by Chris Bodenner
Melissa Bell points out:
[Pat] Robertson's position is not as unusual as you might think. Support for legalizing marijuana has been growing amongst conservatives, who cite legalization as an answer to the "narcoterroism" in Mexico and the overburdened jail system. In October, Newsweek looked at the GOP's relationship to marijuana, saying that although only 25 percent of Republicans favor legalizing marijuana (as compared to 55 percent of Democrats), the number has jumped seven points since 2005. The article credits the influence of the anti-government-intervention Tea Party:
It's becoming increasingly hard for conservative candidates and lawmakers to square libertarian Tea Party catchphrases like "fiscal responsibility" and "limited government" with the government's war on drugs, especially when their constituents might prefer to see a war on joblessness.
Indeed, there is a strong, small-government strain that runs through the testimonials of The Cannabis Closet. For example, on page 18:
I used to be a conservative Republican; I’m now a conservative Democrat. I think our government is overbearing. In the case of cannabis, it's missing out on a large amount of tax revenue if the stuff were legalized and regulated like alcohol. Doing so would rid our prisons of tokers and small-time drug dealers, cut our prison and judicial costs significantly, and increase our tax base. This would be especially true in California. Yet the insanity persists!
At age 64, I think I have earned the right to smoke a joint once in a while. I ought to be able to go down to a local reputable dealer, buy a joint, and smoke it while I put a steak on the barbeque.