Obama: Republicans should stand down on Marijuana law

70% of D.C voters legalized the sale and distribution of marijuana this past election.

So in a exercise for state rights and small government, Republicans banded together to stomp it by inserting language into Congress' spending bill that prevents DC from implementing, effectively destroying legalization in the state.

"The bill includes provisions prohibiting the use of federal and local funds “to enact any law, rule, or regulation to legalize or reduce penalties associated with the possession, use or distribution” of marijuana."

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/226826-obama-congress-should-stand-down-on-dc-pot-law

Republicans should stand down and let DC proceed.

Obama should grow a pair or "evolve" already and ask Congress to talk marihuana out of the Schedule 1 classification.

To be fair, DC isn't actually a state

Ahh...republicans, always against future change thats goin to happen no matter what, regardless of how much they kick and scream.

First anti womans rights, anti black rights, anti gay rights, anti-mexican, now anti weed.

What next?

Well, 57 Democrats voted for it so now it is bi-partisan.

@Jankarcop: Everyone is granted rights in the Constitution, but now certain groups think they should have special rights because of their gender, race and nationality. If the Constitution was taught in school people would fine out that everyone has the same rights. Since the Liberals place everyone in groups instead of treating people as individuals each group now thinks they deserve special rights.

Can you give any examples of what special rights women, blacks, gays, and Mexicans have?

Don't confuse equal rights with special rights.

@toast_burner: Everyone is granted basic rights. What right don't women, gays, blacks and Mexicans have? They must want special rights if there are such a thing as women's rights, gay rights, black rights, Mexican rights.

Give an example of a special right they want. And no they don't have equal rights yet, for example gays still don't have the right to marry in every state.

who the **** do these citizens think they are?

they will do what a small population of wealthy powerful policy makers wants them to do or they can **** off.

Considering Obama has raided more marijuana dispensaries than Bush has he's the last person who should tell anyone to "stand down" on marijuana.

You have to love omnibus bills.

Right. Obama is such a narcissistic phony.

When was the last time congress passed something in favor of its people and not lobbyists? It's a complete load of shit.

If that is the way the president feels then why didn't he push Congress to legalize it when Democrats had a majority? Sure, prosecutorial discretion may help in the case of looking the other way when individual states and Washington, D.C. make it legal for recreational use but that doesn't stop the DEA from having the right to raid those states and it still screws over Federal employees (including the military) who may want to smoke a joint while in those states but can't because of Federal law.

The president can look the other way all he wants but if his successor is firmly anti-marijuana then he or she can sick the dogs on all of those states that legalized it while if he got Congress to legalize it the chances of any politician making it illegal again in this day and age are impossible. So while you can blame the Republicans you can also blame the president.

Also, if you want to get technical, local government in Washington, D.C. serves at the pleasure of Congress. They are the ultimate authority and can dismiss any laws the D.C. local government made as they wish. D.C. didn't even have a government until 1973.

Marijuana serves a legitimate purpose as medicine and will continue to well into the future, The regulations surrounding it are still so medieval and that really needs to be addressed.

All the problems and THIS is what Obama focuses on? What a joke he is for president.

And I thought DC would be a safe haven.

When stoners stop being an annoying bunch, I'll gladly step aside from supporting these kind of actions.

This shitty ass budget bill needs to be vetoed...