It is often asserted, sometimes in reference to Ron Paul’s views on drug laws, that a President is powerless to end elements of the “war on drugs” without Congressional assent, but our drug laws give the President significant powers to reclassify drugs to change their legality.

A spokesman for Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin (D) told the AP that he will join the recent petition filed by other governors to the federal government requesting marijuana be rescheduled. Yesterday, Washington state Governor Christine Gregoire (D) and Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee (I) jointly filed the petition to the Drug Enforcement Agency asking that marijuana be moved from schedule I to at least schedule II.

As part of his “we can’t wait” initiative, President Obama is announcing a series of actions the executive can take without Congressional approval to help deal with the nation’s economic problems. The concept, however, would also apply to legalizing medical marijuana. All it takes is executive action to reclassify marijuana as a drug that can be legally prescribed and used.