Sunday Political Talk Show interviews during 2013-2015: on Drugs

Evan McMullin: Opposes legalization of marijuana

A: No

Darrell Castle: No one should go to prison for having a joint

A: I'm totally opposed to the war on drugs. It's not doing anything except imprison a lot of people for trivial offenses. I favor some kind of decriminalization, especially where federal laws are concerned. We have a debate in Memphis right now as to whether to fine people a small amount for marijuana possession, and that's how the war on drugs should be determined--at the local level, with local laws. But no one should go to prison for having a joint.

Tim Kaine: FDA and Big Pharma to blame for opioid dependency

And use of heroin, which is an opioid, is also skyrocketing. Users addicted to prescription opioids are switching to street heroin for an economic reason: It's cheaper. "People try to save money by buying heroin, but don't know what's in it or how pure it is. Eighty percent of heroin overdoses are by people that started with prescription medicine and then switched to heroin because it's cheaper," Kaine says.

Since 2010 in Virginia, the rate of heroin overdose deaths has increased nearly five-fold. And white males aged 25-44 are the largest group affected.

Darrell Castle: Advocate of decriminalizing possession

A: The Constitution party's official position is we don't believe in legalizing drugs. But me personally, I am an advocate of decriminalizing possession. I think it's a liberty issue and a moral issue. We should not be putting people in prison for possessing these things. There are other ways of handling it and it's causing the whole war on drugs to be a disaster.

Jill Stein: The war on drugs is racist

We need to build coalitions to link racial justice to climate justice to immigrant justice and to peace and democracy.

Donald Trump: Brother died of alcoholism; so Donald never touched alcohol

In a telephone interview last week, Mr. Trump said he had learned by watching his brother how bad choices could drag down even those who seemed destined to rise. Seeing his brother suffering led him to avoid ever trying alcohol or cigarettes, he said.

In the upwardly mobile Trump family, Donald was the second and favorite son. Freddy was the disappointment, who lacked the killer instinct and drifted so far from his father's ambitions that his children were largely cut out of the patriarch's will.

Asked whether Freddy's experience in the family business, which friends described as miserable, contributed to the drinking that ultimately killed him, Mr. Trump said: "I hope not. I hope not."

Carly Fiorina: Marijuana is a very complex chemical substance, unlike beer

• "I don't support legalized marijuana for a whole host of reasons, including the fact that this is a very complex chemical substance, and when we tell young people it is just like drinking a beer, we are not telling them the truth. But I think Colorado voters made a choice. I don't support their choice, but I do support their right to make that choice." The Hill, June 9, 2015
• "I remember when I had cancer and my doctor said, 'Do you have any interest in medicinal marijuana?' I did not. And they said, good, because marijuana today is such a complex compound, we don't really know what's in it, we don't really know how it interacts with other substances or other medicines." Slate, February 2015
• "I'm opposed to Prop 19 and the legalization of marijuana. Sending billions of dollars in new tax revenues to Sacramento is exactly the problem, because Sacramento has a spending problem and will continue to spend the money we send them." 10 Questions, October 2010

James Webb: Everything should be on the table, including legalization

• "He also shied away from supporting or opposing marijuana legalization, calling state laws 'an interesting national experiment' that should be allowed to play out further." The Washington Post, March 10, 2015
• In response to a question about whether marijuana legalization would be part of his criminal justice reform efforts: "I think everything should be on the table, and we specifically say that we want recommendations on how to deal with drug policy in our country. And we'll get it to the people who have the credibility and the expertise and see what they come up with. Huffington Post, April 27, 2009
• [Asked specifically about regulating marijuana:] I think they should do a very careful examination of all aspects of drug policy. I've done a couple of very extensive hearings on this, so we'll wait to see what they say about that." Huffington Post, April 27, 2009

Jim Gilmore: Legalization offers legitimacy of the state

Where does he stand?
• Former Gov. Gilmore opposes the legalization of marijuana for any purpose. In 2000, he signed onto a National Governors Association policy plank that urged the federal government to increase funding for the War on Drugs and declared legalization is "not a viable alternative, either as a philosophy or as a practical reality."

What has he said?
• "I'm not a legalization guy. I think that it's not a substance, it's a lifestyle, and a quality of life and approach that I'm afraid I can't adhere to. I understand that some people are able to use marijuana in a recreational way and it probably doesn't hurt society, but at the end of the day, I don't believe we ought to be legalizing and putting the legitimacy of the state on to substance abuse. I just don't believe it." WMUR, June 19, 2015

Lincoln Chafee: Uruguay is leading the way on legalizing & regulating pot

• "Uruguay is leading the way on legalization, and taxing and regulating, and Colorado and Washington here in this country. These are all interesting, positive experiments in my view." Iowa candidate's forum, August 29, 2015
• "We'll see what comes out of the legislature. We're just still putting in the medical marijuana component and we'll certainly see what's happening in Colorado. Certainly the revenue is enticing for all governors. Somebody was saying to me back with the bad weather we've had back home, and all the potholes, we should have the revenue go to infrastructure. 'Pot for potholes.'" The Huffington Post, February 24, 2014
• "I think it should be an international discussion over our drug policy, whether its winning or loosing the war on drugs, and the destabilizing effect the illicit drug trade has. It should be an international discussion: is this working?" YouTube, April 2013

Ted Cruz: Let's see what happens in Colorado with legalization

• Previously, the senator had criticized the Obama administration for not enforcing federal marijuana laws in Colorado & Washington after voters in those states adopted laws that regulate and tax marijuana similarly to alcohol. But more recently...
• "That's a legitimate question for the states to make a determination. And the citizens of Colorado and Washington State have come to a different conclusion. They've decided that they want to legalize it. I think it is appropriate for the federal government to recognize that the citizens of those states have made that decision. One of the benefits of it, is we can now watch & see what happens in Colorado & Washington State." Hugh Hewitt Show, April 16, 2015
• "I don't support drug legalization, but I do support the Constitution. I think individual states can choose to adopt it. So if Texas had it on the ballot, I'd vote against it, but I respect the authority of states to follow different policies." Texas Tribune, March 24, 2015

Chris Christie: Allow private sector to offer drug treatment programs

CHRISTIE: No, a few things. First off, more people are getting drug treatment today in New Jersey than ever before. We have 21 drug courts in all 21 of our counties. Secondly, I don't want this to be purely a government solution. By putting more money into our treatment budget we allow the private sector to come in to be able to provide this kind of treatment.

Chris Christie: Treatment, not jail, for drug addicts; it's a disease

CHRISTIE: My larger point, is that this is a disease. People who are committing violent acts, who are dealing drugs, they need to go to prison. But for the addicts, the people who are small-time users, we need to give them treatment. Although, I'm opposed to drug legalization.

Donald Trump: Yes to medical marijuana; otherwise, decide state by state

Ben Carson: Exposure to marijuana results in decreased IQ

Ben Carson: Marijuana is a starter drug; keep barriers to hedonism

Carly Fiorina: I don't support legal pot, but I support states' pot choice

Donald Trump: 1990: Drug enforcement is a joke; 2015: only medical pot

George Pataki: Let's see what happens in Colorado with legalization

Rick Santorum: Marijuana is a controlled substance for a reason

Former Sen. Rick Santorum said in April that "Colorado is violating the federal law. And if we have controlled substances, they're controlled substances for a reason. The federal law is there for a reason, and the states shouldn't have the option to violate federal law. As Abraham Lincoln said, you know, states don't have the right to wrong."

Mike Huckabee: Let states experiment with pot legalization

Ben Carson: Intensify the War on Drugs at federal level

When Beck asked Carson if he wanted to continue the War on Drugs, Carson responded, "Absolutely." A slightly confused Beck clarified "You do?" And Carson replied confidently, "I would intensify it."

After his initial answer, Beck pressed the retired neurosurgeon on his enthusiasm for the War on Drugs. "Let me ask you a question," Beck said, pausing to figure out his next words. "How -- I mean, it doesn't seem to be working now."

Again, Carson appeared steady. "Yeah well, go down to the border in Arizona like I was a few weeks ago. I mean, it's an open highway, and the federal government isn't doing anything to stop it," Carson said. Beck then asked if Carson would legalize marijuana and Carson said, "I disagree with it."

Ben Carson: Maybe medical marijuana, but recreational use is a gateway

Martin O`Malley: Reschedule marijuana but "not there yet" on legalization

Marco Rubio: Medical marijuana could be OK, but not recreational use

RUBIO: Well, I've said that I'm open to medicinal uses of anything, and particularly marijuana. And if, in fact, it goes through the FDA process and you can come up with a proven medicinal benefit to that substance, I'm open to that. I'm not in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana, and I never have been.

Q: Would you then use the federal government to supersede the laws of states that have legalized?

RUBIO: Well, federal government needs to enforce federal law.

Q: You would enforce the law?

RUBIO: Absolutely. I believe the federal government needs to enforce federal law.

Jim Gilmore: I'm not a legalization guy

Lincoln Chafee: Taxing legal pot to fix potholes is appealing

Marco Rubio: No responsible way to recreationally use marijuana

In an interview, Rubio was asked whether he had ever smoked pot: "Here's the problem with that question in American politics: If you say that you did and suddenly there are people out there saying 'Well, it's not a big deal. Look at all these successful people who did it,'" Rubio said. "I don't want my kids to smoke marijuana. And I don't want other people's kids to smoke marijuana. I don't believe there's a responsible way to recreationally use marijuana."

He continued: "On the other side of it, if you tell people you didn't they won't believe you. The bottom line is, I don't think people should smoke marijuana." The senator has previously dodged the pot question, saying his own experience is "irrelevant" to drug policy.

Rick Santorum: Colorado has no right to violate federal drug laws

George Pataki: OK to legalize if we can contain addiction and kids' access

Mike Bloomberg: No legalization; pot lowers IQ by 5 to 10 points

Ted Cruz: I foolishly smoked pot when young, but never since

"Teenagers are often known for their lack of judgment, and Sen. Cruz was no exception," one of Mr. Cruz's campaign spokesman told The Daily Mail. "When he was a teenager, he foolishly experimented with marijuana. It was a mistake, and he's never tried it since."

Jeb Bush: Smoked pot & drank alcohol in late 1960s high school

Resolutely apolitical despite his lineage, a roommate said of Jeb that while other students "were constantly arguing about politics and particularly Vietnam, he just wasn't interested, he didn't participate, he didn't care."

Bush, in 2015, acknowledged breaking a series of rules. "I drank alcohol and I smoked marijuana when I was at Andover," Bush said, both of which could have led to expulsion. "It was pretty common." He said he had no recollection of bullying and said he was surprised to be perceived that way by some.

Jeb Bush: My high school drug use was "stupid" and "wrong"

One of those who did get to know Bush was Peter Tibbetts, who said he smoked hashish--a cannabis product typically stronger than pot--in Jeb's dorm room. "The first time I really got stoned was in Jeb's room," Tibbetts said. "He had a portable stereo with removable speakers. He put on Steppenwolf for me." Tibbetts said said he once bought hashish from Bush but stressed, "I was seeking the hash, it wasn't as if he was a dealer; though he did suggest I take up cigarettes so that I could hold my hits better."

Bush previously has acknowledged what he called his "stupid" and "wrong" use of marijuana. In the years since, he has opposed efforts to legalize marijuana for medicinal or recreational use.

Rand Paul: Jailing people for 10 years for marijuana is ridiculous

PAUL: One of the things I have talked to the president about is criminal justice reform. This means extending back the right to vote for people who made youthful nonviolent mistakes, expunging their records, trying to make it easier for them to find employment. I think put somebody in jail for 10 years for possession of marijuana or sale of marijuana is ridiculous. Some people are in jail for life. So, I have called the president, and I have told him, I agree with commuting some of these sentences, lessening some of these sentences, treating it more as a health issue. So, I think people's opinions on criminal justice for nonviolent drug crimes has changed. That is something we could do together.

Rick Perry: Indicted for defunding D.A. who got caught drunk-driving

PERRY: The D.A., the highest ranking prosecutor in Travis County--this individual was stopped driving while drunk. She had almost three times the legal limit of alcohol. When you look at the video when she was being booked into the county jail, she was kicking on the door. She was abusing the law officials. She had to be restrained. You have to make a decision on whether or not $7.5 million of Texas taxpayer money is going to go to the unit that she oversees; I very publicly said as long as that individual is going to be running that agency, I had lost confidence in her. The public had lost confidence in her, so I made a decision on the proper use of state money to go to that agency, and I vetoed it.

Rick Perry: They're not "cartels", they're narcoterrorists

Perry said, "As the Border Patrol is spread even thinner and thinner with this high influx of the illegal aliens, the gaps in the border have become bigger and you now are the tip of the spear protecting Americans from these cartels and gangs. They are spreading their tentacles of crime and fear, so your message and your mission is very clear: To be that visible presence, to deter the criminal activity, contribute those additional eyes and ears to assist law enforcement and Border Patrol agents along the border." Perry said more than 2,000 soldiers had volunteered for the assignment even though he only requested 1,000.

Rand Paul: Whites & blacks use drugs, but prisons are full of blacks

In February, Paul pressed Republicans in the Kentucky Senate to pass a bill that would restore voting rights to some convicted felons. It ultimately failed.

Paul plans to talk about those issues in a speech Friday at the National Urban League's annual conference in Cincinnati. He said his ideas have been well received in minority communities because "people are ready for something to happen."

Rand Paul: War on drugs has unintentionally had a racial outcome

PAUL: Three out of four people in prison are black or brown for nonviolent drug use. However, when you do surveys, white kids are doing drugs at an equal rate, and they are a much bigger part of the population. So, why are the prisons full of black and brown kids? It is easier to arrest them. It is easier to convict them. They don't get as good of attorneys. And, frankly, they live in the city more than in the suburbs, and so the police are patrolling the city more. But it is unfair. The war on drugs has had a racial outcome, unintentionally, but it has a racial outcome. And I want to try to fix it.

Q: And your bill does change some drug laws in order to try to even out the punishment for similar drugs?

PAUL: Yes.

Bobby Jindal: No legalization; but focus on rehabilitation for addicts

Marco Rubio: There is no responsible way to recreationally use marijuana

"If you say that you did, then suddenly there are people out there saying, 'Well, it's not a big deal,'" Rubio said. "On the other side of it is if you tell people that you didn't, they won't believe you." Rubio explained that his decision not to answer the question goes back to an encounter he had after publishing his memoir, "American Son." In the book, Rubio reveals that he was not a disciplined student in his youth and had a 2.1 GPA in high school. "Someone came up to me and said, 'You My son said he doesn't have to get good grades in high school, because look at Marco Rubio, he didn't do well in high school,'" Rubio recalled, "and that impacted me."

Marco Rubio: Enforce federal laws even where states have legalized pot

Marco Rubio: Enforce federal law even in states with legal pot

Rubio, however, has previously left the door open on medical pot, which will come up for a vote in his home state this November. "You hear compelling stories of people who say the use of medical marijuana provides relief for the thing they are suffering," Rubio said in a January interview. "So I'd like to learn more about that aspect of it, the science of it."

Bobby Jindal: We lock up too many people for casual drug use

JINDAL: Sure--we've started not just last year, but since I've been governor. And last year, we accelerated that--looking to lower those penalties. I agree with the president that we lock up too many people for casual drug use. What I mean by that is that non-violent, non-repeat offenders, those that aren't committing other crimes, we should look at treatment and rehabilitation. I'm not for the legalization. The full legalization of marijuana has been done in Colorado. But certainly, I think that it makes sense. We could use our resources more effectively. We passed some pretty good laws last year. There's more work that we can do there. I do think when it comes to medical marijuana, I've said that I'm open if it's tightly regulated, for legitimate medical purposes. We don't need to be locking up people who aren't the dealers, who aren't committing other crimes

Martin O`Malley: Proportionality in marijuana arrests, but not legalization

O'MALLEY: I'm opposed to it for a number of reasons. In our state, I actually have signed legislation that allows police officers to issue citations instead of arrests. We've made a mandatory stay and a right of appeal to anybody that's subjected to any sort of incarceration. So I think there is something to be said for the proportionality. And I do think that all of that is important. There are fewer people incarcerated in Maryland today than when I was elected. But for a number of reasons--one of them is purely economic. In our state, a lot of the new opportunities that are opening up for our kids in security and cyber security and other things, they require a background check and they require that kids have clean records--

Q: But if you legalized it, there wouldn't be a record.

O'MALLEY: Yes, but we can't do that as a state. That would be something only the nation could do.

Martin O`Malley: Let Colorado experiment with legalization, not Maryland

O'MALLEY: We can't do that as a state. That would be something only the nation could do.

Q: Well, Colorado has legalized--

O'MALLEY: Yes, Colorado has. And for Colorado perhaps that's a good choice and perhaps there's things we can learn from their experiment as a laboratory in democracy. From Maryland's standpoint, I spend a lot of time in middle schools telling kids to keep a clean record so that they can get a good job and help their families.

Rand Paul: Don't promote marijuana but don't jail non-violent criminals

PAUL: The main thing I've said is not to legalize them but not to incarcerate people for extended periods of time. With Senator Leahy, we have a bill on mandatory minimums. There are people in jail for 50 years for nonviolent crimes. And that's a huge mistake. Our prisons are full of nonviolent criminals. I don't want to encourage people to do it. Marijuana takes away your incentive to work. I don't want to promote that but I also don't want to put people in jail who make the mistake. There are a lot of young people who do this and then later on, they get married and they quit; I don't want to put them in jail and ruin their lives. The last two presidents could conceivably have been put in jail for their drug use, and it would have ruined their lives. They got lucky, but a lot of poor kids, particularly in the inner city, don't get lucky.

Ajamu Baraka: War on drugs a guise to militarize police against minorities

There are connections between the US state-sanctioned violence in the forms of targeted imprisonment, military occupations of black and brown communities and imperialist wars fought primarily against non-white people of the global South. We [need a] movement that can withstand the attempts to divide us internally, and that we can keep the focus where it needs to be--on transforming ourselves and the world.

James Webb: Drug abuse is a sickness and we've got to treat the sickness

Looking at the interaction among the various agencies that tackle the drug problem is essential, the senator said. In 1980, he said, there were 40,000 people jailed on drug charges. Today, that number has grown to 500,000. "We have to find a better way to deal with the problem," Webb said. "It's a sickness and we've got to treat the sickness."

James Webb: Add Virginia to High Intensity Drug Trafficking program

"The expansion of Appalachia HIDTA into these Virginia communities would extend the reach and efficiency of HIDTA, allowing it to effectively combat and eradicate, rather than merely geographically relocate, these systemic drug trafficking and production networks," Webb wrote to the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Webb said he had been working toward getting all southwestern Virginia counties included in the Appalachia HIDTA facilitates cooperation between drug control organizations and helps federal, state and local law enforcement organizations invest in infrastructure and joint initiatives to confront drug traffickers.

"There's got to be a balance of enforcement," Webb said, adding that Virginia has suffered from the spill-over of drug problems from Tennessee and Kentucky.

James Webb: Recommend drug policy to deal with growth of incarceration

What about legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana? Webb paused. "I think they should do a very careful examination of all aspects of drug policy. I've done a couple of very extensive hearings on this, so we'll wait to see what they say about that," he said. So it's on the table? Webb flashed a wry grin, laughing mischievously. The last government study group to look at drug policy, the 1972 Shafer Commission, recommended that Pres. Nixon decriminalize marijuana. He didn't. This commission will have a broader mandate, said Webb.

Webb cited "the exponential growth of incarceration since 1980," saying that "a huge percentage of that growth has been nonviolent crimes associated with drugs."