Academic

Now That?s a Presidential Puff Piece!

By Kim Krawiec

In what the Wall Street Journal Law Blog is calling ?the best fair use controversy ever,? the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has ?tweaked? an old photo of then college freshman Barack Obama puffing a cigarette for their annual conference poster with the message: "Yes We Cannabis."  The original photos are here, at Time magazine.

According to the Washington Post, the original photographer, Lisa Jack, a psychology professor at Minnesota is not happy: "They do not have my permission." These photos "are absolutely not to be used in this way. ... I really made a grand effort to do this properly, and I'm very irritated. If I'd wanted these to be used for political purposes, I'd have sold them to Hillary years ago."  Says an unrepentant NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre, ?our lawyers thought it was adulterated enough to comply with the fair use laws.?

The President, who opposes marijuana legalization, is an unlikely NORML spokesperson.  Perhaps he?ll reconsider his prior position that legalizing and taxing the marijuana trade is not a good strategy for economic growth (see CBS News video below)?  If so, the Lounge already has a slogan for him: ?See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Tax Me.?

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on August 06, 2009 (boomark / email).