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	<title>NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform &#187; taxing and regulating</title>
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	<description>Working to reform marijuana laws</description>
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		<title>White House Press Secretary Tries To Defend Obama&#8217;s Opposition To Taxing And Regulating Pot &#8212; He Can&#8217;t!</title>
		<link>http://blog.norml.org/2009/03/30/white-house-press-secretary-tries-to-defend-obamas-opposition-to-taxing-and-regulating-pot-he-cant/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.norml.org/2009/03/30/white-house-press-secretary-tries-to-defend-obamas-opposition-to-taxing-and-regulating-pot-he-cant/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:17:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ACTIVISM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Gibbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taxing and regulating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Town Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[White House Press Secretary]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.norml.org/?p=497</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!! The HuffingtonPost.com, one of the most visited political websites in the world, has just posted a version of my commentary online here. Please post your feedback to the Post, and make it clear that marijuana law reform must be part of the &#8216;progressive&#8217; agenda. If you thought President Barack Obama&#8217;s mocking response to the question of whether &#8220;taxing and regulating cannabis would raise revenue and reduce prohibition-associated violence&#8221; couldn&#8217;t be any worse, just listen to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stumble below. Kudos to the reporters [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!!</strong></p>
<p><strong>The <em>HuffingtonPost.com</em>, one of the most visited political websites in the world, has just posted a version of my commentary online <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-armentano/press-secretary-gibbs-att_b_180846.html">here</a>. Please post your <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-armentano/press-secretary-gibbs-att_b_180846.html">feedback</a> to the <em>Post</em>, and make it clear that marijuana law reform must be part of the &#8216;progressive&#8217; agenda.</strong></p>
<p>If you thought President Barack Obama&#8217;s <a href="http://blog.thehill.com/2009/03/27/president-obama-what-is-so-funny-about-taxing-and-regulating-marijuana/">mocking response</a> to the <a href="http://blog.norml.org/2009/03/26/president-obama-what-is-so-funny-about-taxing-and-regulating-marijuana/">question</a> of whether &#8220;taxing and regulating cannabis would raise revenue and reduce prohibition-associated violence&#8221; couldn&#8217;t be any <strong>worse</strong>, just <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7XweXtz6SY">listen to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stumble</a> below.</p>
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<p>Kudos to the reporters who held the White House&#8217;s feet to the fire on this one.  First, Gibbs is asked: &#8220;<em><strong>When the President said he doesn&#8217;t think that legalizing marijuana would give the economy a boost was he giving a political answer or an economic answer?  Does he have numbers to back (his position) up?</strong></em>&#8221;</p>
<p>The pained expression on Gibbs&#8217; face says it all as he mumbles that, in fact, he is aware of <strong>no economic analyses</strong> &#8212; as in zip, nada &#8212; <strong>that support the President&#8217;s dismissive position</strong>. Naturally, we have numerous credible economic reports proving just the opposite. Perhaps Mr. Gibbs would like to review them <a href="http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/">here</a>, <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003482836_marijuana18.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-pottax24-2009feb24,0,3858677.story">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr4/bcr4_index.html">here</a>.</p>
<p>Minutes later, the White House Press Secretary appears even more desperate for a place to hide when a second reporter asked Gibbs to articulate the reasons why the President refuses to consider the issue. Gibbs&#8217; response is priceless.</p>
<p><em><strong>&#8220;Uh, he, he does not think that, uh, uh, that that is uh, uh, [pause] he opposes it, he doesn&#8217;t think that that&#8217;s the, the right plan for America.&#8221;</strong></em></p>
<p>And there you have it. Wow. Such a vapid response wouldn&#8217;t cut it if Gibbs was a third-grader standing in front of his classroom, no less the Press Secretary to the White House!</p>
<p>Keep in mind, both Obama and his press secretary <strong>knew in advance</strong> that they were going to publicly respond the question of taxing and regulating cannabis. <strong>They had at least 24 hours to prepare an articulate, rational, and substantive response.</strong> And yet the best response they could come up with was snickers and &#8220;uh.&#8221;</p>
<p>Are the final days of marijuana prohibition upon us? It sure looks that way from here. But why not <a href="http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=13012496">write the President and ask him yourself</a>.</p>
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