Obama Team Answers First Questions On Change.Gov

Last week, President-elect Barack Obama's transition team announced that they would take questions through the website change.gov and answer the most popular queries. The first round of questions and answers have been posted.

Over 20,000 people cast nearly 1,000,000 votes on questions posed by the community, the transition team says. Overall, a little more than 10,000 questions were voted up or down and ranked by visitors to the site.

Some of the top questions, with answers from transition team members:

Q: "Will you lift the ban on Stem Cell research in your first 100 days in office?" James_M, Nashville, TN

A: President-elect Obama is a strong supporter of Federal funding for responsible stem cell research and he has pledged to reverse President Bush's restrictions.

Q: "What will you do to establish transparency and safeguards against waste with the rest of the Wall Street bailout money?" Diane, New Jersey

A: President-elect Barack Obama does not believe an economic crisis is an excuse for wasteful and unnecessary spending. As our economic teams works with congressional leadership to put together a plan, we will put in place reforms to ensure that your money in invested well. We will also bring Americans back into government by amending executive orders to ensure that communications about regulatory policymaking between persons outside government and all White House staff are disclosed to the public. In addition all appointees who lead the executive branch departments and rulemaking agencies will be required to conduct the significant business of the agency in public so that every citizen can see in person or watch on the Internet these debates.

Q: "What will you do to promote science and mathematics education to Elementary and Middle School students?" JasonWyatt, Raleigh, NC

A: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will put children first by investing in early childhood education, making sure our schools are adequately funded and led by high-quality teachers, and reforming No Child Left Behind. They will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. They will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels.

Q: "Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?" S. Man, Denton

A: President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.

Q: "What will you do as President to restore the Constitutional protections that have been subverted by the Bush Administration and how will you ensure that our system of checks and balances is renewed?" Kari, Seattle

A: President-elect Obama is deeply committed to restoring the rule of law and respecting constitutional checks and balances.That is why he has pledged to review Bush Administration executive orders. President-elect Obama will also end the abuse of signing statements, and put an end to the politicization that has taken place within the Department of Justice and return that agency to its historic and apolitical mission of fair and impartial administration of justice.

Comments

[Brinna]

My suggestions:

1. 2009 Legalize Industrial/Agricultural Hemp. Restart what was shaping up to be a billion dollar business all the way back in 1937. Think of the dollars adjusted for inflation. Good for bio-fuels, bio-degradable plastics, complete protein with EFA, Omega3 rich oil, paper, fabric, building materials, etc.

2. 2010 Legalize medical cannabis. Restart a National Theraputic Cannabis program. Protect the weakest among us from harassment and arrest. Provide safe-access to this effective, safe and inexpensive medicine for countless medical cannabis patients.

3. 2011 Decriminalize cannabis possession, and regulate non-commercial distribution of cannabis for sacramental and recreational purposes. Pull the profit-plug on drug cartels, and dealers. Issue age guidelines, as well as accurate and truthful information to the public about cannabis.

There. Simple.

[jmiller6]

In a recent study, 85% of high school students say that marijuana is not difficult to find. Currently the government is spending about $8 billion on the enforcement of the prohibition of marijuana. Is it not a valid question to ask if our tax dollars are being well spent or simply thrown away? Why spend $8 billion watching kids get hold of this illegal drug when you can generate up to $14 billion a year regulating the sale of this medical wonder-drug to responsible adults? Alcohol underwent prohibition in Canada, Russia, Iceland, Norway, Hungary, Finland and the United States. None of them lasted for more than 50 years. There are so many legal substances leading to death in this country, alcohol being near the top. It is physically impossible to die from marijuana as the brain does not have cannabinoid receptors in the brain stem, the regulatory center for the human body. Its illegality is just downright silly due to a money hungry logger by the name of Hearst with power over the typed media in the early 1900s. Marijuana must be taken down from a Schedule 1 drug so testing can take place to get the truth out and once and for all rid the uninformed population of ridiculous, incorrect propaganda. Wake up government officials, 92% of the American Public Support Medical Cannabis and well over 60% favor Legalizing Cannabis for responsible Adult Use. The facts are in, its time for change.

[Gabriel420]

Obama cannabis doesnt kill never!its been in our culture longer than beer or tobaco.i smoke cannabis i like it to you can make fuel,paper wich means no more cutting trees,clothes,plastic,energy,etc.

its medicine those studies that said that it kills brain cells its a lie look what they did to the monkeys the used them to study it!look in youtube marijuana documentary watch all 11 of them.

you are arresting the wrong people using money on innecesary things.if thise doesnt change our future is dark and getting darker.lets make it bright and what our founding fathers wanted it to be FREE!!

[btbamfan]

Marijuana should be legalized, and the question should be greeted with more than a twelve word response.

I have smoked pot for years. I'm not slow, dumb, or generally unintelligent in anyway. I'm not sick, I'm not dying, and I certainly don't have lung cancer or schitzophrenia or bubonic plague, or whatever they say it is weed does to you now. I haven't killed/harmed anyone when high or otherwise, and don't ever intend to. I just like to smoke weed as anyone else would like to smoke a cigarette or have a few beers after work. So why is it that while others can go to bars or liquor stores and get completely smashed, I can't sit down and smoke a bowl every now and then? Why do I have to obtain my drug of choice with fear of persecution?

The fact is, marijuana is a cure-all for the country. Legalize it, sell it, tax it. Create a billion dollar industry in our own backyard (that doesn't destroy the planet). Ease prison congestion, create jobs, get the economy back into shape, and generally get the country back on the right track. It's time to get out of the archaic ways of the 30's and step up into the new millenia.

I'd rather the USA be addicted to hemp than oil.

[BusGreg]

That's just typical. But since Mass Media (I refuse to call them main stream, as they are anything but) refuses to get involved in an open and fact based dialogue, Obama can easily hide behind the "perceived" silence of Mass Media. I tried to get the local ABC affiliate WLOS involved and the e-mail exchange between me and one of their reporters can be found at the below link.
http://tiptopwebsite.com/websites/index2.php?username=busgreg&page=12
Since it is so hard to get the mass outlets of massive amounts of "male bovine feces" involved, maybe Huffington Post and the many readers can make the apropriate noise, force the debate on the local levels and bring the issue out of the closet.

[lvdragonlady]

I tell you what. If the ONLY thing Obama does NOT address and fix in the next 8 years is the legalization of marijuana, then he will go down in history as an awesome president.

On another note:
The so called powers to be will NOT allow marijuana is BECAUSE they have NO way of profiting from it. Think about it. Sure they can package it, sell it and tax it BUT they will not be able to stop small growers from growing and selling.
Did you know that the company that makes Kools cigarettes, at some point, in the 50's I think had packaging and everything ready for when 'weed' would be legalized. And I think maybe Zig-Zag did too.

[aNORMLgirl]

"...powers to be will NOT allow marijuana is BECAUSE they have NO way of profiting from it."

Really? So how exactly are Kools cigarettes packaged and taxed? How does Kools stop small growers from growing and selling tobacco? Does the government not profit from this? Yes, it does... alcohol and tobacco taxes are a HUGE source of revenue for the government! Your reasoning is completely flawed and I challenge you to show me another possible source of revenue that could bring in as much money as the legalization and taxation of marijuana. http://prohibitioncosts.org

[KingCobra]

You hit that nail on the head! There will always be money in cannabis sales. Right now the money is being made by drug cartels and dealers along with their best friends the prohibitionists. There is where the resistance to regulation and taxation comes from. If cannabis were made available under controls as with alcohol the money being made would shift away from the above mentioned bedfellows to legal growers, distributors and retailers. Most people don't have a green thumb and will prefer to by harvested bud just like they do know under our present system. One important thing to keep in mind is that under regulation and taxation cannabis would not be easier to obtain then alcohol as it is now. Most cartels and dealers would have to close shop if the majority of their customers started buying from legal sources

[KingCobra]

OOOPS,

I wrote "would not be easier to obtain then alcohol as it is now"

Should read "would not be easier FOR MINORS to obtain then alcohol as it is now"

[schatsie]

I hate to say it, but I believe that the War on Drugs is about a 1% surtax on this country... I figure that about 1 million people are in jail for this and that cost has got to be around 30 to 40 billion per year for the incarceration... then we have the people on parole, probably around 5 million and the cops and the court system to process this issue.... so go figure it might be 130 million...

and for those imprisoned, they get to work for slave wages for corporations who do not want to pay the minimum wage and they are away from their spouses and children, making them single parent families...and we all know that Obama wrote about his drug usage in his first book...

[fredamae]

over 2Million are currently incarcerated.
20,000,000 total arrested as of Oct, 2008.
$7.7 Billion total spent ANNUALLY on Just Cannabis Eradication Programs.

% of per person debt is not the point, the point is We are Not getting any ROI (return on investment) for the tax Money We spend on "controlling" Cannabis.
$7.7 Billion PLUS another $2800.00 per person Incarcerated on Cannabis Violations is Not in My best interest.
I firmly believe those dollars are better invested elsewhere. Many jobs could be created from the Medical Cannabis Industry.
Just De-Schedule Cannabis!

Industrial Hemp is another issue that has been ignored for too long.
Many jobs can be created by DE-Scheduling Industrial Hemp, but First it must be removed from the Fed Sched I list as a Dangerous Addictive Narcotic with a high potential for abuse.

[postman606]

I like they way this thread is evolving, 24/7 Doobie-Heads.

[anrole]

Wow, how intelligent of you... Dismissing the views of hundreds of people simply because they don't share your opinion. Honestly, it's not like they're posting "omg 420 420 legalize it"; they're giving articulate and well thought out responses. But hell, why give them any thought, they're just doobie-heads right?

[fredamae]

Maybe Cannabis IS Medicine. Maybe sick people should Not be incarcerated for their choice of a non-toxic Efficacious Herbal Therapy, Maybe, WE Tax Payers are tired of being Ignored when WE say something about the Fiscal waste...Maybe, Cannabis Consumers wish to have their Civil Rights recognized and Maybe, there is too much concern/expense over the use of a Plant!

Just because this matter has been "boiling" away on the "back Burner" people are simply saying WE Want Change because What we Are doing Is Not Working. None of this has Anything to do with "doobie-heads", but the Righting of a Bad Law without Scientific evidence to support Prohibition Against the Will of the AMA.
At the end of the day, 92% of the American Public Support Medical Cannabis and well over 60% favor Legalizing Cannabis for responsible Adult Use.

More people are speaking their minds. This issue is Not going away.

[mummbleswers]

Q: "Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?" S. Man, Denton

A: President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.

Give me a break! Why is this so taboo? I'm sure Obama is aware that marijuana outsold corn to be the nations leading cash crop! It's a golden goose sitting right there in front of these guys and they wont even visit discussions on the matter. What does the government need? Lobbyists? Contributions? Is that what you guys want? I'll do it! Make marijuana legal, and I'll start a corporation for it, and we can get you guys some campaign money so that you can continue to do... whatever it is you do in Washington (lord knows we would have more money than god). I hope someone over there reads huff post, cause if you're seeing this, hit me up. We can talk.

[rf-hawaii]

It's taboo because of the liquor industry. And because it's a profit center for some police departments. Most importantly there are more important things on the agenda. Even if Obama is interested or could be persuaded to change related laws he's smart enough to delay it until the more important agendas are under way or settled.

[TheFobster]

The govt. is way behind the people in regards to marijuana.

Not only does marijuana need to be decriminalized - it needs to be legalized, taxed, and regulated.

Drug addiction should then be treated as a medical issue, not a criminal issue.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

The way decriminalization and legalization is being handled by grass roots efforts and on a state an local basis is the way to handle the issue.

If Obama tries to jump to federal legislation it will get much more push back and would draw the type of line in the sand that could kill the progress that has already been made.

[KingCobra]

I couldn"t agree with you more Fobster

What is the motive behind the question regarding cannabis legalization, regulation and taxation (which was the #1 question on change.gov but shown as # 4 in the responses, how degrading!)? Are adults that advocate taxation and regulation looking out for young people? I have been convinced YES! How is that? Advocates of cannabis taxation and regulation want to put the drug cartels and their dealers with all the related carnage out of business! They want the same safeguards applied to cannabis as alcohol and tobacco (both FAR more dangerous then cannabis). They want young people to know the truth about cannabis with its pros and cons. They do not want to lie to them, exaggerate, use scare tactics or categorize pot with cocaine and meth like prohibitionists do thus equalizing their perception of the effect on a person.

On the other hand the Drug Warriors (and all other prohibitionists) are the creators and supporters of the very entity they say they are fighting. Prohibition is not the control of a cannabis it is giving up all rights to control a cannabis. And who have Drug War advocates given this control, that's right, the drug cartels and dealers that don't ask our children for ID. They entice them to try hard drugs which addict and create a steady return customer.

[KingCobra]

I don't see how Drug Warriors can sleep at night knowing (and yes they know) that they and the marijuana laws they promote cause so much harm. Strutting their wares and boasting of their "kills" have amounted to nothing. Oh, it has caused one thing... increased marijuana availability then at anytime in history, arrest rates over 800,000 last year alone, overcrowded prisons and ruined lives and families.

Earlier when I said "I don't see how Drug Warriors can sleep at night"? Well actually I do... As long as drug cartels and dealers are around the Drug Warriors have a job. Taxation and legalization would put 70% of both these bedfellows out of business.

As for cannabis medicine; anyone so self assuming, haughty and uncompassionate as to ignore the plethora of scientific studies proving its efficacy should be shunned.

[KingCobra]

I don't see how Drug Warriors can sleep at night knowing (and yes they know) that they and the marijuana laws they promote cause so much harm. Strutting their wares and boasting of their "kills" have amounted to nothing. Oh, it has caused one thing... increased marijuana availability then at anytime in history, arrest rates over 800,000 last year alone, overcrowded prisons and ruined lives and families.

Earlier when I said "I don't see how Drug Warriors can sleep at night"? Well actually I do... As long as drug cartels and dealers are around the Drug Warriors have a job. Taxation and legalization would put 70% of both these bedfellows out of business.

As for cannabis medicine; anyone so self assuming, haughty and uncompassionate as to ignore the plethora of scientific studies proving its efficacy should be shunned.

[UnderMind]

Seeing as how the question with the most responses on change.gov (almost entirely positive), and the one getting the most attention here, is regarding the legalization of marijuana, I would hope we can expect the issue to surface again sometime in the next four years. It is not an issue likely to disappear. If there are enough intelligent and thoughtful people out there to elect Mr. Obama, there should be enough of us to change the laws of this nation and stop pretending we are saving people from themselves (as opposed to simply driving them underground). What I never hear from those opposed to decriminalization or or legalization is what their solution is. Please tell me what you would do that we haven't already tried. Stiffer penalties? More jails? Wake up. That approach doesn't work, and it never has. We need an end to this ridiculous prohibition. It isn't working any better than the prohibition against alcohol (and we all know how great that turned out), and it never will.

[rwt1138]

The problem with legalization is that the issue is never presented honestly. Politicians frame the question as "do you want drugs in your community?", to which most people would answer no, so that's the policy that is pursued.

The real question should be "There are drugs in your community, there have always been drugs in your community, there will always be drugs in your community. Do you want the drug trade regulated by the government, where there can be standards for purity, quality, potency, and age availability while generating revenue from taxation, or would you prefer that this industry be regulated by criminals at the point of a gun?" That's the only honest question to address.

When Bud Light and Miller Lite go to war for market share, all I have to put up with is lame commercials featuring scantily clad women in unlikely situations. When two drug dealers go to war for market share, 5 year olds get caught and killed in the crossfire.

Unfortunately, any politician who pushes in this direction is inevitably painted as "soft on crime". It is apparently better to be stupid on crime than soft.

[KingCobra]

Well put rwt1138!

[Hawka]

Can't say I'm exactly enthusiastic knowing any of my future kids would be able to get easier access to the stuff then normal. I think rehabilitation for users should receive more emphasis but you'll forgive my concerns about how we'd protect against abuse of the stuff without a more detailed plan. Heck, PE Obama actually tried the stuff back in his teenage days and he's not in favor of it now, so something tells me that there are some consequences involved in such a maneuver that need to be addressed and dealt with.

[fredamae]

In all honesty, studies prove kids Cannot find Alcohol and Tobacco very easy at all but can find Cannabis in a minute from the "guy on the corner".

De-Scheduling, Regulation, Taxation will actually take it away from the black market, make it More difficult for kids to obtain, create a New Industry, paying in New Tax revenue, Save $7.7 Billion currently being spent for Cannabis Eradication Programs. Invest in Harm Reduction Programs, Treatment etc.
Drugs Must All be evaluated by the Same Standards. Drug Education about ALL Drugs, including Caffeine, OTC drugs and Alcohol, must be mandatory.
Education teaches All of us how to make an Informed Decision Before consumption of Any substance.

[quicknsilverfox]

Unfortunately, Marijuana was criminalized by an act of Congress and can only be decriminalized by an act of Congress. POTUS doesn't the authority or power to overturn congressional legislation. However, Obama does have the power to re-schedule cannabis sativa as say a Schedule IV drug rather than what it is now which would drastically change the focus and cost of the Drug War. He also has the power to direct the agencies he's in charge of to finally begin to issue permits for growing hemp again. I personally favor complete legalization of all drugs, but I'm putting my energy into realistic achievable goals.

[Burrow Owl]

quicknsilverfox wrote:
"Unfortunately, Marijuana was criminalized by an act of Congress and can only be decriminalized by an act of Congress. POTUS doesn't the authority or power to overturn congressional legislation."

Excellent point.

Which, oddly enough, reminds me of a question that I have put to numerous politicians, their staff members, LEO's, and many others over the past 25+ years:

Which part of the US Constitution grants Congress, the Senate (or any other government entity) the power to prohibit the possession, personal use and/or production of any plant and/or substance?

To date, no one has yet been able to answer that question with anything that even vaguely resembles a coherent answer.....

Anyone here care to answer that question?

[uvymopkq]

Associated Press today, the headline: "Obama, Mounting Challenges." It was just last week that we had a story from AP-Obama which told us of all these questionable people of dubious repute that Obama has known for many, many years, like Tony Rezko, but we didn't know this before the election. They didn't tell us this before the election. Wright, Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, all these people we didn't know, and now Liz Sidoti from AP: "President-elect Barack Obama, relatively young and inexperienced--" hmm, what's that? Why, this goes against everything I thought I knew about Obama. "-- is facing a rapidly growing list of monumental challenges as he prepares to take the reins of a nation in turmoil. Obama said after his election, 'I do not understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead.'" Again, I sit here in stunned amazement, 'cause I thought it was all going to get better. I thought sea levels were going to recede and the ice was going to start freezing again, and people are going to love us, and the Russians were not going to be sending warships to Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran was not going to be criticizing our movies anymore, our athletes were not going to be shooting themselves in the thigh in nightclubs at one o'clock in the morning. But now, they quote Obama saying, "I do not understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead."

[AllenD]

That is why people like you are called rightards.

[postman606]

Since you have the internet, I would assume you have cable. Please drop the "We", you didn't know because you had your head up your butt the past year and a half. The MSM, Hillary Clinton, and the RNC, beat us over the head with all the names you listed. "We" heard about them, read about them, in some cases researched them and finally listened to Obama's explanation. "You" are a typical low information voter who probably had to be reminded on Election Day to go vote.

[1099]

The problem is the MSM gave (and is still giving Obama a free pass) and treating with him kids gloves because they think his s h i t don't stink. Maybe they should have spent a little less time in Alaska worrying about who Sarah Palin's daughter was bangin' and a little more time in Chicago researching Obama's past.

[Awakenedcitizen]

uv, when dubya took office, his challenges were .ooo1 on the richter scale, Obama's are at least a 7 and growing. He is humble enough to acknowledge there is a tsunami and he is still getting his arms around emergency measures, damage control, rescue, etc.,....all along he is being berated by media and right wingers who stand there picking their noses and criticizing rather than saying, hey, can I help save our country, I'll pick up a shovel too.

[max08]

If you still smoke cigarettes, you should be smoking marijuana lightly to protect your lungs. Here's the story and the links to the medical research.
http://www.counterpunch.org/gardner05032008.html

[fredamae]

Legal Drugs Will Kill More than 600,000, Annually----- compared to All Illegal Drugs combined at 17,000 total fatalities.
Cannabis, Zero deaths.

The Most dangerous element around Consumption of Cannabis are the Laws, Rules and Policies Governing it's use!
You Know that. They, too, KNOW this!

To P.E. Obama,
I, respectfully, have questions for you:

When will Medical Cannabis become a matter of Health Care and Not a Political Issue?

Who Profits from Cannabis Prohibition?

Why NOT DE-Schedule Cannabis?

[1099]

That is the dumbest s h i t ever. Marijuana smoke burns much hotter than cigarette smoke and also contains carcinogens. The BS medical research from some pro-marijuana site is just as believable as the research put forth by tobacco companies.

[fredamae]

Nope, you are wrong. There is at least one study that was for the Gov't. I am told theses studies were done to Prove Cannabis caused Cancer, but instead found THC blocks oxygen rich blood from getting to the tumor. Evidently, the tumors Starve and the tumor shrinks.
Seems Cannabis may work as a Preventative.
One can use a Vaporizer to consume Cannabis Without the Heat and Smoke.

[TFitz]

That would seem logical but the veterans administration did a huge study on cancer of the lungs, head and neck. They found that not only were marijuana smokers not getting lung cancer, people who smoked tobacco and marijuana had much less. The story got buried but this was the largest study of its' kind done, with over 8,000 participants and hands on cooperation from the doctors who were all working for or through the VA.
THC appears to be a wonder drug.

[fredamae]

Cannabis IS Medicine. It is accurately described as Phytomedicine, (plant based medicine).

It is Not the 60's and it is Not about "getting stoned". Not Anymore.
So, to those "nay-sayers"; Grow Up and Stop Living in the Past. Cannabis, Before Prohibition (to replace lost budget monies from the repeal of Alcohol Prohibition)was in most Pharmacopoeia from baby teething drops to horse liniment and No one gave it any thought.

Enter the era of "The Devil Weed and Harry Anslinger"
http://www.csdp.org/publicservice/anslinger.htm

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

This is going to be such a great 4-year! It would be nice to get Biden and Obama to type in the answers too! :-)