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Obama.jpg
President Barack Obama says he will not go after Washington state and Colorado for legalizing marijuana. He says the federal government has "bigger fish to fry." (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo)

President Obama discourages drug use, but won't go after Washington pot smokers

December 14, 2012 @ 7:08 am (Updated: 7:12 am - 12/14/12 )

President Obama says the federal government will not go after recreational marijuana users in Washington, now that pot is legal in our state.

"We've got bigger fish to fry," Obama told Barbara Walters in an interview ABC News will air tonight.

This is Mr. Obama's first public comment on the topic since voters in Washington legalized marijuana in November. The law took effect last week.

Walters asked the president if he supports making pot legal.

"I wouldn't go that far," he responded.

He also said the federal government is not worried about people who smoke a small amount of marijuana.

"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," Obama says.

The issue is a tricky one because any institution that receives federal funding is following federal law, rather than state law regarding marijuana. The differences need to be worked out.

"This is a tough problem, because Congress has not yet changed the law," says Obama. "I head up the executive branch. We're supposed to be carrying out laws, 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?"

Obama wrote in his 1995 memoir, "Dreams from My Father," that he smoked pot regularly with his high school friends.

"There are a bunch of things I did that I regret when I was a kid," Obama tells Walters.

"My attitude is, substance abuse generally is not good for our kids, not good for our society," he says. "I want to discourage drug use."

By LINDA THOMAS

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Comments (60)


  • Add A Comment

  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Huge potential for tourism in Washington and Colorado
    December 14, 2012 6:37 am
    Now that the feds have agreed to lay off prosecuting pot smokers in states where it is legal, there's a lucrative business model available to any eager investors.

    Like nudity, public pot smoking is still technically illegal in Washington. That's likely true in Colorado as well.

    So, using the nudist colony model, somebody sets up a "private club" up in the Cascade foothills, sells "memberships" for $1500 per week, and as a member you get the use of a reasonable hotel room and the chance to associate with fellow pot smokers. I suspect that a lot of less than hard-core pot smokers would be attracted to an environment where they could smoke their brains out for a week with absolutely no fear of being busted by the local, state, or federal cops.

    There are probably a lot more people interested in smoking pot than in running around naked in front of other people....well I guess once they start smoking pot the number of folks who will wind up running around naked does go up a bit, doesn't it? :-)

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    Aw the heck with that Chuck
    December 14, 2012 6:53 am
    Keep the Seattle Pot smoking club right there in Seattle and leave the Cascade foothills out of the debate.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    Go for it Chuck
    December 14, 2012 7:07 am
    Here's a name suggestion for your private club....The Choom Gang

    I'm sure no one has ever thought of that before.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CldWtrSrf wrote...
    Emperor Obama
    December 14, 2012 6:47 am
    said the same thing about Medical Cannabis. Then he proceeded to have his criminal partner Eric "Gangster" Holder and the "Justice" Department prosecute FAR more people than the Evil Bush ever even though to do. Pretty disgusting. The moral of the story...you CAN NOT trust a PROVEN liar, so why would anybody ever trust Barry Obama? He's been a proven liar his whole Presidency, over and over and over again.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • don over taxed wrote...
    Emperor Oblamo
    December 14, 2012 8:30 am
    I agree with everything you said.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    I'd rather hear what Cheech and Chong have to say
    December 14, 2012 6:49 am
    on the subject rather than this hypocritical mythomaniac.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    Portugal decriminalized all drugs 10 years ago.
    December 14, 2012 6:51 am
    Drug abuse is down by half now. Nuff said. The only people who want to keep drugs illegal are drug dealers/cartels, lawyers, judges, for profit prisons, and anybody else that makes money off drugs.

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/07/05/ten-years-after-decriminalization-drug-abuse-down-by-half-in-portugal/

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sohojo wrote...
    Imagine that
    December 14, 2012 7:22 am
    You take the illegality out of the drug culture and the use goes down. It's only common sense. The criminals and the courts now have no motivation(money) to worry about this one substance. You also take the "mystery" out of it and it becomes no big deal for most people. The great brain washing experiment of yesteryear has come to an end.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • chellesbelles wrote...
    @sohojo
    December 14, 2012 7:48 am
    Very well said. I have never thought about it quite like that before. I have never smoked pot, but I did vote for it to be legalized and so did most of my friends and family who live in Washington. They also do not smoke pot and never have. It's interesting that now it's legal, I and the people I hang around with still have no desire to smoke pot. I know the behavior of my little circle of friends and family doesn't mean that this is how everyone else will behave, but I do think it is particularly telling.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lonestar wrote...
    Portugal's unemployment rate is 16%
    December 14, 2012 7:53 am
    Not that anyone cares.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    This from a guy who otherwise evolves and changes laws as he sees fit.
    December 14, 2012 7:14 am
    Whatever the merits of his version of the dream act or decisions to abandon don't ask to evolving on gay marriage, Mr. Obama plays fas and loose with almost every other current social issue.

    So why, on legalization of marijuana, an issue that a lot of liberals and conservatives agree on, is he equivocating? ....... While admitting past pot use, he 'wouldn't go that far' to legalize on a national basis? .. He just won't enforce federal law?

    Come on, Barry. This isn't your idea. Just for Michelle and your daughters. ..... Like no fatty foods?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mayday56 wrote...
    He won't enforce a federal law
    December 14, 2012 6:50 pm
    You just stated liberals, and coservatives cults agree. So you want him to enforce a law that nobody wants. Just admit it you wuld disagree with whatever he did. Be truthful now. It's clear from your tone your a right wing cultist.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Mayday, Mayday....... So, is Messiah 101 your hero?
    December 15, 2012 6:36 am
    Cults everywhere. Geeze.....

    Who says he SHOULD enforce federal law in defiance of Washington State ?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • PHR wrote...
    Smart move
    December 14, 2012 7:21 am
    He'd be a fool to go after legalized pot, because it's more popular than he is.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • chellesbelles wrote...
    @PHR
    December 14, 2012 7:54 am
    now that is hilarious! Thanks for my laugh for the morning, however he was re-elected by a majority so your facts may be a little bit off. Funny nontheless.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hakuzen wrote...
    According to most polls, PHR is correct.
    December 14, 2012 8:23 am
    Obama won the popular by 51% Pot won legalization by 55%+ National polls suggest nearly 60% of Americans want it legalized. So although close, yes PHR is right, it is technically a little bit more popular than him.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lonestar wrote...
    Good
    December 14, 2012 7:52 am
    Stoned Dimwitcrats won't notice they've elected Senators McKenna and Rodgers.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    totally...
    December 14, 2012 9:45 am
    NO stoned republicans.

    not never.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleD wrote...
    Republicons prefer
    December 14, 2012 6:11 pm
    to get blackout drunk.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mayday56 wrote...
    totally
    December 14, 2012 6:56 pm
    No, and they never lie
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zoeller wrote...
    The real question should have been -
    December 14, 2012 8:20 am
    Will Obama and his thug buddy Holder go after the States that sell pot for profit? Of course Barbara would never ever ask OB a real serious hard ball question while she kisses his feet, isn’t already a given that they would not go after the recreational user?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • don over taxed wrote...
    Washington Pot
    December 14, 2012 8:28 am
    Now when this loser comes to the state to raise money, he can also get his fix.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mayday56 wrote...
    Wash pot
    December 14, 2012 6:53 pm
    Let me guess, a republican cultist. What an open mnd!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • don over taxed wrote...
    Wash Pot Heads
    December 16, 2012 1:37 pm
    Are you have fun with your oblamo free cell phone....loser
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dark Jedi wrote...
    Looks like I won't be going to Bumbershoot anymore
    December 14, 2012 8:36 am
    The smell of pot is nauseous. Every year I have gone to Bumbershoot, the stage areas always reek of it. I even saw a guy blowing his smoke down towards an infant thinking it was funny. Now with pot being legal to smoke, the whole festival is going to stink from that crap.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kato1967 wrote...
    What's funny is...
    December 14, 2012 8:37 am
    ...that had it been tobacco smoke being blown toward an infant they would have had a SWAT team take the guy down and cart him off to prison for life. But pot smoke, that's A-OK.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mayday56 wrote...
    What's funny is...
    December 14, 2012 6:54 pm
    Where has that happened, and be specific. Don't make up stuff to prove a idiotic statement.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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