It wasn’t that long ago that admitting marijuana use was the deathblow to a politician. Bill Clinton was so embarrassed when it became known that he consumed marijuana in his past that he made up the now infamous line, ‘I didn’t inhale.’ My how times have changed. Numerous politicians confess to having consumed marijuana, and in some cases, they’ve admitted recent use. And rather than their support plummeting after such confessions, they actually get a lot of positive attention from voters and the press. The latest is Tim Wu, who is running for Lieutenant Governor of New York. Per the New York Post:
Zephyr Teachout’s running mate wants to turn on New York voters — by legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.
Columbia University law professor and techie Tim Wu said he’s gotten high on weed himself.
“I prefer martinis, but I’ve smoked pot and I think it should certainly be legal,” the lieutenant-governor candidate told The Post.
Teachout, too, supports full-fledged legalization of weed.
New York is a state that I am watching closely between now and 2016. New York’s Legislature passed a restrictive medical marijuana bill this year, and demands for full legalization are growing. If/when New York legalizes recreational marijuana, I expect their model to be restrictive like the medical marijuana bill, but even a restrictive recreational legalization measure is better than prohibition. If you live in New York, consider voting for Mr. Wu, and contact your legislators to let them know it’s time for a new approach to marijuana laws.
