Pubdate: Fri, 07 Sep 2012
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2012 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: J. M. Smith

WHO GETS THE VOTE?

Let's look at where the presidential candidates stand on medical marijuana

With the late summer breezes cooling us south of 100 and this being an
election year, it's time for you to adjust your blindfold and prepare
to pin the tail on the animal of your choice. I usually prefer a
donkey, but you can pick an elephant or a Teabilly fuckstick if you
want.

Medical marijuana isn't going to be a key issue in this campaign,
despite the sad musings of at least one blogger (Steph Sherer of The
Huffington Post, who laughingly seems to think MMJ can swing the
election). But Mr. Smith thinks it's worth turning the grow lights on
our presidential contenders to examine where they stand on the topic.
I doubt many voters will decide based solely on MMJ, but surely some
will. So let's take a look:

President Obama: The Internet erupted with Barack Obama marijuana
stories in recent days when two things happened: A Washington Post
editor released book excerpts detailing the president's stoner days in
high school, and the Stoner in Chief suddenly appeared in an Internet
Q&A where he didn't address several marijuana questions despite
thousands of viewer votes for him to take a rip.

About the latter: The Reddit.com "Ask Me Anything" session was a
guerrilla campaign tactic seemingly aimed at getting a younger
demographic into the fray in the final months of the campaign. The
format allows Internet participants to vote for questions, pushing
them higher on a list of potential topics. Obama ignored a prod to
justify the feds closing dozens of dispensaries after he vowed not to
interfere with patients who get meds legally under state laws. That
question got more than 2,000 votes, more than any other that he didn't
answer.

About the former: Washington Post associate editor David Maraniss
released excerpts from his forthcoming book, Barack Obama: The Story.
The president was quite the stoner in high school, according to
classmates interviewed for the book. He was a member in good standing of
the Choom Gang, a pot-smoking brotherhood in which he was known not just
for inhaling, but also for bogarting. He was a fan of sucking the
lingering smoke out of the air in enclosed cars.

In the end, I guess we will wait to see exactly what Obama really
believes about marijuana, but he has come down squarely for it-to some
degree. I suspect in his heart of hearts, he would like to see us have
our choice. But politics is a complicated world, and money talks. I
doubt he is showing his true colors.

Mitt Romney: Mitt the Twit (can you tell what I think of Mr. Romney?) is
easier to pin down. At one point, he bristled at the audacity of a
Colorado television reporter who dared to waste his time asking about
medical marijuana.

"Aren't there issues of significance that you want to talk about?"
said Romney back in May, through a disgustingly fake smile. He then
launched into a brief, condescending tirade about the economy and jobs.

Hellllloooo, Mitt Romney: Medical marijuana is a HUGE untapped economic
resource. It's a multi-billion-dollar industry just waiting to explode
onto the financial world in every way-sales and production jobs, banks,
advertising, real estate, hardware and software sales, Internet
commerce, etc. The sky is the limit, and it is certain that people like
Mitt Romney-rich people-would make millions from a healthy MMJ economy.

But Romney steadfastly clings to the largely debunked theory that
marijuana is a gateway to "other drug offenses." Sorry, Mitt; alcohol
is the gateway drug. Where's the crusade against that? So it's clear
what Romney thinks: He is adamantly against medical marijuana. Boo,
Mitt.

Ultimately, I will follow the lead of the United States Medical
Marijuana Chamber of Commerce, a shadowy and likely insignificant
organization that endorsed Obama on Aug. 27: The Choomer in Chief gets
my vote. I am putting my money on the donkey. Elephants are too slow
for my tastes, and I ain't getting near any Teabilly fucksticks.
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MAP posted-by: Matt