The press has suggested that 2013 was an annus horribilus for President Obama. That might be an exaggeration, but it wasn't a great year. Politics is almost all negative nowadays. The Republican Party has essentially no positive issues of its own, but they're put the President on the defensive. He would be better off if he took the initiative. Obamacare was supposed to be that initiative this year, and it is finally up and running, but the fiasco of the web site rollout has distracted the public's attention, thanks to a "they call this liberal?" press.
So here's an alternative. It's time that the President stopped worrying about gaining support from the 30% or so of the public that hates him no matter what. And it doesn't work to pander to the missing middle that the Villagers think they remember so fondly from the Eisenhower era, even if they weren't born then. He has to come up with an issue that both galvanizes his base and wins support from a few others who might otherwise not see any reason to support him. This would ideally be an issue that is more popular among the public than among the politicians. Think of an issue that's exactly the opposite of "cut social security", one that doesn't even cost public money. Think wedge issue. Think liberal wedge issue. Yes, it's an old tool from the movement conservatives' bag, but it can work for our side too. Bonus points if it is an issue that some vocal Republicans agree with.
The upcoming State of the Union address is a perfect time for this type of initiative. People are listening. The press is paying attention. Congress is there, and their reactions can be gauged immediately. So here, below the orange fleur-de-Kos, what he could say that could raise his ratings by ten points and give the Democratic Party more meaning.
Over the past two decades, twenty states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Each state has come up with its own rules, but all of them violate current federal rules which classify marijuana and all cannabis derivatives as Schedule 1 narcotics, the same as heroin, a high-risk drug with no medical use. This makes it hard for states to coordinate their efforts, to prevent contamination, and manage their dispensaries openly. The federal government has resisted legalization because of the risk of abuse, but the sky has not fallen. So I am requesting that the Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration promptly administratively reclassify cannabis as a Schedule 3 prescription drug. This will permit licensed physicians and pharmacists to prescribe and dispense regulated, inspected cannabis products in states that permit it. These facilities should not operate at risk of being charged with a federal felony if they follow reasonable procedures. I am also appointing a commission to study the proper regulation and taxation of cannabis and hemp products in general, with the aim of proposing to Congress a law reforming their regulation. Hemp grown for industrial purposes can be a valuable crop in any states. Federal policy needs to catch up with the states here, and I hope to complete that task this year.
This position should gain support from a number of places. Mitch McConnell himself wants industrial hemp to be legalized, as it could help replace tobacco as a valuable crop in Kentucky. Libertarian Republicans oppose the current prohibition. Taxing it could help raise federal revenues without raising tax rates. And on our side of the aisle, the African-American community benefits because enforcement of marijuana laws has always been more heavy-handed against them. I don't even want the stuff myself, though I am "eligible" under many state rules, but I don't like the divisive impact current federal laws and rules are having on society.
The strict prohibitionists who will oppose this are not core Democratic voters. The lead opposition will come from the prison-industrial complex, not a Democratic constituency. The Christian Right will also mostly oppose, though some of them may prefer "natural" medicine to the costly stuff that Obamacare helps pay for.
Note that my proposed SOTU paragraph does not answer a few tricky questions. Will these prescriptions be covered by Obamacare? Good question. Will it go along with Colorado and Washington's legalization for recreational purposes? No; that's not mentioned, but the study commission can address that later. Should it be Schedule 3 or 4? That can be decided later, but Schedule 3 permits easy prescription use and is a huge change which can be tweaked later. Do the FDA and DEA both have to sign off? I don't know and that part of the paragraph needs to be checked. And who goes on that Commission without having the Anslinger Brigade take charge?
But I don't see much downside here. Most of the blue states have already legalized medical cannabis so federal policy is class "big government" intrusion where the public no longer wants it. And I suspect that this will have more support in red states than anything else the President can propose. It's our wedge issue. Let's exploit it.