On Thursday, during an interview with NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said that he believes our beloved federal government should legalize marijuana.
The former high court host said he feels that it should be legalized due to the changing mindset that’s taking place on a national basis.
“Yes,” Stevens said in response to show host Scott Simon’s question as to whether possessing marijuana should be legal under federal law:
“I really think that that’s another instance of public opinion changed. And recognize that the distinction between marijuana and alcoholic beverages is really not much of a distinction. Alcohol, the prohibition against selling and dispensing alcoholic beverages has I think been generally, there’s a general consensus that it was not worth the cost. And I think really in time that will be the general consensus with respect to this particular drug.”
Appointed by President Gerald Ford, Stevens deems himself as a conservative, but he was also considered part of the court’s liberal wing.
The former Supreme Court ruler has been stirring up a little controversy as of late with a new book that was recently published, Six Amendments, in which he recommends six changes to the U.S. Constitution. A few of his ideas include abolishing the death penalty, enforcing limits on how much money corporate entities can “donate” to elections, and executing stricter gun control laws.
I’m looking forward to a time when the powers that be can be honest and forthright regarding their position on important issues such as reforming our current drug policy without having to retire first.
Editor's Note: This article originally published on the 420 Times on April 25, 2014.