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Kal Penn and Activists Respond to Obama Ad

kal penn

Yesterday we reported on a new advertisement being used by Obama campaign that highlights the popular “Harold and Kumar” characters.  The ad depicts the characters in their typically lazy and “stoned” mindset (though marijuana was conspicuously absent from the ad).

A day later we now are seeing a lot of buzz from the ad. Many cannabis advocates were not pleased and are accusing the president of trying to capitalize off of a group that he has turned his back on.  Morgan Fox of the Marijuana Policy Project said “The fact Obama uses these characters to joke about this issue while on the other hand continuing to arrest people he’s appealing to is really disingenuous.”  He also went on to say President Obama “conducts more raids on medical marijuana facilities than Bush.”

Kal Penn tried to defend President Obama’s approach toward marijuana by saying “I think that the president’s been pretty consistent with that. He’s not in favor of legalization, we should be open about something like that. But what the president has done is take a really smart look at the Department of Justice and said, given the fact that the federal government has limited resources, we should be allocating them toward violent criminals and not towards non-violent criminals. We can see that not just in things like marijuana but in things like immigration reform where he’s going after and deporting violent criminals and making sure that if you’re a Dream Act eligible student that you know that you can apply for your deferred status. Wherever the federal government has an appropriate role, I think the president’s been very consistent in that. That’s something that I think folks should know.”

Many activists will not be pacified with the remark, especially as the president has used federal resources to go after non violent marijuana dispensaries.  Including the Dream Act language in the statement is odd.  While the president should be applauded for his decision to help out immigrants who had no say in entering the country illegally, the two issues have little to do with each other.  Kal Penn may as well include the auto bailout in his statements or any other unrelated accomplishment by the president.

Marijuana reform supporters may be upset at the feeling that they are only used for political expedience.  This election certainly will not focus on the needs of marijuana patients or those impacted by the failed war on drugs.  Either candidate could benefit greatly from addressing the issue as they both are eager to outline their plan to fix our economy and reduce the looming national deficit.  While the Obama “Harold and Kumar” ad may upset the community, at least the tone toward marijuana still seems friendlier than Mitt Romney’s promise to fight medical marijuana “tooth and nail”.


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