes to criminal prosecutions," he said.
"It would not make sense for us to see a top priority as going after recreational users in states that have determined that it's legal."
The president’s comments on the new Colorado and Washington laws echo the stand he took on medical marijuana during the 2008 campaign, when he said prosecutions would be a low priority.
Related: So where will all that 'legal' pot come from?
Two years later, though, federal authorities toughened up that stance, announcing that dispensaries and growers in 18 states that have legalized medical marijuana could be charged with violating drug and money-laundering laws. Dozens of medical marijuana collectives have been ordered shut since then.
Washington State's new law makes it legal for adults to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, but some speculate the federal government will prosecute those who use marijuana on federal land because federal law prohibits marijuana use. NBC's Kristen Dahlgren reports.
Federal prosecutors have not sounded as relaxed as Obama about new state legalization efforts.
Hours before the law in her state went into effect, the U.S. attorney in Washington, Jenny Durkan, issued a warning that "growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law."
Related: Like Amsterdam, Washington bar owner lets patrons get stoned
Ezra Klein explains how reclassifying marijuana to a lesser category can reduce some of the tension between federal law prohibiting the drug and new state laws allowing its use medicinally or in small quantities.
Obama – who revealed in his 1995 memoir that he was a regular pot smoker in high school -- said he doesn't back wider legalization of marijuana "at this point." And he wanted to nip in the bud any suggestion that he's pro-weed.
"There are a bunch of things I did that I regret when I was a kid," Obama said in excerpts of the interview, which airs Friday on "20/20."
"My attitude is, substance abuse generally is not good for our kids, not good for our society," he said. "I want to discourage drug use."
Related: Feds fire warning shot over pot legalization
Obama was frank about his youthful drug use in his best-selling book, "Dreams from My Father."
"I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though," he wrote.
"Junkie. Pothead. That's where I'd been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man."
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Leave a Comment:
Seems pretty easy, you follow the will of the people and strike down the federal laws that do nothing but make criminals out of otherwise productive law abiding citizens.
Mmmmmmmmm, fried fish (said the pothead)
Legalize it, tax it and apply the profits to the deficit.
I think GUN CONTROL is more important than this SILLY STUFF of POT. 18 little kids were killed by the hands of the REPUBLICANS AND THEIR NRA LOBBYIST F'N CRONIES!!!!! For lifting GUN CONTROLS and were on THIS kind of stuff PLEASE let us all get a GRIP. WHAT THE HELL POT or GUNS to CONTROL !!!!!
I SAY GUNS they KILL !!!!!
Alain,
Even though I hate to see what happened today, Gun Control, Banning Guns etc... would not have prevented today's tragedy.
You see, ban all the guns you want, the law abiding citizens will abide by this law and the criminals will not. That leaves the innocent citizens sitting ducts.
We need to Ban @!$%#s & Morons such as this guy who entered that school with killing on his mind.
"AND" I say people kill, not guns. Guns don't just float around, aim and shoot people.
Have a nice weekend...
Alain, for the record, I support the legalization of marijuana even though I have never experimented with any drugs. Typically, those that enjoy smoking pot are more interested in eating Cheetos than hurting anyone.
While I most certainly share your outrage and sadness concerning the shootings, I highly doubt gun control would have prevented this tragedy. I am an Independent who happens to lean a little right in some areas and a little left in others. Frankly, I'd like to think that I think for myself (unlike some who just tow a party line) most of the time.
Taking away one's Constitutional right to own a gun will not stop these people (who wish to perpetrate crimes upon humanity) from obtaining those guns. It will simply make it harder, which I think is poignant to this discussion. When you make something obtainable only by illegal means, it creates a larger, covert (gun dealers) industry and thus more crime. Inherently, it leads to more violence and an escalation is inevitable.
There is entirely too much "crazy" going on in this country these days. Unfortunately, most of it is being perpetrated upon us by politicians who are more interested in staying in power than doing what is right for the American people. Right now, I mourn for the loss of life in CT....
"killed by the hands of the REPUBLICANS AND THEIR NRA LOBBYIST F'N CRONIES!!!!!"
Talk about your leaps....how do you know the shooter wasn't a democrat???
What have you been smoking???
Isn't anyone concerned about 2nd hand pot smoke??? Will we now have "Pot" and "Non-Pot" sections in public places...it boggles the mind......
true ----- being from CT, and his mother was a teacher, the odds are pretty good he leaned democrat.
Mentally ill people rarely have a political agenda.
Prohibition only creates more problems, crime and debt. It would be one thing to say, that the "War on Drugs" was successful. But, it's a major fail and an enormous drain on our economy and waste of tax dollars and prisons and jails. In many ways, pot is so much better than alcohol.
If the Fed goes after small-timers, it's only proof that the Fed runs the show. States are allowed to govern themselves and the Fed, needs to recognize that. They need to put their power into committing to real changes in this country, than wasting time on drug dealers/drug users. Jobs can and will still require drug tests... there will still be an age limit to buying it... give the decisions to adults and take it out of ridiculous outdated and completely fictional laws that make little to no sense.
I agree with what you have said but there is one problem area. Drug Tests - Pot stays in your system up to 30 days. The test can't tell if you smoked yesterday or 20 days ago. There needs to be an accurate test to determine how stoned a person is and what will be the legal definition of being "too stoned" to drive.
When you star speeding, running stop lights and stop signs and weaving from side to side and making illegal turns and passing on the right, you're probably too stoned to drive. Washington cops aren't pulling you over to check to see if you are under the influence, unless your driving is impaired. It's not that complicated.
Note : Pot doesn't make you do any of those things. That's alcohol. Stop worrying.
I agree drug test will be up to employers and will take lots of lag time to adjut, if they do. Unless it is legalized. Otherwise, a cluster pluck will follow in regards to employment acceptance.
Not too many stories about deaths/driving pot stoned, but everyone's got a story about that time they were too stoned to drive but did. It is usually that they noticed they were doing 12 mph on the highway or something to that affect...
:-)))
Excessive Drinking and driving has had many, many more gory outcomes due to inability to maintain vehicular control, and can every time!
:-(((
Common sense is not common enough to ensure proper judgement will prevail, unfortunately, so the argument will be continued for a viable test and more reasonable 'assessment' standard.
Peace
It will be very difficult to end the prohibition of pot. The reality is that too many agencies, civil and law enforcement have too much invested in the fight. Also, the drug lords will fight legalization by the rule "lead or gold", which would you pick?
John,
Then the agencies can go after the real criminals. The gangs that infest cities and kill people. These are the terrorists that law enforcement should concentrate on.
Sounds like a repeat of what he said about Medical Marijuana Dispensaries before he closed them all down in San Diego putting thousands out of work and giving the business back to the Mexican drug cartels.
Kenneth,
State Attorneys of different states apply the Federal DEA law in different ways and according to how they see fit. The president is a little busy to tell people in different states NOT to do their jobs, don't you think?
Would people rather have someone out shooting up a elementary school or sitting at home on the couch enjoying a joint.
seeing as how the guy was there to shoot his mother, i don't think pot would make any difference.
I'd be very surprised to learn that he smoked out, right before going to shoot his Mom and some kids.
Except they found his mother at her home, not at the school.
Like figuring out to pay for Obamacare.
Taxes on pot?
Obama says "Toke at last, toke at last...thank god almighty toke at last!
Well, Obama has ignored laws before so why not let everyone toke up? while we are at it let's allow 3 year olds to drink bourbon...it has a calming effect on children after all.
Well its pretty simple, a 1 page federal bill should take care of the conflict. Bill should say, The federal MJ laws are amended as follows: In states that have legalized the use and sale of MJ the federal law is amended to match that particular states law.
Why not let the pot laws go for a while and take a second look at those gun laws--which is really contributing to the downfall of society?
we already have gun laws ---- the problem is, they were years too late. ---- the only way to do anything now is control access to the powder -- no ammo, the guns are pretty useless.
ronpal what you smoking fool?
Let's see... Obama had the DOJ go after Arizona for its immigration law saying that the country didn't need a hodge-podge of laws regarding immigration. Yet, he turns around and says that the feds have "bigger fish to fry" when it come to laws regarding pot and ignores the hodge-podge of drugs laws they create. He's shown time and again that he wants to pick and choose which federal laws to enforce despite having taken an oath to enforce the laws of this country. True hypocrisy.
I thought he said 'We have potato chips to fry'
The real argument needs to be had at the FDA, who has Drug Schedules that classify marijuana as a deadly, highly-addictive drug, just like cocaine, meth, and heroin.
Re-classify it where it should be, with alcohol: Legal, regulated, and taxed. It is not consequence-free...no drug is...but in the grand scheme of things, it's not nearly the demon some make it out to be.
He sure had no problem sticking the Fed's nose into California to go against what the voters wanted.
We legalize pot we make sex between a man and another man "OK" we take God out of our public schools we deny the very existence of God, we attack our Christian heritage, on and on it goes. And then we gasp in horror when we have what happened today at a school, 26 people dead. It is because our hearts have become hardened. The answer is not more of the same yet that is what we do, things go bad we we turn to secular humanism then things get worse so we in turn embrace more of the same and the downward Spiral continues. Wake up America and turn back to God
Early Christians did their annointing, with hempseed oil, not olive oil. I would think you'de be happy to be able to return to the original practices as performed by Jesus himself.
"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?"
Easy Mr. President, you pass an amendment like they did with the Volstead Act. But since that will never succeed at passing or get effectively enforced, just give up.
and listen to Bob Marley
"substance abuse generally is not good for our kids" that's a quote for the ages indeed! Can this president waffle any more shamelessly on any issue at all? Don't think so
Well, he has to be careful about statements like that, seeing as how all the conservatives freaked out over Michelle Obama's suggestion that kids eat healthier foods and exercise more. Mustn't interfere with parental control, after all.
i realize nothing short of parting the red sea, walking on water, or raising the dead would change some people's mind about our President; I get it. I haven't had a lick of respect for any politician since the crucifixion of Jimmy Carter; but, you gotta love a politician who stands up to the good 'ole boy network of corruption. Now, Mr President, back up that "bigger fish" comment by frying all those greedy money worshippers behind this economic meltdown. Please start with the bankers, CEOs, and the politicians who made it possible. Restore our faith in our government, I Dare You!
I thought he could do all that.......
It's all about money like the probition days where the Kennedy family made their millions. Omama stopped deporting illegal's so he could win their vote's, now he can do the same with pot laws but can't because if pot were legalized then the Fed's will lose billions of dollars that are for the war on drug in other country's, like mexico's new president has to work out something with our government to legalize drugs in his country but has to be ok'ed by our government. According to our constitution the majority of the people can change laws,and the Federal government has a soveigty with the states not full controll, these kinds of laws are forebided by the constitution.
Obama deported way more Mexicans in 4 years than Bush did in 8. So try again.
so what ??? ----- what is gained by deportation if they simply cross over again ??
(Firing up)
About time. Bottom line: Pot is money for states that need it, and if you think that's wrong, put down your Smirnoff and do something about it.
This article sure brought the Teabagger posse out in force (barf).
I applaud the president on this. He is showing more sanity than politics.
Something we don't get much of out of the house of reprehensibles these days.
yea...I'm kind of ok with it unless people are upset about it so sort of you know substance abuse is generally bad for kids and um then again let's shut down LA Pot shops (he did didn't he???) and then let's um evolve our thinking and then umm
Wow...what a concept.....Make laws and the Empty Suit then gets to decide which ones are legitimate and we should follow and which ones should be ignored...It's worked well for him I guess....I mean he and Holder so far have escaped prosecution for at most.... Accessory to Murder in Benghazi and at the least Involuntary Manslaughter for Fast and Furious........