Medical Marijuana Is Not An "Issue of Significance" to Mitt Romney

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Medical Marijuana Is Not An "Issue of Significance" to Mitt Romney

Peter Suderman | May 10, 2012

Medical Marijuana Is Not An "Issue of Significance" to Mitt Romney - Hit & Run : Reason.com

During an interview with a local CBS News affiliate in Colorado yesterday, Mitt Romney got more than a little annoyed with a reporter after she asked about gay marriage, college tuition for children of illegal immigrants, and finally about medical marijuana. Romney wanted to talk about other things. And he told her so.

“Aren’t there issues of significance you’d like to talk about," Romney asked. "The economy, the growth of jobs, the need to put people back to work, the challenges of Iran? We’ve got enormous issues that we face. But go ahead, you want to talk about medical marijuana?"

She did. And so he gave an answer:

"I think medical marijuana should not be legal in this country. I believe it's a gateway drug to other drug violations. The use of illegal drugs in this country is leading to terrible consequences in places like Mexico, and actually in our own country. I oppose legalization of marijuana. I oppose legalizations of other kinds of drugs."

You can watch the clip here Latest Videos « CBS Denver.

The medical marijuana outburst starts around the 2:20 mark.

This isn't the first time Romney has tried to avoid questions about medical pot. Here's a young man who suffers from muscular dystrophy explaining the "terrible consequences" of treating his condition with medical marijuana to Mitt Romney in 2007. Even then, Romney was unmoved:

His answer may be callous, cold, and cruel. But at least, for once, it's consistent.

Lots more from Reason on medical marijuana here.

 

[THsea]

Blows me away that people like this get elected for anything... It's crazy, they are cruel.. They certainly don't care about us.. By saying this isn't an important issue, thats like saying the sick and ill aren't important...

I think I will live to see at least the beginning of legalization. Even ten years ago it was easier to tell false information without repercussion.. Now with everyone using google 24/7 on their iNternet-phones.. It will be harder for people to say cannabis has no medical merit.

 

[CocoJoe]

It will be harder for people to say cannabis has no medical merit.

They beleave their own lies.

Peace to the patients,
cocoJoe

 

[Chinnubie]

I think in the situation he was in makes me think he was probably right in terms of job creation and the potential of an EMP attack from Iran are FAR more important issues than what State's are squabling about in their Capitals.

 

[Qanzilla]

How can he say marijuana is a bad drug? It is a great alternative to addictive and dangerous pain killers and sleep aids. Prescription pills are the number 1 cause of overdose deaths.

This is just another example of out dated "plastic" politicians who are afraid to stray from their base. Go away Romney..

 

[420 Motoco]

The politicians have to look after their special interest money. Maybe they should be more worried about the Vets, homeless, sick, starving and mentally ill in our own country. Hemp farms, recreational and medical legalized across the board would create a lot of jobs. States are realizing this and see the potential revenues. I would rather see capitol hill politicians get their special interest money from MJ related products than having the big pharmies control our government. Their profit is HUGE and spend a lot to keep it that way.

 

[Antics]

"I think medical marijuana should not be legal in this country. I believe it's a gateway drug to other drug violations. "

I never understood this. Even when I was a teen, smoking recreationally (although I WAS responsible with it), never ONCE was I tempted to try any actually illegal drugs.

I had access to LSD, and mushrooms, and going to an inner city school, I was once offered crack lol.

Hell, I have a strain of Salvia growing in my garden outside and I'm not even remotely tempted to "try" it.

It's not about Cannabis causing people to use other drugs. If Cannabis didn't exist, those people would seek other drugs anyways. It's about the type of person someone is. Some people are thrill seekers, looking for a new high, and they'd end up using other drugs whether or not Cannabis was available.

At least we can be thankful they weren't able to eradicate it from the planet. What a shitty situation millions of folks would be in without an effective medicine to help. Even now I'm jealous of those that have it.. I've had back pain for fucking weeks, and 1600mg of Ibuprofen won't even touch it.
And I have NO built up tolerance for these pharmaceuticals either. I only use them when absolutely necessary to sleep, and they still don't work right.

 

[PeytonManning]

Hillary is against it, and jeb bush and the whole bush family have a lot of stock in Lilly pharmaceuticals. It's looking like we're gonna be screwed no matter who takes the seat

 

[Antics]

At the end of the video he says Gay Marriage and Medical Cannabis are state issues..

How the hell is Cannabis a state issue when the Feds keep harassing dispensaries in LEGAL states? How is it a state issue when the FEDERAL government prevents legitimate dispensaries from banking? How is it a state issue when these legal and legitimate businesses are denied from claiming fundamental business expenses on their tax return?

How many generations of his family were related before marriage? Unbelievable.

 

[Qanzilla]

It's true. Legalizing marijuana will devastate 3 industries and cause many people to lose jobs, although these jobs should not exist in the first place. What would happen to these people if pot was legalized tomorrow?

Prisons - There are SO many people in jail for Marijuana related crimes. The government provides money to the prison for every inmate, whether it's a State, Federal, county, or private prison. The numbers are ridiculous. Something like 800,000 people per year are arrested for marijuana related charges. That's a lot of dough!!! Now you know why they call it the green mile!

Pharmaceutical/health care related companies : What happens when doctors stop prescribing the thousands of sleep aids, pain killers, anti depressants, and every other drug that marijuana safely and effectively replaces? People no longer need a monthly visit to their drug dealing doctors, their insurance stops paying inflated prices for drugs to the pharmacies, and the pill companies no longer can afford to operate. They stop taking doctors on vacations, and no more free pens!!

The soldiers in the "war on drugs": So many law enforcement officers would be laid off. There are so many of these guys who's sole purpose in life is to arrest YOU for smoking pot. I hate to say it, but good riddance. Maybe when the tens of thousands of newly unemployed cops are faced with all that free time, they can finally relax and smoke a joint.

This war on pot is costing us $1 billion dollars a year. That's $1,000,000,000.
Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year

And that's JUST the cost to keep people in prison. That figure doesn't include the salaries of all those law enforcement officers and lawyers and judges that actually PUT the weed offenders in jail!

Can anyone think of a better way to spend that money? They could buy everyone in the country a joint with that money!