elect decide on what the laws are. Some times they reflect popular opinion and some times they favor lobbyists.

but, after a while, local legislators, at least, have to respond to the will of the voters.

Federal policy is like the elephant in the living room.

Obama has stated Congress has set the law - this is the truth.

Of course, the DoJ could re-schedule tomorrow - which would make Congress' lack of action moot.

He is directly responsible. As Pres Truman said, "The buck stops here". Holder does the president's bidding.

Because the reality is that Congress is the entity that makes or changes laws.

They are responsible for keeping this shitty law on the books for years. They are the ones who deserve your ire, more than the President.

That's the real truth. Should you expect a President to tell Congress he's going to undo the law without first looking at the people who are refusing to honor the will of the people in the states that elected them?

That seems backassward to me.

The ones who should be held accountable are the ones who are elected to represent the people of various states. Let all the Representatives from all the states that have changed their laws take up the task of changing the way Congress deals with this.

Let them ask, on national tv, why one guy on the judicial committee, some Republican worm from Texas, held up discussion of a decrim bill in 2011, for instance.

The problem is that politicians are not leaders.

That's why everyday people have had to lead this fight.

We see that an overwhelming majority of Americans, for more than a decade, have supported legal medical mj. Yet Congress continues to walk around with its head up its arse on this issue.

They don't have the courage to go up against the bureaucracies with power in DC, such as the DEA.

They prefer to ruin people's lives, cause human suffering, and make themselves look like cowards rather than deal with bad law.

It's been this way for a while. It was this way with Clinton, too.

Congress is shirking its responsibility to the American public.

Of course, in rural areas of the nation, Congress people may like the bad law b/c it brings money to their districts via for-profit prisons, too. So, they're not just shirking the law, they're keeping law that is no different than slavery on the books, in its ability to deprive someone of their rights, their assets, their living, in order to allow a few assholes to turn a profit.

Ain't that America, tho?

However, knowing how horrid this system is, YES. I DO think the executive branch should change the law by rescheduling.

I know, however, that Obama doesn't care about this issue because he doesn't like the "stoner stereotype" that goes along with it in the media. Maybe he thinks marijuana should not be legal - he said the same.

So - it gets back to state and local-level political changes that make it impossible for the feds to continue their actions without becoming the laughing stocks of the entire nation (which they already are regarding this issue, but they don't seem to care - must pay well.)

We have a Democratic President that has the power to not be aggressive about the enforcement of federal medical marijuana laws. You try to make is sound like he is powerless and forced persecute medical marijuana dispensers. That's wrong. He could direct the DoJ to back off. But he isnt.

The are much more important issues for the DoJ to spend their resources. The DoJ is spending lots of resources on sending these people to prison while the Wall Street criminals are not being investigated at all. That's the president's call. He clearly doesnt like medical marijuana users.

I didn't say he was powerless. I've even posted here about the way that the DoJ could reschedule cannabis. It's here - http://www.democraticunderground.com/117069

I think the reality is that the President would prefer if marijuana were decriminalized. I don't think he supports legalization

Removing cannabis from the drug schedule would go toward decriminalizing - so there's no doubt it's a good idea even if you're for halfway measures. Most moderates are like that, in their thinking.

But, honestly, I don't think this is much on the radar right now with the gun issue what it is.

I entirely agree there are better ways for the DoJ to spend their resources - but, again, this is politics - with people's lives, but politics, and I have no doubt that the DEA, etc. is having its say and lobbying for its pov. Same with the Drug Czar, as we've seen lately. Same with this think with Patrick Kennedy, imo.

As I noted before, Democrats aren't the best party for the legalization movement, except when the other party is the Republicans.

Public approves.

http://blog.norml.org/2013/01/09/pennsylvania-representative-prefiles-marijuana-legalization-bill-pennsylvanians-approve/

According to this anyways, http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204_162-10008747-15.html

with 2 points on way or another.

I guess the real number would be higher.

Because a lawyer with two kids and a mortgage has no incentive to admit to breaking the law, for instance, because he or she has a couple of puffs before bed...

There's an entire subset of females in power suits that lights up (and a few of them have admitted it.) Tho cannabis can give someone a healthy appetite, it has no calories, unlike alcohol.

Then there's mom and pop who light up before making sweet, sweet suburban love after they put the kids to bed...

It's hard to get accurate data on any illegal activity.

Since marijuana laws allow the govt. to confiscate every asset you own, who would be willing to admit to using it? I wouldn't fault anyone who uses common sense regarding law in this regard.

I know people who fit into those descriptors above - this includes lawyers, doctors, professors, scientists, business owners, and more than one millionaire - who, tho I may not be best of friends with them, I know are part of the demographic.

They all think the current law is so worthless that they choose to ignore it.

I've known many moms and dads of the suburbs, and in the city, and rural, to smoke it. It really cuts across every demographic. Rich and poor. Black, white and brown. White collar and blue collar. Young and old. Male and female. Basically weed is what unites us as a people. God bless America.

I'm getting all teary-eyed here...

It must be difficult to live without sunlight for months. I don't think I could tolerate it.

Alaska is sounding better all the time, via global warming. I always wanted to go there ever since Northern Exposure. OTOH they did elect Sarah Palin.