Does Barack Obama believe marijuana should be decriminalized? When the question was put to the Democratic candidates during one of their debates last year, he said no. But as the Washington Times reports:

…as a candidate for the U.S. Senate four years ago, Mr. Obama told Illinois college students that he supported eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana use or possession, according to a videotape of a little noticed debate that was obtained by The Washington Times.

“I think we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws,” Mr. Obama told an audience during a debate at Northwestern University in 2004. “But I’m not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana.”

Asked about the two different answers, Mr. Obama’s presidential campaign said he in fact has “always” supported decriminalizing marijuana as he answered in 2004, meaning the candidate mistakenly raised his hand during the presidential debate last fall.

Hey, man, don’t be so heavy. People do all kinds of stuff when they’re baked. He was probably being sarcastic. “No, dude, I don’t think weed should be decriminalized. Who, me? No way!” And then leans his head down and scratches his left eyebrow with his right hand so you can’t see he’s cracking up.

But more importantly, I can’t believe it’s been a whole four years since Obama entered national public life. All these people keep trying to say he doesn’t have any experience. Four years, dude! If you don’t think four years is a long time, imagine waiting in line at the DMV for that long. Huh? Oh, it’s not such a dainty skip through the park after all, is it? I could really go for some brownies. Wait, no, Tollhouse brownies! Where you make a buttload of Tollhouse cookie dough but then you like bake it in a brownie pan? Oh man, I could eat a whole pan of that right now. Anyway, Obama for President.

(Hat Tip: Big Head DC)