I'll admit it: I didn't see this coming.

Shock: Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson favors marijuana legalization

Count this among the 10 things nobody ever expected to see in their lifetimes: 700 Club founder Pat Robertson, one of the cornerstone figures of America's Christian right movement, has come out in favor of legalizing marijuana.

Calling it getting "smart" on crime, Robertson aired a clip on a recent episode of his 700 Club television show that advocated the viewpoint of drug law reformers who run prison outreach ministries.

A narrator even claimed that religious prison outreach has "saved" millions in public funds by helping to reduce the number of prisoners who return shortly after being released.

"It got to be a big deal in campaigns: 'He's tough on crime,' and 'lock 'em up!'" the Christian Coalition founder said. "That's the way these guys ran and, uh, they got elected. But, that wasn't the answer."

His co-host added that the success of religious-run dormitories for drug and alcohol cessation therapy present an "opportunity" for faith-based communities to lead the way on drug law reforms.

"We're locking up people that have taken a couple puffs of marijuana and next thing you know they've got 10 years with mandatory sentences," Robertson continued. "These judges just say, they throw up their hands and say nothing we can do with these mandatory sentences. We've got to take a look at what we're considering crimes and that's one of 'em.

"I'm ... I'm not exactly for the use of drugs, don't get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kinda thing it's just, it's costing us a fortune and it's ruining young people. Young people go into prisons, they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That's not a good thing."

Robertson has in recent years come under fire for increasingly flamboyant comments, such as calling for the assassinations of foreign leaders and blaming gay people for the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/shock...a-legalization/

One of my favorite quotes from the Bible.

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

I think either someone close to him or a family member of his got busted with pot OR he's been high as a kite when he's made some of his announcements in the past.

If we were smart, we would legalize it. We'd cut down big time on court and prison costs, and the sales tax we could collect would probably put a good dent in the deficit.

Nevermind undercutting a stream of revenue for the Drug Cartels shooting up the joint down in Mexico.

You smoke a joint and shoot up heroin.... you don't shoot up a joint.

SC - I was refering to the violence.

rrA - I was joking.

I'm not sure if legalizing it would be in our Nation's interest. The arguments about diversion of law enforcement resources is a valid one. However, I have concern about having more cognitively impaired people driving vehicles and operating machinery not to mention just making judgements about business or personal matters.

I'm against legalizing marijuana -- we have enough lazy assholes in this country as it is. Now they'd have a legal excuse!

Legalize cocaine or speed instead! We'd never sleep, so we could be more productive!

Hahaha, very funny SC!




It'll come at some point, the economic benefits of the legalization of marijuana cant be ignored very much longer

Robertson's always been an interesting little creature, that's for sure.

Ollie, I can understand the concern, but that's true of anything from beer to cough medicine.

In a post-Pot legalized America, it would be no different in dealing with it than we already are with drunks, glue-sniffers, etc.

This won't give potheads a license to be indisposed or high at work or in public. If you're high at work, you'll get fired. If you're high while driving, you're gonna a free bed for the night courtesy of the police.

The late conservative William Buckley (founder of National Review) himself turned to pro-legalization in the mid-1990s and (with others) penned this editorial arguing why the "War on Drugs" was lost.

http://old.nationalreview.com/12feb96/drug.html

Although my pot days are far behind me, I'm ok with the legalization of pot WITH the same guidelines/laws as with alcohol. But, I admit Robertson's stance is a surprise.



TIS

Oh, okay. Let's just add another intoxicant to the legal list.

Let's ban booze while we're at, Olivant.

I mean not like anything bad could come from this.