Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Happy 4-20

It must be 4-20. Former Gov. Gary Johnson, one of the fiercest opponents of new taxes this state has ever seen, calls for a new tax -- on legal marijuana, that is
Former Gov. Gary Johnson
Johnson is the only New Mexico politician I know of marking the unofficial marijuana high holiday. His current organization, Our America, released a statement calling for marijuana legalization.

Here's what Johnson says the release:

“It is time we cut the crime rate in this country. The current prohibition laws are forcing drug disputes to be played out with guns in our streets. We need to put a stop to this criminal drug element in our country.”

“If it were not for the prohibition laws in this country, the drug cartels would not be in business. ... This country would be a better place to live if all the resources we currently put towards criminalizing marijuana were instead spent by law enforcement on protection from real crime, as opposed to victimless crime. ...

“My opinion in regards to marijuana is that we should tax it, regulate it, and control it. I want to make it clear that I don’t advocate recreational drug use of any kind. Obviously, it will never be legal to smoke pot, become impaired, and get behind the wheel of car or do harm to others. It will never become legal for kids to smoke pot.”