President Obama: I don't think marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol

In a profile published on The New Yorker's website, the President admits he smoked marijuana when he was younger and is pretty sure a lot of other politicians did, too, but that some demographics are more harshly punished for the offense. He says if it is legalized, it could lead to a slippery slope, with supporters possibly wanting to legalize recreational use of other drugs, such as meth or cocaine.

President Obama thinks marijuana is no more dangerous than booze — and even less harmful "in terms of its impact on the individual consumer." "As has been well-documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don't think it is more dangerous than alcohol," Obama said to New Yorker editor David Remnick in a lengthy profile published Sunday.

The commander-in-chief still wouldn't recommend any sort of dance with Mary Jane for his daughters — or anyone for that matter — but does seem to think that the country's historical aversion to the drug was blown out of proportion and that our current anti-drug laws disproportionately punish poorer people.

"Middle-class kids don't get locked up for smoking pot and poor kids do," he told Remnick. "And African-American kids and Latino kids are more likely to be poor, and less likely to have the resources and the support to avoid unduly harsh penalties."

Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, said he shares Obama's concern that people from minority communities bear the brunt of pot prohibition and is thrilled that the President is "catching up" with "most Americans" who think marijuana should be legal. "For more than 80 years, our federal government has been exaggerating the harms of marijuana in order to keep it illegal," Tvert told the Daily News. "For one of the first times ever, one of our national leaders is acknowledging that marijuana is actually less harmful than alcohol for the consumer."

In the Remnick interview, Obama pointed out that the nation's lawmakers should not be hypocritical enough to throw pot smokers behind bars for long stretches of time when they probably experimented with cannabis themselves.

It is important for marijuana legislation to go forward in Colorado and Washington state, he said, because we should not "have a situation in which a large portion of people have at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished."

But Obama also took a moment to entertain the opposing side, saying marijuana legalization leads to slippery-slope arguments concerning harder, more harmful drugs and difficult line drawing.

"If marijuana is fully legalized and at some point folks say, 'Well, we can come up with a negotiated dose of cocaine that we can show is not any more harmful than vodka,' are we open to that? If somebody says, 'We've got a finely calibrated dose of meth, it isn't going to kill you or rot your teeth,' are we OK with that?" Recreational use of marijuana has been legalized in Colorado and Washington. It is permitted for medicinal purposes in 18 more states and the District of Columbia.

I saw this news on a lefty blog, and posted the following WITHOUT a sarcasm (should be obvious) warning:

Obama is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! In fact, you know they concluded that a little wine each day is good for you, so if pot is better than alcohol, then a smoking a little weed each day must have some even better health benefits, right?

And since health care is my rigtht, then in addition to legalizing pot, moderate amounts of both wine and weed should be made availalbe, and free to those of low income, through the Affordable Care Act!

I'm tired of these idiots in the GOP telling me what I should or should not do according to their concept of morality. If I want to smoke pot, then that should be my business. And like I said, since it's probably something I'd need for my mental, if not physical, health, then the government should help someone like me pay for it.

In fact, to help immediately get rid of this decades-long stigma against pot smoking, Obama should not only make it legal, but get the tobacco companies involved, since they already have experience with the marketing and distribution that would be needed, and they could help show our nation's youth that pot smoking was not only healthy, but also makes you cool!

Between the tobacco industry and the government, I'm sure they could come up with some clever advertisement to help get the word out. Hey, here's an idea, how about we bring back Obamagirl to do some kind of a viral video, like "I Got A Joint from Obama". Or better yet, remember the Obamaphone lady? Let's bring her back and get her to do a Youtube video, so she can tell everyone: "I love Obama, he gave me a PHONE, he gave me a JOINT - so c'mon and get your Obama-Phone and your Obama-Joint".

Thank you President Obama! It's about time someone had the courage to stand up for my right to do what I want with my own body and my own life. Like I said, the government has no business telling me what I should or should not be able to buy or to do when it comes to the health and well being of me and my family.

Well, except for telling me that I must be insured, they should do that.

Oh yeah, fatty foods and extra-large sugary sodas, they should do something about that too.

OK, I suppose I shoud be fined if I don't wear my seatbelt - that's for my own good.

And even if I think my own kids might be better off at a private or charter school, for the greater good of everyone else's kids, I guess the government should keep someone with limited resources, like me, from being able to send my kids anywhere but the under-performing public school for which we are zoned.

Wait, wait... what was I saying, now I think I'm getting confused. Hmmm, give me a moment, I'll figure this out (tick, tock, tick, tock).

AH, I've got the answer:

If CONSERVATIVES want to legislate what I should or should not do, then the government should not be involved.

But if LIBERALS want to legislate what I should or should not do, then since they know better, than I would. what is best for me and my family, then I want them to write as many laws as they think are needed to regulate our behavior.

Glad I took the time to get that clarified. Now light up, everyone!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.