As is the case with any front runner in the presidential race, Newt Gingrich's revived campaign has caused critics to come to the forefront to discredit his policies and beliefs. One unique argument against having Gingrich as the GOP candidate came this past week from former New Mexico governor and failed presidential candidate, Gary Johnson. In an interview on MSNBC, Johnson claimed that in 1996, Gingrich admitted to smoking marijuana but then proposed legislation for possibly sentencing drug offenders to the Death Penalty. It is an obscure claim, one that has not been talked about much if at all throughout the GOP primaries but Johnson's campaign was centered around legalizing marijuana before he dropped out of the race. The legislation Gingrich proposed was not totally based on simply killing drug dealers, but Johnson of course neglected that fact for the sake of discrediting the former Speaker's stance on drugs.
The Death Penalty is, of course, a drastic reaction to a drug offense and would never pass in Congress but it brings up the consistently more intriguing question about legalizing drugs such as marijuana. I'm torn on the issue, just like the rest of the nation. About 50% of Americans are for legalizing marijuana, depending on what poll you are looking at. And the list of pros and cons go on forever.
There's no doubt that marijuana, when used in moderation, is probably less harmful to humans than alcohol or tobacco, and we've seen that it can be therapeutic with cancer patients and others that are terminally ill . But then there's the plausible claim that it is a gateway drug to harder and much more harmful drugs. Not so sure if this is testable, and if it is, if the results are credible, but alcohol or tobacco could arguably be seen as gateway substances as well. Furthermore, critics against legalization are worried that if it was made legal, children could get their hands on it easier.
Frankly, it seems as though the argument between legalizing marijuana and outlawing it really lies in the crime rate and tax collection - you know, the boring stuff that don't pay attention to as much. Marijuana, at a time like this in the United States, perhaps could be a relief to the money that is hemorrhaging out of Washington. Millions upon millions of citizens in prison are convicted of drug crimes and costing the nation obscene amounts of money to remain incarcerated. Legalization of marijuana could slash prison costs by the millions by freeing those who are convicted of drug crimes. And if legalized, it could be sold at a taxable price like alcohol and tobacco, which are big moneymakers for the Federal government. Our financial situation goes much deeper than throwing a tax on a dime bag or letting the neighborhood pot dealer out of county jail but, hey, any little bit can help. And I don't even want to get into the tension that it would relieve on our border to the south. Drug money fuels nations in South America and Mexico and it also keeps their citizens flocking across the border in order to make a sale. There would probably be a lot less immigration issues if the frat bros next door to me could run to a convenience store down the street instead of depending on Mexicans strapped to the bottom of a freight train.
But who knows if marijuana will ever be legalized? I sure as hell don't, and I think it's because of the bad stigma the drug has received. There's a big difference in the eyes of Americans between the big-wig business executive fixing himself a whiskey sour at 10am in his office compared to the stoned grocery clerk who attends Phish concerts on the weekends and wants to "fight the machine". But are these two scenarios really all that different? Is marijuana that much worse than alcohol? No, it's not. I have always stood against it but policy issues and health risks don't lie - maybe it's time to think about legalizing pot.
Besides, it's about time we find something to help make Ashton Kutcher on Two and a Half Men actually funny.
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