LAPD Deputy Chief Asks Obama About Marijuana Legalization

Retired LAPD deputy chief of police Stephen Downing asks President Obama about the growing support for marijuana legalization among voters. Stephen is a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, which anyone can join for free at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com.

YouTube Ignores Cop's First Place Marijuana Legalization Video Question for Obama

Site Finds Time for Questions About Dancing, Late-Night Snacks and Playing Tennis

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today YouTube ignored a question advocating marijuana legalization from a retired LAPD deputy chief of police that won twice as many votes as any other video question in the White House's "Your Interview with the President" competition on the Google-owned site. They did, however, find the time to get the president on record about late night snacking, singing and dancing, celebrating wedding anniversaries and playing tennis.

Stephen Downing, the retired LAPD police officer and a board member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), had this to say about the site ignoring his question: "It's worse than silly that YouTube and Google would waste the time of the president and of the American people discussing things like midnight snacks and playing tennis when there is a much more pressing question on the minds of the people who took the time to participate in voting on submissions. A majority of Americans now support legalizing marijuana to de-fund cartels and gangs, lower incarceration and arrest rates and save scarce public resources, all while generating new much-needed tax revenue. The time to discuss this issue is now. We're tired of this serious public policy crisis being pushed aside or laughed off."

The top-voted video question from Downing is as follows: "Mr. President, my name is Stephen Downing, and I'm a retired deputy chief of police from the Los Angeles Police Department. From my 20 years of experience I have come to see our country's drug policies as a failure and a complete waste of criminal justice resources. According to the Gallup Poll, the number of Americans who support legalizing and regulating marijuana now outnumbers those who support continuing prohibition. What do you say to this growing voter constituency that wants more changes to drug policy than you have delivered in your first term?" The question can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0IpiA....

Downing's question came in first place for video questions and ranked second out of all questions (with the overall top spot going to a text question about copyright infringement). Many of the other top-ranking questions were about marijuana policy or the failed "war on drugs," as has been the case every other time the White House has invited citizens to submit and vote on questions via the web.

Voting in the YouTube contest wrapped up Saturday at midnight EST. In addition to the top-voted marijuana and drug policy questions mentioned above, there were a number of other similar questions that received thousands of votes but were mysteriously deleted after being marked "inappropriate."

More information about the contest and the top-voted questions can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/whitehouse. The Gallup poll referenced in Downing's winning question can be found online at http://www.gallup.com/poll/150149/Rec....

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) represents police, prosecutors, judges, FBI/DEA agents and others who want to legalize and regulate drugs after fighting on the front lines of the war on drugs and learning firsthand that prohibition only serves to worsen addiction and violence. More info at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2012
CONTACT: Tom Angell - (202) 557-4979 or media@leap.cc

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[OtisFunkmyer]

Obama "Uhh...Well Uh..thats a good question Sir...Mmm Uhhm Hmmm" = My Masters Wont Let Me Answer, Can You Donate Money To My Campaign? YES WE CAN!

HERP DERP

[gvloanguy2]

Don't forget Obama gets big bucks from big Pharma (who oppose marijuana use) and they also get big bucks from Private Prison systems (growing more popular every year) and Marijuana arrests provide them with loads of non-violent "criminals" to meet their promise of 90 percent occupancy rate for the Prisons. Yeah, that's right the states commit to 90 percent occupancy BEFORE the PRIVATE PRISONS Business sign on. Corrupt Fascism we live in.

[Zooni2]

Obama is paid to do what corporation want him to do. Like all politicians he says what you want to hear in order to get elected then does what he is told to do.

[mrhempoilsoldier]

they are only considering legal cause they want our money

AND THEY THREW US IN JAIL? WTF

PEOPLE NEED TO TELL THEM TO FUCK RIGHT OFF NEVER GONNA HAPPEN

[1979john1979]

I agree it is like we are paying them for our god given rights. Fuck that shit.

[1979john1979]

Let me guess he has not received an answer yet. You are barking up the wrong tree my friend. You will only get a man talking in circles when you ask any member of any branch of our government any question about anything in the world. Of but you can bet your ass it will sound very diplomatic indeed.

[TheScorpioTechno]

You shouldnt be asking Obama, the person you should be asking are the Jews/Isreal. They own the USA. And sadly the US govt are no more than puppets for Isreal now.

[mrhempoilsoldier]

weed needs to be schedule notthing and leap is still bending over for the govt

dont support leap and not only should it be legal i say we give them NO TAX FROM IT

they just waste it

to every copand politician

stay away and out of our lives for good

[gilo1223]

@OtisFunkmyer lmao

[OJelihan]

If marijuana could be proven harmless in a court of law, could imprisoning those who carry and use marijuana be deemed unconstitutional?

[bun sniff]

Yo, why aren't these comments being disabled like the ones showing an Obama supporter claiming her support is based on getting a free Obama Phone? Freedom of speech, My Ass.