Who would have guessed that Robertson is a stoner? Seriously though, how crazy is it that one of the most conservative Republican politicians is ahead of many in the Democratic Party on gay marriage and now an equally conservative Republican is ahead of most Democrats on legalizing marijuana? The war on drugs is an expensive failure that we can no longer afford. Even ignoring the financial issues, why is marijuana illegal in the first place? And again, I say this as a person who doesn't get high and haven't since I was in college a few decades ago. NY Times:
“I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” Mr. Robertson said in an interview on Wednesday. “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.” Mr. Robertson’s remarks echoed statements he made last week on “The 700 Club,” the signature program of his Christian Broadcasting Network, and other comments he made in 2010. While those earlier remarks were largely dismissed by his followers, Mr. Robertson has now apparently fully embraced the idea of legalizing marijuana, arguing that it is a way to bring down soaring rates of incarceration and reduce the social and financial costs. “I believe in working with the hearts of people, and not locking them up,” he said.Robertson is completely right on this one. The USA is already the most jailed society on the planet. Locking people up is not the answer. Throwing billions to the military industrial complex and lobbyists is not the answer either. Let's face facts and admit that the policies by both parties simply aren't working, no matter how much money is thrown at the problem.
