Marijuana And The Democratic National Convention

Democrats, And Political Observers Of All Persuasions, Will See A Yes On 64 Campaign Ad During The Democratic National Convention

Despite being ignored and trivialized by both Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, marijuana law reform will not be ignored during this year’s Democratic National Convention.  In spite of the deafening silence from the two major presidential candidates, marijuana will be an issue during this year’s general election campaign as marijuana legalization will be on the ballot in Washington, Oregon and the crucial swing-state of Colorado while medical marijuana measures will be placed before the voters in Massachusetts, Arkansas and Montana.

Colorado activists, hoping to regulate marijuana like alcohol, will air a campaign ad for Amendment 64 during the Democratic National Convention.  Recent polls demonstrate that Colorado voters support ending cannabis prohibition and may very well be poisedto end the failed policy this November.  Concentrating on the common-sense notion that cannabis is safer than alcohol, the Yes on 64 ad, “It’s Time” starts with President Obama’s famous “Beer Summit.”  The ad:

President Obama, on the other hand, appears to be hoping to solidify his young base, that overwhelmingly supports ending cannabis prohibition, by utilizing John Cho and Kal Penn in promoting DNC coverage.  Cho and Penn star in the Harold & Kumar movie series, popular with the cannabis community.  Unfortunately, for President Obama, cannabis law activists arenot pleased with the President courting the cannabis community while waging a federal war against medical cannabis that exceeds the scope of his predecessor , George W. Bush. Hopefully, the use of Harold and Kumar signifies that President Obama will evolve on marijuana policy if he gets a second term, but cannabis reform activists certainly aren’t holding their collective breath.

Tom Angell, media relations director for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) was quoted by the Denver Westword Blog voicing his displeasure with President Obama’s marijuana policy and his use of Cho and Penn,  ”Under Obama’s marijuana policies, Harold and Kumar could easily be two of the 850,000 marijuana arrests that happen in this country every year. See also: young Barry Obama during his Choom Gang days. If the rampant marijuana arrest policies that Obama’s federal grant programs now fund had gotten to them at some point, it’s pretty safe to assume they wouldn’t be going to Charlotte to witness any balloon drops this week.”

The President’s DNC promo featuring Harold & Kumar:

Whether marijuana continues to be trivialized by the two mainstream candidates, it is clear that cannabis law reform is a serious political issue that will not go away. Sooner or later, or national policy leaders will be forced to tackle the issue as activists and voters at the local and state level will always ensure that cannabis law reform remains at the forefront of every election cycle until the failed policy of prohibition is finally repealed.

Published with special permission from the National Cannabis Coalition