In what Huffington Post called a major win for political youth engagement, YouTube creators Bethany Mota, GloZell Green and Hank Green interviewed President Obama about the top issues facing them and their audiences.
President Obama responded to a question by Vlogger Hank Green (no pun intended) about the progress of cannabis legalization. Specifically, Obama was asked;
How will we exit the legal grey area created by the coexistence of state legalization and federal prohibition?
While President Obama did not completely address the issue, what he did say was a positive sign of things to come.
First, when the interviewer said everything is doing “okay” in Colorado and Washington, President Obama did not object, just saying “Yeah.” He continued by saying that although cannabis was federally illegal, his administration would not spend resources interfering with state laws. He also expects more legalization laws to be introduced and does not seem intent on stopping them. In fact, President Obama’s demeanor suggests he is excited for legalization to progress.
Another question the interviewer should have asked is that, given the proven medical use of herbal cannabis to alleviate seizures, why is cannabis still Schedule I?
Getting the plant rescheduled is less controversial and more immediately important than recreational legalization, and it is becoming increasingly harder to defend the absurd Schedule I classification. In any case, it is clear President Obama will not be impeding progress, and may one day help facilitate it.
So, is this a sign that times are changing for the better? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
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