Barack Obama stated support for marijuana decriminalization in 2004 but has backed off that position during the 2008 presidential campaign, the Washington Times reported Feb. 1.

While running for Senate in 2004, Obama told a group of Northwestern University students, "I think we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws. But I'm not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana."

However, Obama joined other Democratic candidates during an Oct. 30 debate is indicating that he opposed marijuana decriminalization.

An Obama spokesperson, Tommy Vietor, first told the newspaper that the candidate had "always" supported decriminalization, but later said campaign officials later said that Obama does not support eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana possession and use.

"If you're convicted of a crime, you should be punished, but that we are sending far too many first-time, nonviolent drug users to prison for very long periods of time, and that we should rethink those laws," Vietor said, blaming the confusion in defining Obama's position on an unclear definition of decriminalization.

Obama's political rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, does not support marijuana decriminalization, and among the Republicans only Rep. Ron Paul wants to ease the nation's drug laws.

"This is mostly evolutionary thinking," said John Jackson of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University. "It's not a clear 'flip-flop' kind of change, but inevitably, when someone is running for a different position, four years later, there is likely to be some change or some emphasis that gets placed differently."