Obama firmly opposes legalizaton

"When I was a kid I inhaled frequently. That was the point" Barack Obama

The Obama administration said Tuesday that it "firmly opposes" the legalization of any illicit drugs as California voters head to the polls to consider legalizing marijuana this fall.

The president and his drug czar re-emphasized their opposition to legalizing drugs in the first release of its National Drug Control Strategy this morning.

"Keeping drugs illegal reduces their availability and lessens willingness to use them," the document, prepared by Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske, says. "That is why this Administration firmly opposes the legalization of marijuana or any other illicit drug."

President Barack Obama has repeatedly expressed opposition to legalizing illicit drugs, though California voters could buck the federal government when it comes to legalize pot.

Voters in the state are set to take up a ballot initiative this fall that would legalize the drug under state law for recreational use. The measure has being sold as a way to close the state's massive budget gap, since the drug would be taxed and regulated for Californians over the age of 21.

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