Sarah Palin, Marijuana Law Reformer? Nevada Group Hopes $25,000 Convinces Palin To Back Reform Of Marijuana Laws

Could Sarah Palin become the highest profile conservative to endorse reforms to the nation's marijuana laws?

She clearly has no problem with legalized inebriation. Palin, who is scheduled to give the keynote address Tuesday at the national convention for the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, will be offered to give a similar speech at a Nevada event about marijuana.

Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws (NSML), a ballot initiative group, is poised to offer the former Alaska Governor $25,000 to speak at one of their upcoming events, according to a statement from the Marijuana Policy Project.

As evidence that Palin might be willing to support marijuana, NSML's Campaign Manager Dave Schwartz pointed to Palin's willingness to endorse alcohol. Schwartz argues that alcohol is blamed for thousands of deaths annually, while marijuana is blamed for zero. He reasons that Palin should have no qualms about endorsing marijuana.

"It makes no sense to keep marijuana in the criminal market while a former vice-presidential candidate celebrates the alcohol industry," Schwartz said. "We want legitimate businesspeople in Nevada to benefit from the sales of marijuana, and we want adults to be free to choose whichever substance they prefer --marijuana or alcohol -- when they relax after work."

But Schwartz might do well to prepare himself for rejection. According to a Politico report, the former Republican candidate for vice president charges at least $75,000 per speaking engagement.

Palin's decision to speak at the alcohol distributors' convention shocked Slate wine columnist Mike Steinberger. Palin is not known to drink and spent nearly three decades attending a Pentecostal church, which advocates abstinence. Her free-trade views clash with the WSWA's lobbying efforts to keep in place a three-tier system of liquor distribution.

However, one thing on Schwartz's side is Palin's increasingly Libertarian rhetoric.

Republican figures who support marijuana reform include former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), former Rep. Bob Barr, and Rep. Dana Rohrbacher (R-Calif.).

Comments

[Marci Blum]

03:15 AM on 05/01/2010

Well, maybe if enough people are stoned out of their minds on Election Day, she might just get elected president yet!

[CJWebber]

12:12 AM on 04/08/2010

Dang, that picture makes me feel all funny. . .

[Zoica]

11:20 PM on 04/07/2010

Well, the primary reason she might not accept a speaking engagement to endorse the legalization of marijuana is that the offer of $25,000 is not high enough!

[Luv2Purple]

12:37 PM on 04/07/2010

Well - since Comrade Sarah Wolfkiller Palin is a HUGE DOPE I can see her taking the money and endorsing! I'll bet her underage delinquent children (Trig = vandalizing Wasilla school buses; Bristol = pregnant dropout; Willow = underage partying w/ drugs & alcohol) use it.

[moxieme]

11:57 AM on 04/07/2010

Caribou Barbie and John McCain deserve one another, they both will do, say, disavow, endorse, abandon, adopt anything to make money or win an election, respectively. Both of them are sickening to most anyone both the delusional base, the baggers, deathers, birthers, extremists, and what ever other form of wingnut there is.

[RachelTN]

11:38 AM on 04/07/2010

I will happily donate money to NSML to help them raise $75k to lure her to speak. Then the whole country would see what a money grubbing phony she is. And it would be freakin awesome to see the reaction of the Tea B's.

Schwartz makes a great point about the danger of alcohol vs. pot...why shouldn't Palin get behind it, based on that logic?

[pharmmajor]

10:57 AM on 04/07/2010

"All you have to do is convince the gun people that the pot people are okay, and the pot people that the gun people are okay."
- Penn Jillette.

[oldfloozie]

06:46 AM on 04/07/2010

Sarah Palin commercial, Sarah on Pot and Sarah not on Pot.. Fox slogan, You decide fair and she's unbalanced..

[kaptaintripps]

12:06 AM on 04/07/2010

I live here. I agree we need to change the law (we've been trying for years). But for gosh sake--why do we need HER to help do it? Gagging here.

[skatoolaki]

10:04 PM on 04/06/2010

Whether she agrees or not, she'll probably endorse just about anything for $25k. She's all about the money and obviously doesn't give a toss about her image (few that sign on for reality shows do).

[LiberalLee]

03:40 PM on 04/06/2010

Well if she doesn't..Maybe they should ask some of her kids. They keep getting caught toking...

[up420oz]

03:25 PM on 04/06/2010

********************************************* FREE MARC EMERY +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[spagma]

03:09 PM on 04/06/2010

It's clear her support can be bought, though they will likely need to pony up some more cash as she is greedy too.

I am sure glad she isnt in office. With all that money being tossed around by lobbyists, she would have had a heyday. She quickly would have sold us all out to make a few million.

[skatoolaki]

10:05 PM on 04/06/2010

No doubt.

[Sandmanj]

03:05 PM on 04/06/2010

She may not support reform of marijuana laws, but for $25K she'll sure say she does.

[PortlandZoo]

03:01 PM on 04/06/2010

that explains so much. Sarah inhaled but forgot to exhale...

[Sandmanj]

03:05 PM on 04/06/2010

ROTFLMAO!!!