Obama Has Spent $300 Million Fighting Medical Marijuana

President Barack Obama has spent $289 million fighting medical marijuana during his four-and-a-half years in the White House, according to pro-MMJ organization Americans for Safe Access (ASA). Altogether, Obama has moved nearly $300 million in order to cover lawsuits, indictments and forfeiture attempts. Under his administration, the DEA has spent about 4% of its $2 trillion budget for 2011 and 2012 ($80 million) in anti-MMJ efforts across a total of 20 states. Despite Obama seeming pot-friendly at the beginning of his first term, the anti-medical marijuana spending on his watch now makes up a majority of the total $483 million spent on such campaigns by the past three presidents. A majority of Americans currently support marijuana legalization, over 1 million Americans use medical marijuana, and 34% of Americans live in a state where MMJ is now legal, according to figures provided by the ASA.