Obama: Don't bother me anymore.

Change.gov asked me to give my input.

I asked for my e-mail to be removed from their e-mail list and gave this reason:

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Your team isn't really interested in what the people have to say.
We asked you about marijuana. You ignored the question. Or just brushed it off.
President elect Obama and your team don't seem to represent the people.
Don't bother me any more.
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edit added on 1/25/09:
We have medical testing data. Based on test tube and animal studies.
-->> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-52S...e=channel_page See what I mean?
What we lack is human testing.
Human testing has been forbidden by the government.
As long as there is no human testing data, people say "it needs more testing."

Then we have existing human application information like Simpson's.

I submit that the human application data is good enough, given that the government refuses to allow human testing.

Now then .. good enough for what?

I submit that this is enough proof to require the government to get out of the way so that medical science can save lives.

Further that this is enough proof to claim that the government is, being generous: unknowingly, forcing innocent Americans to die by denying them access to this life saving medicine.
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edit added on 1/27/2009

The DEA has refused to perform their job for more than twelve years. Namely to allow rescheduling proceedings to begin. Schedule 1 drugs are required to have no acceptable use in medical practice. The state of California decided to accept marijuana for medical use in 1996. Since then the federal controlled substance act has been in violation of itself. The proper course of action would have been to conduct rescheduling at that time.

The only thing that has stopped the rescheduling process is the consistent refusal of the DEA to perform their function. This refusal to do their job allows them to keep their jobs and budgets in place at the expense of innocent Americans.

One single order from President Obama would force the DEA to perform their lawful function.

This is the location to send your "don't bother me any more" message:

http://change.gov/page/unsubscribe/

PB, I hear ya bud, but this is not going to be fast or easy. Do you really think the first black pres can put weed anywhere on his start up list? No matter what people say, he can not put this forward, nor should we expect that. This issue will have to come through the analysis of ways to fix our nations problems for the future. And we have to lay out the proof for our case.

How much do weed only prisoners cost each state? How much for their trials? How much cop budget per state is for weed? How many people per year does the wod kill?

What would the tax revenue be for the feds to legalize? Income taxes? Sales taxes? Plant permits? Weed bag tax stamps? Fines?

Cali has had MMJ for years now, what are the early stats saying about the results of that? Anti tobacco nazis are saying cali cancer death reductions this decade are from no smoking laws, is that true, or is it the MMJ?

We need a position paper to organize all the data, real data, and show the govt that legalization will be a trillion dollar per year gain for the nation, then they will start talking about it. We need a few trillion right now.
H

Ok I unsubscribed. It won't change anything, but I like the idea of repeatedly throwing the issue back in their face. I mentioned the recent ruling about illegally obtained evidence from faulty warrants being admissable in court; and people's homes are being invaded and families torn apart because of the war on drugs.

Do you guys realize that they are receiving literally MILLIONs of emails suggesting everything under the sun? There's 2 wars going on, a near complete global financial meltdown and rampant government malfeasance.

And you guys are blowing them off for inaction on YOUR particular gripe, 2 weeks before the guy even sets foot in the office?

Some of us have been waiting 30 or 40 YEARS or more for the gov to do something about it and you expect him to solve it before he's even inaugurated just because you emailed?

Hate to burst your bubble and I hope I don't come off as too much of an asshole but:

Welcome to the real world. Some problems are bigger than yours.

I copy and pasted your exact message peanutbutter

Haps said:

How much do weed only prisoners cost each state? How much for their trials? How much cop budget per state is for weed? How many people per year does the weed kill?

What would the tax revenue be for the feds to legalize? Income taxes? Sales taxes? Plant permits? Weed bag tax stamps? Fines?

Cali has had MMJ for years now, what are the early stats saying about the results of that? Anti tobacco nazis are saying cali cancer death reductions this decade are from no smoking laws, is that true, or is it the MMJ?

Click to expand...

I agree, that these are all valid questions but they have all been asked and answered. The money issue has been proven by economics that, as you can see from our current situation, the government does not care to understand. The government does what is in its own interest, not the general poulation's. Its not just a matter of my interest it was the number 1 Criminal Justice issue on the website he put up to listen to us and chose to not even consider opening it up to public discussion. He lied to us before he was even inaugurated. He needs to at least bring it to open discussion, 25% of the population is now affected by Medical Marajuana, it is an issue that needs to be addressed. If he doesn't legalize it fine, but at least bring it forth as a topic of discussion.

Perfect non drug related issue, in Michigan a group of professors (my professor at the time was one of them) and proposed to refit one of our prisons with energy efficient lighting. It would have cost them 2 million dollars to go green on their lighting, but would save them 3 million in the first year because of efficiency. My professor and his colleagues were told it was not cost effective and still have their horribly inefficient lighting and is costing us an extra 3 million in taxes to cover.

The power is not in the hands of the people as much as we want to believe it is. I am witnessing it in Michigan where the people voted in Medical Marijuana on Nov 4th. The law is now in affect but the rules of the assignment and distribution of cards have until April 4th. The government was voted to have only the power over the distribution of the cards but is making all sorts of new stipulations such as allowing an annual inspection of their grow area, inventory of the cannabis grown, harvested, and distributed to patients which is a blatant violation of the 4th amendment. None of these rules were voted on in the original proposition and will ultimately cost the state millions in dropped cases due to Affirmative Defense. Again the government not listening to the people and pursuing what it believes to be in its best own interest. Acting against the will of 63% of the voting population.

SomeGuy said:

Hate to burst your bubble and I hope I don't come off as too much of an asshole but:

Welcome to the real world. Some problems are bigger than yours.

Click to expand...

Your hopes are dashed. You not only come off as an asshole, but as a prick for thinking you can "teach" us a lesson somehow?

Edit: Let me be more clear. "Waiting around for 30 or 40 years" and then finally speaking out in a pro-cannabis forum to discourage people from speaking out, while being as condescending as you can, is about the trolliest thing I've seen in awhile. Congratulations.

melvin2 said:

Your hopes are dashed. You not only come off as an asshole, but as a prick for thinking you can "teach" us a lesson somehow?

Edit: Let me be more clear. "Waiting around for 30 or 40 years" and then finally speaking out in a pro-cannabis forum to discourage people from speaking out, while being as condescending as you can, is about the trolliest thing I've seen in awhile. Congratulations.

Click to expand...

I am NOT encouraging anyone to refrain from speaking out. You guys are the ones removing yourselves from the discussions because you didn't get the response you wanted after 2 weeks and before the guy even has a chance, not to mention all the other problems that will actually require immediate action.

My point about "Waiting around for 30 or 40 years" is that this debate has been going on for quite some time and its highly unlikely to be solved with the stroke of a pen on day one.

Rather, it will be solved by continued dialog and a little more patience on our part. Expecting everything to change on day one is a bit naive.

First, the economic case for legalization has not ever been assembled, although components of data are available there is no final product that says what it will cost and save. That is why our lobbyests, norml and mmp have failed us, they have not done the basic job, to make the comprehensive case for legalization a no brainer, on paper in black and white. That is how change becomes law, when politicos can see it in black and white on a balance sheet, with nation wide polls showing citizen support for the proposition.

Second, Someguy was not a prick at all, I however am an asshole.

Third, what does anyone think of you if you quit? Nothing, they cease to think about you because you no longer exist. I can understand the frustration, and share it, but the most committed wins, not the side that quits.

There are hundreds of pieces of data that have to be collected, from every state and federal agency to assemble the legalization case. We can only prevail by using their own tools and methods against them. Otherwise we are just blowing smoke.
H

Get your ass back to the site PB.

Hate to say it but yes, it's going to be a long fight still.

They've already started a third round asking for questions and allowing votes on them. Haven't answered the last round but I'd say it will take a while to find a creative way to say "I'm not going to discuss cannabis".

We need to keep fighting.

melvin2 said:

Ok I unsubscribed. It won't change anything, but I like the idea of repeatedly throwing the issue back in their face. I mentioned the recent ruling about illegally obtained evidence from faulty warrants being admissable in court; and people's homes are being invaded and families torn apart because of the war on drugs.

Click to expand...

Did you vote for Obama? If so, you have NOTHING to complain about. You need to look at yourself and ask why you fell for another fake ass politican promising the pie in the sky. You shouldn't be surprised about what's taking place.

Here we go again two potheads fighting. This is not going to help the cause.
Funny that over time i have seen people get very aggressive very fast and these are gentle potheads.. I have been there and learned. Calm yourself.
The land of the free, has the harshest pot laws on the planet. Dont fool yourselves. Move to another state, you dont have to put up with jail threat just to enjoy some herb. Its plain wrong and a part of why you are in contradiction.

Haps said:

First, the economic case for legalization has not ever been assembled, although components of data are available there is no final product that says what it will cost and save. That is why our lobbyests, norml and mmp have failed us, they have not done the basic job, to make the comprehensive case for legalization a no brainer, on paper in black and white. That is how change becomes law, when politicos can see it in black and white on a balance sheet, with nation wide polls showing citizen support for the proposition.

Click to expand...

In 2007 the state of CA received $170,000,000.00 in sales tax money from the clinics.

How's that for economics?

SomeGuy said:

Do you guys realize that they are receiving literally MILLIONs of emails suggesting everything under the sun? There's 2 wars going on, a near complete global financial meltdown and rampant government malfeasance.

Click to expand...

And people are still being arrested for laws that clearly the majority of Americans think (and vote) are wrong!

We have the pow's and those that are going through the system right now!
This is massively unjust!

Stop it now and then figure out what to do. I know there are massive jobs to get done. Major problems. But that's no excuse to unjustly keep putting people in jail!

But more than that.

Much more than that! There have been enough curative properties of marijuana, that have been discovered so far, that simply demand that our government stop forcing thousands of people to die every year by denying them access to a life saving drug!

People are being forced to die by the thousands!

Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in America today! Marijuana may be the best medicine to treat it known to science today! Marijuana causes a reversal of the progression of the disease!

This is new science. Human testing with a marijuana extract is already being done by a pharm co in GB. As a stand alone treatment for diabetes. They reported fantastic results in Jan. of '08. This is leading edge stuff, but it looks like we may have a major victory in the fight against diabetes.

We can halt the progression of the disease now. The strains exist that would allow this to take place.

We can save thousands of lives right now if they just get out of the way!

For the sake of thousands of dying Americans, this must stop right now!

Do you understand how many lives that I'm begging for? How can I stop asking? And how long will they keep killing us?

Mt Toaker said:

I copy and pasted your exact message peanutbutter

Click to expand...

Thank you so much. They have a deep need to keep this thing going (questions and issues and public input)

They are trying to keep the flow of public comments going.

I'd like to show that if they intend to ignore the majority of Americans then we will turn away from him.

Their pride and joy project will be shaken. I believe that "unsubscribe" location is being watched more closely than are the questions.

Mt Toaker said:

The power is not in the hands of the people as much as we want to believe it is. I am witnessing it in Michigan where the people voted in Medical Marijuana on Nov 4th. The law is now in affect but the rules of the assignment and distribution of cards have until April 4th. The government was voted to have only the power over the distribution of the cards but is making all sorts of new stipulations such as allowing an annual inspection of their grow area, inventory of the cannabis grown, harvested, and distributed to patients which is a blatant violation of the 4th amendment. None of these rules were voted on in the original proposition and will ultimately cost the state millions in dropped cases due to Affirmative Defense. Again the government not listening to the people and pursuing what it believes to be in its best own interest. Acting against the will of 63% of the voting population.

Click to expand...

I was there on 1/5. Several of us told them to their face that they are facing 3 million Michigan voters.

They seem to have listened. From what I hear, we will get the majority of what we asked for.

Though, somehow, I betcha' that the fee will still be $100. Which is way to much to photocopy medical records and print a card.

And Obama is not even the president yet.

All he would have to say is "stop arresting people for this. When I get into office I will be issuing pardons for every single case. So stop wasting time right now."

I just looked at the calender. I guess I can wait until Tuesday ..

I wonder how many people will die before then.

Are some of you forgetting Change.gov asked for this? They have an "unsubscribe" button with a "tell us why", and a place for joe schmoe to put his (however unimportant) idea. To accuse any of us of not living in the real world, that's just plain trolling someone's thread. That negativity was uncalled for, and yes a dick move IMO.

This is still a war and things are starting to crack at what I think may be a faster rate than before. It is a weakened house of cards that could just tumble down. All out assault man, internet guerrilla tactics. This is no time to say "Ok Mr. obama, I know there are other serious problems. Please, ignore the people's #1 idea on this website you asked us to come to and refuse to explain why".

People who keep pushing back in the face of what has been a long and slow moving process get my respect. They inspire me and I will help.

and since someone brought it up, I voted for Ron Paul but he didn't make it. After that, should I have chosen McCain as a consolation prize? I keep hearing we are so blind for voting in Obama, but I'd rather be blind than one of the idiots that allowed McCain to be pres. Whether or not Obama feels politically "safe" enough to even address the issue (and we are realistic and know he probably wont, or as little as possible), there is still evidence of what he personally thinks of the drug war. It's nowhere as disturbing as McCain's view. Taking 2 steps back is not the answer.

This can't happen without re-educating the masses. I support and try to encourage those who are driven to spread info. When, let's say average, people are shown the true nature of the War on Drugs and have it ALL broken down proper, you can see it in their eyes when they get it. Like a lightbulb...

Keep doing what you do PB. I've said it before but we need more like you. An army of PB's could get this done, no doubt. The fastest changes come when the people finally rise up in great numbers. Am I wrong?

Baby steps people.

You've got decades of misinformation which has formed a lot of peoples views and opinions. It's going to take a hellofalot to convince people that pot is the OPPOSITE of what they've been told. Changing the cannabis laws 360 would make too many people think that the president is nuts and he'd lose too much support.

Expect MMJ to become accepted and safe within 2 years. And maybe a better discussion on the subject. But I think that's the best you can hope for this term.

b8man said:

Baby steps people.

Expect MMJ to become accepted and safe within 2 years.

Click to expand...

I'd bet about $1000 that isn't going to happen.