Here, Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson speaks to one aspect of marijuana legalization on which most of us can probably agree: the importance of personal freedom. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Just last week, we about a similar statement from Green Party candidate, Jill Stein. That two presidential candidates from such significantly different parties have both felt the need to discuss how criminalization of marijuana fundamentally undermines American adults’ freedom of choice says something about how fundamentally marijuana prohibition goes against the essence of our country. Reminds us of maybe our favorite quote of the week, from none other than Abraham Lincoln:
Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.
Stein and Johnson both cite to the United States’ ridiculously high rate of incarceration (due in large part to the War on Drugs) and that is another issue on which all sides of the political spectrum are starting to agree. The criminalization of marijuana is a blow to freedom.
In Johnson’s words, “the majority of Americans favor its legalization.” It’s time to make our country freer, fairer and better. Who disagrees with that?
