Gary Johnson On Marijuana Legalization: Politicians Won't 'Speak The Truth' On The Issue

Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson is baffled that more politicians don't support legalizing marijuana, after a new Gallup poll shows that an all-time high of 50 percent of Americans favor legalization.

"Where is the political leadership that should be reflecting that common sense belief?" said the former New Mexico governor in a statement on Tuesday

"This may be the only issue on the national scene where half the American people support something, but zero percent, statistically speaking, of elected officials and politicians will publicly agree with them," he added. "Yet, for the most part, there are no politicians who will speak that truth, much less act upon it. With 50% of Americans open to the idea of legalization, why won't the ruling class at least let us have the conversation?"

The support for legalizing marijuana jumped from 36 percent in 2006 to 50 percent. Majorities of self-identified liberals, 18-49 year-olds, moderates, independents and Democrats favor legalizing marijuana use. Those over the age of 65, conservatives and Republicans were most opposed.

Johnson has said he smoked marijuana in his youth and from 2005 to 2008, to alleviate pain after an accident. He dubbed marijuana smokers "the largest untapped voting bloc." In 1999, he came out for the legalization of marijuana as governor of New Mexico. He left office in 2003 after being term-limited after two terms.

Though the Republican candidates are debating tonight in Las Vegas, CNN has excluded Johnson from tonight's debate, as has been the case for several of the previous debates.

 

 

Comments

[unique]

07:06 AM on 12/04/2011

The War on Drugs needs to be over.
Take that money and fix the infrastructer.
Tax legalized drugs.

[dondon3214]

10:06 AM on 12/02/2011

Just think,a lot of the prison guards,a lot of police officers,a lot of judges,a lot of lawyers,a lot of polititions would have to go to work,if they legalized pot.No wonder they make it against the law.

[Longtimeliberal]

02:48 PM on 11/04/2011

We waste tremendous amounts of money on this ridiculous issue. Just legalize it and watch costs go down but it's the special interests who profit off prisons, etc that keep irrational fear going.

[Charles Queen]

07:29 PM on 10/31/2011

Thats just one poll.I wold bet cash moeny that the actual stats are much higher than 50 percent though

[Charles Queen]

01:23 AM on 10/26/2011

Thats a fact thy do not speak the truth at all about marijuana and that i is indeed for the most part pretty safe to use.The positive aspetcs of legalization for adult use are way to many to list on here while the negativea aspects ar,well pretty much close to none

[7979barb]

12:19 AM on 10/21/2011

Mr Johnson just does not understand does he. Tell him to check out Iran Contra. Tell him to check out fast and furious. Tell him to ask himself why the opium production in Afghanistan which was just about eliminated prior to America's invasion has had a regrowth where it supplies 90% of the world's demand. Surely he can not be so naive to think that was a coincidence. The CIA have been drug runners for decades. Skull and Bones was founded by a drug runner. They legalize marijuana and they cut into the funding of CIA's covert operations. They want to keep drugs illegal to keep the black market price up and it has nothing to do with what is good for the citizens. If they legalized the production of hemp, THC marijuana would loose 50% of it's potency the first year due to pollination, and 50% every year following the first planting of hemp, They could save the rain forests and people would get smoke inhalation prior to getting a buzz. So the war on drugs was another ruse to dupe the American citizen, jail their young to provide slave labor in jails and support the price of the black market.

[RevRayGreen]

08:53 AM on 10/20/2011

GGMV...........Gary Got My Vote...

[DMT8665]

11:57 PM on 10/19/2011

Jah Rastafari!!!!

[Phillip Vines]

10:51 PM on 10/19/2011

I'm not a Republican or a Democrat, and I've never voted in my life, but I would register and vote if Gary Johnson was on the ballot. Not because I'm a pot smoker - because I'm not - but because I believe in the freedom we were given by God and our forefathers.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the biggest pot smokers who ever lived, and Thomas Jefferson probably growed it for the smoke daddy. Marijuana is a plant created by God, and as a land owner I should be able to grow as much as I want with no interference from the Government.

If the DEA wants to clear some weeds from my land, then let'em get a hoe and clear some thistles out of my corn field. That should keep them busy for a while, and I may get something useful for my hard earned Tax dollars.

[dream9]

05:03 PM on 10/19/2011

This is yet one more issue that will resolve itself favorably with serious campaign finance reform.
Get Big Bizz $$ out of politics. ... Corporate Rule is NOT Democracy.

[CommonCents23]

05:02 PM on 10/19/2011

Listen to Gary people. You could learn something.

[Michael Briggs]

03:56 PM on 10/19/2011

Follow the money. Look at the for-profit penal institutions to see why marijuana won't be legalized. In fact, I'm surprised more things aren't being made illegal just to make sure the bottom lines of for-profit jails remain bright and rosy for the future.

[SabsDkPrncs]

03:42 PM on 10/19/2011

Socially liberal, pro-choice, anti-drug war, small government Gary Johnson is THE BEST candidate running. For some reason he's sticking with the GOP, and I think that's a mistake. The GOP will never support him, no matter how many Triathlons he completes or mountains he climbs.

He could be the head of a new political party. He'd have my vote, and he wouldn't even need to climb Everest again.

[Dave Price]

03:13 PM on 10/19/2011

You can tell the Politicians not wholly in the pocket of the 1%. They still talk of common sense answers and what is best for " We the People". Obama used to speak this way, he promised to leave those states alone that legalized Medical Marijuana but recently has kicked up a New War on American Citizens. In Colorado, DEA are arresting legal grows, ATF announce that Medical MJ patients are NOT allowed to bear arms because we are no better than Heroin Addicts, California is finding the IRS is using rules for Criminals to shut down dispensaries and in conjunction, the GOP House passes a new Bill making America the new " World Narco Police".

Both sides work for the same 1% and only put on a show to keep " We the People" calm in the lie that we have any control at all. Let George Carlin explain in simple English why we march! He gets it! http://youtu.be/hYIC0eZYEtI

[MissTake1989]

01:36 PM on 10/19/2011

I defy any so called TEA bagger to explain why the evil federal govt. has the right to outlaw one of God's creations?

[gmikejake]

03:18 PM on 10/19/2011

They wish to go back to the "good old days." Marijuana was not illegal at the time of the formation of our first Republican party ... the Know Nothing party.