{"id":1276,"date":"2012-04-17T07:59:47","date_gmt":"2012-04-17T07:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/?p=14476"},"modified":"2012-04-17T07:59:47","modified_gmt":"2012-04-17T07:59:47","slug":"outside-of-u-s-comfort-zone-president-obama-forced-to-discuss-failed-war-on-drugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/outside-of-u-s-comfort-zone-president-obama-forced-to-discuss-failed-war-on-drugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Outside of U.S. Comfort Zone President Obama Forced to Discuss Failed War on Drugs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/outside-of-u-s-comfort-zone-president-obama-forced-to-discuss-failed-war-on-drugs\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/summit-of-americas1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"summit of americas\" title=\"summit of americas\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-14478\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/news-and-articles\/outside-of-u-s-comfort-zone-president-obama-forced-to-discuss-failed-war-on-drugs\/attachment\/summit-of-americas-2\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-14478\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/summit-of-americas1-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>Over the weekend<a href=\"http:\/\/www.barackobama.com\/splash\/april-splash-g2?\" target=\"_blank\"> President Obama<\/a> attended the 6<sup>th<\/sup> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.summit-americas.org\/default_en.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Summit of the Americas<\/a> in Columbia.\u00a0\u00a0 Most of the media focus will be on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2012\/04\/15\/world\/americas\/colombia-secret-service-obama\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">secret service prostitute scandal<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.startribune.com\/world\/147440475.html\" target=\"_blank\">Cuba\u2019s exclusion from the event<\/a>.\u00a0 However, medical marijuana patients were treated to at least a glimmer of hope from the weekend summit.<\/p>\n<p>President Obama has sidestepped discussions on marijuana several times over the past several months.\u00a0 In two separate online votes, the White House has <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/8301-503544_162-57368357-503544\/marijuana-questions-dominate-white-house-online-chat-again\/\" target=\"_blank\">encouraged participants to submit topics\u00a0 <\/a>they wanted the president to discuss.\u00a0 Marijuana reform dominated the votes, but was sidestepped by the White House.\u00a0 This comes at a time where patients are genuinely concerned about the administration\u2019s handling of medical marijuana and feel that President Obama is not keeping his promise to uphold state law.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately for the president, he was unable to maneuver out of a drug policy discussion at the Summit of the Americas.\u00a0 Momentum for marijuana legalization seems to be growing significantly.\u00a0 Many Latin American countries have voiced their opposition to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.drugsense.org\/cms\/wodclock\" target=\"_blank\">American War on Drugs <\/a>recently.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.drugsense.org\/cms\/wodclock\" target=\"_blank\">Vice President Joe Biden<\/a> also was pressured on <a href=\"http:\/\/articles.cnn.com\/2012-03-06\/americas\/world_americas_honduras-biden_1_drug-legalization-drug-trafficking-legalization-or-decriminalization?_s=PM:AMERICAS\" target=\"_blank\">marijuana policy<\/a> last month in his visit to Central America.\u00a0 As the violence has escalated out of control in the region, especially in Mexico, many former and current world leaders including former Mexico president <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.chron.com\/narcoconfidential\/2012\/04\/ex-mexican-president-vicente-fox-continues-his-call-to-legalize-drugs-says-u-s-needs-to-get-onboard\/\" target=\"_blank\">Vicente Fox<\/a>, have called for a change of course.<\/p>\n<p>At the summit, President Obama maintained his current position that legalization is not the answer to combat drug cartel violence.\u00a0 Instead he feels we need smarter laws, better law enforcement structure and stronger economies.\u00a0 These general statements may not sit well with U.S. patients and residents of Latin America although President Obama did indicate that he was willing to hold a debate on the issue.\u00a0 He did acknowledge that the war on drugs has not been successful over the past 40 years.<\/p>\n<p>While the United States Federal government seems reluctant to enact any changes to its approach on marijuana policy, other countries seem more than willing to do so.\u00a0 The United States now trails many other countries in education, crime rates, and stem cell research.\u00a0 Is America willing to take a backseat on yet another global issue?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/summit-of-americas1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"summit of americas\" title=\"summit of americas\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-14478\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/news-and-articles\/outside-of-u-s-comfort-zone-president-obama-forced-to-discuss-failed-war-on-drugs\/attachment\/summit-of-americas-2\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-14478\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/summit-of-americas1-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>Over the weekend<a href=\"http:\/\/www.barackobama.com\/splash\/april-splash-g2?\" target=\"_blank\"> President Obama<\/a> attended the 6<sup>th<\/sup> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.summit-americas.org\/default_en.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Summit of the Americas<\/a> in Columbia.\u00a0\u00a0 Most of the media focus will be on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2012\/04\/15\/world\/americas\/colombia-secret-service-obama\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">secret service prostitute scandal<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.startribune.com\/world\/147440475.html\" target=\"_blank\">Cuba\u2019s exclusion from the event<\/a>.\u00a0 However, medical marijuana patients were treated to at least a glimmer of hope from the weekend summit.<\/p>\n<p>President Obama has sidestepped discussions on marijuana several times over the past several months.\u00a0 In two separate online votes, the White House has <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/8301-503544_162-57368357-503544\/marijuana-questions-dominate-white-house-online-chat-again\/\" target=\"_blank\">encouraged participants to submit topics\u00a0 <\/a>they wanted the president to discuss.\u00a0 Marijuana reform dominated the votes, but was sidestepped by the White House.\u00a0 This comes at a time where patients are genuinely concerned about the administration\u2019s handling of medical marijuana and feel that President Obama is not keeping his promise to uphold state law.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately for the president, he was unable to maneuver out of a drug policy discussion at the Summit of the Americas.\u00a0 Momentum for marijuana legalization seems to be growing significantly.\u00a0 Many Latin American countries have voiced their opposition to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.drugsense.org\/cms\/wodclock\" target=\"_blank\">American War on Drugs <\/a>recently.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.drugsense.org\/cms\/wodclock\" target=\"_blank\">Vice President Joe Biden<\/a> also was pressured on <a href=\"http:\/\/articles.cnn.com\/2012-03-06\/americas\/world_americas_honduras-biden_1_drug-legalization-drug-trafficking-legalization-or-decriminalization?_s=PM:AMERICAS\" target=\"_blank\">marijuana policy<\/a> last month in his visit to Central America.\u00a0 As the violence has escalated out of control in the region, especially in Mexico, many former and current world leaders including former Mexico president <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.chron.com\/narcoconfidential\/2012\/04\/ex-mexican-president-vicente-fox-continues-his-call-to-legalize-drugs-says-u-s-needs-to-get-onboard\/\" target=\"_blank\">Vicente Fox<\/a>, have called for a change of course.<\/p>\n<p>At the summit, President Obama maintained his current position that legalization is not the answer to combat drug cartel violence.\u00a0 Instead he feels we need smarter laws, better law enforcement structure and stronger economies.\u00a0 These general statements may not sit well with U.S. patients and residents of Latin America although President Obama did indicate that he was willing to hold a debate on the issue.\u00a0 He did acknowledge that the war on drugs has not been successful over the past 40 years.<\/p>\n<p>While the United States Federal government seems reluctant to enact any changes to its approach on marijuana policy, other countries seem more than willing to do so.\u00a0 The United States now trails many other countries in education, crime rates, and stem cell research.\u00a0 Is America willing to take a backseat on yet another global issue?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[146,52,356,1248,1160,56,9,86,51,1185,70,106,1,3,1249,655,859,74,61,162],"tags":[2724,2632,2934,3818,3730,2636,2664,2631,3755,5,2684,3819,3228,3432,2652,6,2740],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1276"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1276"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1276\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}