AZ AG Terry Goddard Ready for Debate on Legal Pot

by Michael Bryan

Mcstoned
Terry Goddard's measure of political courage just went up slightly in my estimation: he went on national TV and suggested that this country should look seriously at the merits of legalizing marijuana to cut off the flow of money to drug cartels fueling violence along the Mexican border and throughout Mexico.

He backfills immediately by claiming that he is not personally in favor of legalization, but only that there should be a debate. Well, is Terry going to play a role in that debate? He doesn't say.

Well, Terry, if you're listening, here's your invitation to debate the issue. Myself, or any advocate of legalization you prefer, versus you. Anytime. Anywhere. Maybe here on this blog. I will certainly post any statement or responses from you or your office. Let's have that debate.

I'd love to hear why Goddard is not personally in favor of legalization. Knowing as he does how thinly stretched our enforcement and prosecutorial resources are, how porous our border is, how much of the Mexican cartel's income stems from the illegal profits from pot (Goddard claims 70%, though how he knows that is beyond me), and given the historical lessons regarding the effects of alcohol prohibition on crime in this country and the objective scientific evidence that pot is much less harmful than legal indulgences such as tobacco and alcohol, why does Goddard oppose legalization other than mere political caution?

Right now 44% of Americans support legalization – not a majority opinion – so of course politicians are skittish about coming out for pot. But in Western states, that percentage trends up to as much as 58%. Considering the strength of Western public support and what he has seen and learned as Attoney General of Arizona, I don't understand why Goddard doesn't lead from the front rather than the rear on this issue.

With U.S. Attorney General Holder finally halting the deplorable Federal raids that had been defying state legislative action to rationalize marijuana policy in their jurisdictions, now is the perfect time for a border state like Arizona to re-examine its own policies. At the very least, perhaps we could stop treating sick people as criminals in 2010. Maybe we can even embrace some decriminalization such as that which garnered the support of 43% of voters in 2002's Prop 203, despite furious opposition from all sides of the political establishment.

If ever this nation is going to seriously reform our drug laws, it must happen now that progressive forces are in ascendancy. And it has to happen from the ground up. Eight states repealed prohibition before the ball got rolling in the Federal government. There must a groundswell that forces the risk-averse to side with reason.

Terry, you took a positive step by seving up the legalization ball. Do you have the political courage to return the ball when volleyed?

12 thoughts on “AZ AG Terry Goddard Ready for Debate on Legal Pot”

  1. Ok, so what if we legalize this drug and it completely backfires, blows up in our faces? What if we find we have made this drug so available that we now have an entire generation of kids fighting drug addition to levels we have never seen? What if the cost to help all these kids on drugs becomes so expensive it is better to fight it than pay for all the addition help. Then you want to make it illegal again? Hardly. It’s hard to take away something when you have made it illegal. If this passes it will be another step in the fall of America.

  2. If marijuana will be legalized, there is a possibility that it would be abuse, we all know that even those illegal drugs that cannot easily get are obtained by those people who are addicted to that, what more if it is legal and easily obtain, there is a big possibility that drug addiction in our country will increase its volume.

    -mj-

  3. I thought the legislators are supposed to represent the will of the people. I get tired of excuses. One Senator blames the Republicans. I know one Republican that does not object to medical use. We need action from doers, not excuses from Schleprocks.

  4. I do not know what many of you think but the subject of marijuana/cannabis legalization is a thorny one indeed. Although pot is widely used, almost as much as cofee/alcohol/tabacco. . An interesting site I have found on this subject is http://LegalPot.com. If you wanna know more about this topic visit this link (i liked the section on growing your own pot a LOT).

  5. Yeah, legalization does not seem like the right answer. We need to help Mexico in their current fight. Those dealers down south went uncontested for a very long time. They won’t give up easily.

  6. From what I have read, medical marijuana was approved by the voters: “In 1996, Arizona voters demonstrated their commitment to medical marijuana by passing an initiative aimed at protecting patients from arrest and imprisonment. Unfortunately, the initiative was flawed in that it allowed patients to use medical marijuana only with their doctors’ “prescriptions.” It is against federal law for a doctor to “prescribe” marijuana. A doctor can, however, “recommend” marijuana.” I am a person that must take prescribed narcotics for pain and I don’t like it due to the numerous side effects. The Arizona legislature probably could ammend to law so that at least medical use would be legal. that would be a good start rather than prosecuting the general public for non-violent “crimes.” There are much bigger problems at the border. Arizona would also benefit from the hemp production.

  7. I have used rather little marijuana in all my 41 years but I see plenty of benefits to legalizing marijuana. Imprisoning criminals rather than marijuana buyers and sellers is a big one. Reducing the size of the needlessly large prison industry is a close second. I’ve come to conclude that some Democrats choose not to adopt legalization as otherwise some prison guard may not be hired in the year 2016 (better 100 employees of Bashas’ be laid off than one possible government employee hire be postponed). Why more Republicans don’t sign on is still a puzzle to me. I don’t think there are that many Christian Republicans who really think there is a passage that says that marijuana users should be caged.
    http://phoenixnorml.org/

  8. Is anyone here old enough to remember prohibition? or, in the alternative, has anyone here read a history book??? Huh??? Prohibition brought in an era of bootlegging and lawlessness and crime. Data point: Marijuana is – statistically demonstrated – less addictive than either alcohol or cigarettes. The only purpose of legislation should be to protect people – so, if marijuana is less addictive than already available stuff – alcohol and cigarettes – it is not sensible to continue to criminalize it. You would greatly reduce the crime associated with selling it, the jails would not be filled with people who sold it and – best of all – you could tax the living daylights out of it – it could be a cash cow! Myself, I don’t drink, don’t smoke (although I do fume quite often) and I have no interest in using marijuana – so, for me, this is just an intellectual exercise.

  9. The moment we legalize drugs in this nation, like Marijuana will be the next big step down in our stature. What’s next, legal heroin or worse? Get a grip and realize legalizing is not what will make this nation better.

  10. That’s mere defensive political thinking – evade and avoid – the lowest level of political imagination and technique.

    To frame and shape a policy debate, you have to actually advocate FOR policies and values.

    Terry could frame the debate, as he has begun to do with the interview I cite, that legalization will squeeze the money out of the violent cartels and allow the State to focus resources on the most harmful criminal behavior. That is a winning frame.

    Just avoiding an issue doesn’t rob it of it’s political power, it just leaves you without any control of that power. GOP can just as easily pummel Terry with the lack of any marked decrease in trafficking and the escalation of associated violence during his term as AG. At least taking control of the frame allows him to force his opponents to make the case that the status quo and the policies we’ve tried ad nauseum are better than trying something bold and new.

  11. I suspect that Attorney General Goddard is not in favor because he envisions a run for governor in 2010 and doesn’t need the Repugs hammering him with that. Hard to blame him for that.

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