Pat Robertson feels that marijuana should be legalized. What does this say for the 'establishment' view of marijuana legalization?

Shit yeah marijuana should be legalized!

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Of course, he has said similar things before. In 2010 he bemoaned the criminalization of marijuana and suggested that people who get sent to prison for it come out worse than they were when they went in, costing us money and only hurting everyone. That is a good point, whatever he might think about other issues, so it’s probably worth taking his view into account. And if he’s really willing to push for this, it could portend the beginning of the end of the anti-legalization view. If nothing else, someone as reliably on the “establishment” side as Pat Robertson breaking ranks at least weakens the opposition.

Anyway, we’d have to see it in context. Could be he was being sarcastic.
Rush Limbaugh blathered about how wrong it is that “we” (the tax payers) should be required to pay for women’s birth control just so they can have wanton sex. If that’s all you heard, and didn’t know the rest, that makes sense. In context, though, it’s absolute nonsense.

I keep trying to give myself a GA on my first post, but I can’t! That is SOOO wrong. Someone help me!

@Dutchess_III Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

Thanks @SavoirFaire!

There can be only one reason that he is right on this one issue and so wrong on all the others. He must have some personal experience with the topic.

Just because he’s a crazy person doesn’t mean that everything he says is wrong.

Judging from past reactions on another hot button topic, I’m inclined towards pessimism.

The other topic to which I refer is stem cell research. There was no one more “establishment” than Nancy Reagan but her amended viewpoint on the subject (after her husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis) had little effect in changing the overall picture.

As for Robertson, I’m pretty doubtful that he himself would ever use marihuana, but perhaps someone close to him has found significant relief for a medical issue for which standard treatment did little or nothing. (I’M thinking along the lines of restoring appetite for better nutrition in the midst of chemotherapy or similar)

Or perhaps (more likely) hes a cheap SOB who hates to see so much money being poured into imprisoning what are mostly petty criminals caught with MJ. and subjected to the Draconian. mandatory sentencing policies while some guilty of far more violent and dangerous crimes, (rape, child molestation, etc.) being discharged eaCrly due to overcrowding.

That’s probably because he doesn’t have any money into the drug, tobacco, acohol, and law enforcement, and prison industries to make him a shill for drug control.

The Drug war is too much of a cash cow to be put down. Even it it comes at the cost of destroying socities, and especially african-american families.

@sinscriven

Thats an excellent point also. We may never know for sure exactly what his motivation is and I’m not overly optimistic that the powers that be are listening to him after some of the kooky pronouncements of his from the past, particularly regarding international relations and policies.

Remember his support for the idea of assassinating Hugo Chavez? Open mouth, insert foot. And I forget which Israeli prime minister suffered a stroke (Sharon, maybe?) And Robertson opined that this was due to Gods (supposed) displeasure at him having offered to give up some of their territory in peace treaty negotiations.

Both of these dumbass moves embarrassed the govt. And cost him a lot of credibility both with them and other Christian leaders as well. He may be technically still part of the ” establishment” but I done know who takes him seriously as any type of respected leader. I know that I sure don’t.

I think that after all this time, people are finally coming to the realization that this particular battle in the war on drugs has been lost.
Last weekend my 87 year old m-i-l made the same statement, pointing out what an abject failure prohibition had been here in the U.S.

Personally, I do not like Pat Robertson. I think that he is bigot & a racist, & that he has made some very damning gaffes in the past with a lot of the things that he has said & actions that he has taken. However, that does not mean that he is wrong in this instance. Marijuana should be legalized just as alcohol is legal….. especially in view of the fact that that it does far less harm than does alcohol. Legalization would keep users from getting sent to prison where taxpayers have to pay for their up-keep, & the taxes would go a long way toward off-setting the deficit. Hemp should also be made legal to grow. Hemp makes excellent paper products & excellent cloth products. We would no longer have to cut down trees to make paper & cloth made from hemp is better than cotton. Hemp grows in a wide variety of locations, it grows faster than trees, & it does not ruin the land like cotton does. It would be a win – win situation for the US, but I will not hold my breath waiting for it to happen. The chances of Congress actually legalizing marijuana is not likely to happen any time soon – especially in view of the fundamentalist / evangelical tea party republicans ready to attack anyone who thinks differently from how they think.

For fack’s sake, legalize it already. Even the perceived crazies can agree on that. Heck, with any luck, maybe Robertson can sway a lot of the religious right in favor of legalization.

I’m rather surprised that Pat Robertson, who has always struck me as an establishment type conservative rather than a libertarian, would hold this viewpoint on marijuanna. Of course he can change his tone at any time if he feels that it would suit him. I’m not particularly crazy about the guy but I agree with him on this point. As far as the mainstream view of marijuanna legalisation (or decriminalization) goes it seems that a slight majority of voters still support keeping pot illegal, which is enough to keep each state that tries to decriminalize it on the nay side yet. The majority of politicians obviously oppose decriminalizing weed yet too. Maybe in time this will change.

He’s a nutjob. I don’t believe anything he says.

He’s a demented fraud, so don’t heed his nutty ravings.