Obama's Version of "Compassionate Conservatism"

George W. Bush made the phrase "compassionate conservatism" nationally recognized during his 2000 campaign and now Pres. Obama has added his own version to Washington. I'm referring to his decision to ban the federal prosecution of medical marijuana users and suppliers. Here is a news report on the memo:

The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.

I describe the decision as "compassionate conservatism" for two reasons. First, it is compassionate because patients with cancer, Aids, chronic pain etc...who receive actual medical benefits from smoking marijuana will no longer be arrested for treating their illness with a non-lethal, effective and safe drug. Forcing people to give up their treatments for various conditions because of paranoid and uninformed perceptions of marijuana is simply cruel. Second, Obama's decision to leave the matter of marijuana legalization to the states is very conservative because it supports the principle of federalism. This is in stark contrast to the marijuana policies of "conservative" President Bush and his decision to prosecute medical marijuana users under federal law even though it was legal under state law. It will be hard to argue that this decision is "socialist" or "fascist."


Here is Glenn Greenwald on the decision:

Criminalizing cancer and AIDS patients for using a substance that is (a) prescribed by their doctors and (b) legal under the laws of their state has always been abominable. The Obama administration deserves major credit not only for ceasing this practice, but for memorializing it formally in writing. Just as is true for Jim Webb's brave
crusade to radically revise the nation's criminal justice and drug laws, there is little political gain -- and some political risk -- in adopting a policy that can be depicted as "soft on drugs" or even "pro-marijuana." It's a change that has concrete benefits for many people who are sick and for those who provide them with treatments that benefit them. So credit where it's due to the Obama DOJ, for fulfilling a long-standing commitment on this issue.

Nick Gillespie writes, "it represents the most compassionate and sensible policy to come out of Washington in a very long time."

Let's keep the debate moving forward.