Meghan McCain Comes Out of the Cannabis Closet
Republican commentator, Meghan McCain, has come out of the cannabis closet, not only voicing her support for ending prohibition, but also admitting to using cannabis herself, including during a trip to New Orleans with comedian Michael Ian Black. McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John McCain, has been an outspoken political commentator unafraid of shaking the Republican establishment. McCain’s support of legalizing cannabis is yet another example of her stepping out beyond the usual Republican orthodoxy as she has also come out in support of marriage equality.
From The Daily Beast:
Let me put it right out there. Yes, I have smoked marijuana a few times in the past. The first time was on a trip to Amsterdam in college and I was surprised by how mild of an experience marijuana was (and in my experience still is). It is a plant that makes me mellow and giggly and, quite frankly, tired. Yet, depending on where you are in the United States, smoking is possession, and that is either a misdemeanor or a felony. Split that hair however you want, it’s still a crime.
That being said, I believe that marijuana should be legalized. This is not a decision I have come to quickly or lightly. Over the course of the last four years, in discussions with friends pro and con, I believe the legal ramifications of possessing marijuana are egregious. For one reason, I think it is a substance that does no more damage than alcohol does, and second, if we legalized marijuana in this country and taxed the hell out of it, our economic problems would at least be temporarily helped a great deal. In fact, you could even use the revenue stream to pay for universal health care if you wanted.
Mostly though, I do not completely understand the allure and taboo associated with marijuana. The few times I have partaken in smoking pot it has been a mild experience. Yes, it is a substance that will alter your mind frame and judgment, but as someone who is high strung and has a natural tendency to get nauseated, I can see its appeal.
While it makes a big news story that the daughter of a Republican presidential candidate supports ending cannabis prohibition, the stance has its roots in conservative political thought. A basic conservative political position is that we should have as little governmental intrusion in our lives as possible. It is clear that any of the alleged harms caused by cannabis do not support militarizing our police force and waging a war against nonviolent American citizens. Meghan McCain joins other conservatives and Republicans like the late Milton Friedman and William F. Buckley as well as recent presidential candidates Ron Paul and Gary Johnson. We can only hope that more Republicans and conservatives follow Ms. McCain’s lead and support the end to cannabis prohibition as it is a much more conservative policy than waging a futile and expensive war against otherwise law-abiding citizens.
