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youtube.com - Musician and Best Buy employee, Keith Parsons, rocks his Best Buy holiday campaign audition.
179 Comments
- SantaClauz, on 04/09/2009, -12/+90Dear President Obama,
I was first introduced to marijuana a little over 2 years ago. Over time, I have learned many things about this Schedule 1 Drug that were contrary to what I had previously believed. As a marijuana user yourself, I am sure that you are well aware of its effects and can vouch for its relative harmlessness. Unfortunately however, marijuana remains illegal under U.S federal law despite a laundry list of reasons for why it should be legalized.
So when the American public learned you were holding an online town hall to address the issues which we feel are important and ready to be fixed, we were excited. As you are aware, marijuana law reform was one of the overwhelmingly popular questions - if not the most popular.
In response to this question however, you jokingly dismissed the online audience that helped raise millions of dollars for your campaign which successfully got you elected. In an almost disrespectful display to the millions of Americans who use cannabis medically and recreationally, the audience as well as yourself laughed in the face of a serious question posed by the thousands of users that responded. It is also worth mentioning that the question failed to even be shown on the screen as all the others had been and received a very short, simple answer compared to the 10+ minutes that some of the other questions received.
I am writing this e-mail to you today to ask you to not only reconsider your drug policy, but also pleading that you take your online audience more seriously. I believe it would be well worth your time and much appreciated by a significant portion of the general public if you could please readdress this question with a more serious, thought-out and detailed answer.
And unfortunately Mr. President, the question is not a simple one, but multifaceted. I believe it’s important for you to begin addressing the situation so we can move toward becoming a more stable country. So let me begin by providing you with a few issues that you might want to consider.
As you are well aware, cannabis is currently a Schedule 1 Drug, which means it is defined as a substance with no medicinal value. Do you believe that marijuana is not medically helpful to patients who for example suffer from cancer or HIV/AIDS and have trouble eating or are in pain?
Why is the DEA continuing to raid dispensaries in California despite assurance from Attorney General Holder as well as yourself that federal resources would not be used to circumvent state laws?
Roughly 800,000 people were arrested in 2007 for possession of marijuana. This figure is higher than it has ever been before and has grown every year. Even patients who have been prescribed cannabis by their doctors have been arrested. Don't you believe it is wrong to be spending billions of dollars every year incriminating these people for non-violent crimes while the violent criminals run amok? Isn't it time to stop supporting private prisons that benefit from the imprisonment of others?
Are you aware the marijuana is a safer drug than both Alcohol and Tobacco, not to mention less addictive than caffeine? In fact, its impossible to overdose on marijuana and its potentially harmful smoke related effects can be lessened if not eliminated by using a vaporizer. Over 400,000+ people are killed by cigarettes every year, and another 15,000+ from drunk drivers, yet no one has ever died from marijuana consumption. What's keeping it illegal?
With the drug cartels more powerful than ever, don't you believe it is time to take away some of their power? Some estimates say that marijuana makes up over 50% of the cartel's income. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate much of their income and power. In addition to this, we would stop spending the billions of dollars that we currently spend fighting marijuana while generating billions of dollars by regulating and taxing this substance as well as hemp.
Mr. President, needless to say I was very disappointed when you hypocritically laughed in our faces on March 26th. I hope that you can take the time to redress this situation and reassure the American public that you are the man we elected on November 4th. I hope the power of presidency does not blind sight you to the obvious beneficial effects the legalization of marijuana would have on America. I know you are an educated man Mr. President, and I know you will make the right choice.
Hopeful for Change,
Anand S.
- Letter I wrote to Obama via whitehouse.gov. I encourage you all to do the same and bring this issue to the forefront. I'm not expecting a response, but I do think that if enough people keeping bombarding this issue on him, he will eventually have to issue a REAL response. Take action! Visit norml.org for more information - PauliJ, on 04/08/2009, -5/+82Seeing where this is posted warms me with the feeling that we may be making headway in the fight. Even if this is a rehash of everything that has been in the media for weeks.
Time to start talking about a third party for 2010? - ygeoff419, on 04/08/2009, -3/+55I would suggest any politician who wants to get or stay in office should really consider their stand on legalization and the drug war in general. Americans are getting tired of wasted taxes.
I second the 3rd party idea, this 2 party dominated system is a joke! - Philbert, on 04/09/2009, -0/+32Ya know what I see happening? They legalize it, then for a few weeks the whole country is high as a kite, then within a month or so everything is back to the way it is now pretty much.
- mah2cent, on 04/09/2009, -1/+32Libertarians have always been against the war on drugs (a complete failure, except for government confiscations of private property) and therefore opposed to any kind of restriction on the use of pot.
As a matter of fact, the basis of Libertarian philosophy is personal liberty, rights to personal property and minimum government. Without government intervention, this would never have been an issue. - Frankyfan3, on 04/09/2009, -0/+30The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.
- Carl Sagan
http://www.marijuana-uses.com/essays/002.html - uberdragon, on 04/08/2009, -2/+31It's time for a serious policy shift. Put the pressure on your local elected officals. Make it known they will NOT be re-elected if they don't help put an end to marijuana prohibition.
- inactive, on 04/09/2009, -0/+27We need to at LEAST reschedule it. Schedule 1? HAH
- charlie6969, on 04/09/2009, -0/+26Well, if President Obama doesn't believe that marijuana should be legal, then now is the time to change his mind. Through pure stubbornness, if nothing else.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121
"Our youth can not understand why society chooses to criminalize a behavior with so little visible ill effect or adverse social impact... These young people have jumped the fence and found no cliff. And the disrespect for the possession laws fosters a disrespect for laws and the system in general... On top of this is the distinct impression among the youth that some police may use the marihuana laws to arrest people they don't like for other reasons, whether it be their politics, their hair style or their ethnic background."
Criminal penalties have clearly failed to prevent widespread use of marijuana... Law and health are two entirely separate issues." Bob DuPont - Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse - President Nixon's 'drug czar' - StripeyMagee, on 04/08/2009, -5/+29Better to be taxed for legal use than taxed to keep it illegal.
- cambob76, on 04/09/2009, -1/+25Zeitgeist? I gotta try that strain.
- headgames, on 04/09/2009, -2/+2410 years? why so long why not now?What are we waiting for?
- isimon42o, on 04/09/2009, -3/+24Gay marriage more important than this? Really? Since when do gay people get sent to jail for years? Since when do we waste billions a year on combating gay marriage? Since when are thousands killed in border countries over gay rights?
I'm all for gay marriage, but it is not a big issue at this point. - itc518, on 04/08/2009, -2/+22That is awesome, especially from the source!
- inactive, on 04/08/2009, -2/+22The system needs to be more-fair to both the Greens AND the Libertarians.
- tech42er, on 04/09/2009, -3/+22Gay marriage is an important issue, but not as pressing as marijuana prohibition. At least people aren't ebing thrown in jail for being gay!
- captainchris, on 04/09/2009, -1/+19you're the aids of cannabis related stories on digg. you can ignore these articles and do something constructive. *blows smoke in your face*
- b8man99, on 04/09/2009, -0/+17I'd love to see it happen, but have been alive long enough not to get my hopes up.
Just smoke on and don't trust police or government officials. This has always been a war against us, not a minor legal dispute. - Metavised, on 04/09/2009, -0/+15Oh, ruin the lives of our children? LIsten, the ONLY way marijuana would harm my children would be in the case if I got caught. The prison sentence (which would be over 14+ months) and a fine of thousands of dollars would adversely affect my family more then anything marijuana could.
I like to think myself an educated man, and despite a bad childhood, motivated myself through school. Without the help of parents I crossed states to where I presently live. I have two children, a 19-month old boy and a 3-month baby girl. I purchased a house one year ago, and have finished paying off the car I purchased two years ago. I'm currently finishing college and look forward to my career in the medical industry.
So, by your terms I'm an addict, and I should be sterilized. Sterilized for my recreational marijuana use despite the fact that I harm nothing. My job, my family, and my sanity intact, but your ignorance would will me to be sterilized. I pray you consider looking at yourself for a good long time, and hope you don't see the monster your words make you out to be. - gkskillz, on 04/09/2009, -1/+16Actually, to be technical, he said he didn't think it was a good way to end the recession. He didn't mention his stance on legalization, although it was implied through how he addressed the question.
- inactive, on 04/09/2009, -1/+13And alcohol is a sedative and tobacco and caffeine are stimulants. Exactly what was your point?
- drpepper5889, on 04/09/2009, -3/+15BOYCOTT major alcohol brands until weed is legalized.
1. We can still get drunk, and help out the smaller alcohol companies at the same time ! (ALSO, helping the smaller companies means more competition, equaling lower prices for all consumers).
2. The major alcohol companies (plus pharmaceutical companies) do NOT want weed legalized because it is a substitute to their products. They have lobbyists wispering in every politicians' ears to stay quiet about marijuana legalization.
3. Once these companies see their falling revenues, they'll have to back off and allow legalization to run its logical course. This will free up politicians to be able to back the logical argument by referencing Portugal's emperical success. - freejackcity, on 04/09/2009, -0/+11If everyone in favor of Marijuana Legalization would vote Green or Libertarian for their local Congressional elections in 2010 then Marijuana WILL be legal by 2012, if not sooner. It'll either give the Democrats and Republicans a wake up call, or replace them with more competent representatives.
We might also see the side consequences of having "third-party" leaders, such as; the end of Military Imperialism (160 bases in 130 countries, the biggest burden on our economy), the Nationalization of the Federal Reserve and the end of the Income Tax (which solely goes toward the payment of interest on the money we borrow from a private group that performs a function that Congress is mandated to do by the Constitution without interest, that would be an annual $1,000,000,000,000 stimulus to the economy simply by letting people keep their earnings), and a more responsive Government (where The People exercise they're power to remove failed Politicians and Political Parties from power when they prove inept). We might even get a balanced budget, an end to bailouts for failed monopolies, and a series of other benefits that are impossible with an unchallenged two-party monopoly in Government.
So; vote Green, vote Libertarian, vote Constitution, vote Peace and Freedom, vote Independent, even vote Socialist, just don't vote Democrat or Republican and you will see REAL CHANGE in Government. - Frankyfan3, on 04/09/2009, -0/+11It will vary, obviously, by demographic, location... etc:
In WA state, a dem running as a state rep from Kirkland announced his anti-prohibition pro-regulation policy on drugs and his republican adversary sent out mailers letting voters know that the dem was "Soft on drugs"
Opinion polls showed that those had the opposite of the intended affect. The dem's ratings went up, and the republican's went down.
The dem for legalization won that election.
And the next election cycle, a different republican running against him, was himself, an anti-prohibitionist.
I met them both at a screening of "Marijuana : It's Time for a Conversation" hosted by Rick Steves.
:)
Just one anecdote of someone speaking out in favor of legalization and being reelected, even influencing the opponent party's choice of a future candidate. - Frankyfan3, on 04/09/2009, -1/+11SirTraumaPony,
while I concur that gay marriage rights is an important issue, and I do call and write my representatives about it... it really is one in the same with the anti-prohibition movement. I don't really think I could grade one as more important than the other, because I do feel so strongly about both, but the other posters have a point.
Nobody in the USA is still getting locked in prison or having their homes taken from them for being gay married.
Freedom to decide who we will marry.
Freedom to decide what we put in our body.
We're really talking about the same thing, limiting government interference in our personal lives and standing up against injustice.
Just saying. - inactive, on 04/09/2009, -0/+10The American prohibition against Marijuana is a waste of precious money and human resources.
- WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -0/+10Except with fewer people in jail ;)
- ygeoff419, on 04/08/2009, -4/+14I have been begging for a REAL 3rd party, I'm all for it!
VOTE GREEN IN 2010! - creepnitreal420, on 04/09/2009, -0/+10The green party is more about the enviroment than legalizing marijuana.
- sodade, on 04/09/2009, -0/+9Digg, the attack stupid ***** laws blog.
- Spoomeister, on 04/09/2009, -0/+9Marijuana Zeitgeist would be an awesome band name.
- DankBuddz, on 04/09/2009, -0/+9I saw a few facts, but its a shame you base opinions off of the title of a movie, which was a word long before the movie was even created.
- Bigskinny717, on 04/09/2009, -0/+8“Obviously, marijuana can be abused" Thats the problem, no it can't!! believe me ive been trying for years!!! lets just say if i smoked the way i have weed with alcohol and cigs, i would way past dead by now!!!! Hell actually if anything i feel much stronger!!!!!
- ygeoff419, on 04/09/2009, -0/+8A bunch of politicians to pull their heads out of their ass' or a large group to take a stand, if only us herb smoker weren't such passive. Now take away a mans liquor and he gets ***** mean and will flood the streets!
Don't ask for the end of prohibition, DEMAND IT! - Tddupre, on 04/09/2009, -2/+10no that would be socialism
- caution, on 04/09/2009, -0/+8If all the reasonable libertarians and reasonable fiscal conservatives ever really got together, they could establish a third party that would get some play. The problem is that both groups often attract too much of the fringe, shutting off the common sense. Look at the fiscal conservatives now, for example. If they vote republican, they get big spenders joined at the hip with the creationists, bible-literalists and over-zealous hawks. There's got to be a new middle based on liberty-- even the freedom to fail that seems to have been taken away.
- mhearne, on 04/09/2009, -1/+9We aren't discussing blanket legalization, we're discussing taking marijuana off of schedule I. It has nothing to do with the other hard stuff and party drugs.
- uberdragon, on 04/09/2009, -0/+8It also depends on the level of public participation. If you got a couple hundred thousand emails from the people that live in your district telling you to support the end of marijuana prohibition because your state desperately needs the taxable income it would generate [insert any number of other legitimate reasons to legalize here; medical, over jailing, etc], wouldn't you be inclined to listen? I imagine it would at least have you carefully choosing your stance, knowing these people won't be relecting you into office if you don't do something... anything....
As our country sinks further into recession, I do sincerely believe now IS the right time for politicians to be coming out of their own cannabis closets and publicly supporting this movement. Not only can we save billions nationally with this policy change, we can potentially make billions more in legalization and taxation of marijuana and hemp products. - JonHs, on 04/09/2009, -0/+8The Union: The Business Behind Getting High
http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/union_business_be ... - TrentDeux, on 04/09/2009, -0/+8Interesting. Part A was tried in "The Wire" circa 2004.
- deathandtaverns, on 04/09/2009, -0/+7the rest of the greatest generation to die, and to start chipping away at the boomers
- rjyanj, on 04/09/2009, -0/+7is this as reputable a publication as it seems?
- dty2010, on 04/09/2009, -1/+8Digg can't have AIDS, it's an STD.
- videodronesmp, on 04/09/2009, -0/+7I also don't believe that gay marriage is a more important issue. You can't get thrown in jail for being gay. You can't have the cops come after you because you are gay.
- Davidleewhite, on 04/09/2009, -0/+6Yeah I def. support a third party, even if its not based on legalizing pot, which ranks very "high" on my list of things I want done, I'm 20 so ive got a good 80 years left of fighting for this and the other causes I care about. If they think its a joke lets see how they like 80 years of me bitching and emailing, writing and calling them daily telling them to legalize the herb.
- Tddupre, on 04/09/2009, -2/+8not being bent over and rammed in the ass in jail for smoking it is the best way to have it
- Snoosy, on 04/09/2009, -0/+6I think you mean you want the Marijuana Party.
And yes, such a party does exist in Canada. It just never wins. - Coinspinner, on 04/09/2009, -0/+6Wow, it's all there.
Cannabis cures cancer, legalization would destroy the cartels, the Government's 7-decade propaganda effort, etc etc.
Man, they hit it all.
This used to just be info that liberals traded with each other. - letsgetsurgical, on 04/09/2009, -1/+7The states are perfectly capable of inspecting foods or cleaning up toxic spills in their own states. As far as natural disasters go, the Constitution has a clause allowing the executive branch to intervene in emergency situations.
Wouldn't you rather have an agency in your own state to inspect your foods? They wouldn't have to worry about 49 other states, and you could hold them directly accountable if something goes wrong. - Spudster, on 04/09/2009, -1/+7Canada has 60% plus support for legalization and were increasing penalties for marijuana here. *sigh*
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