Harry Reid, ‘We waste a lot of time and law enforcement going after guys smoking marijuana.’

Even devout Mormon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has changed his position and is saying that we need to take a closer look at marijuana. Sen. Reid also said,’We waste a lot of time and law enforcement going after guys smoking marijuana.’

In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Sen. Reid discussed his evolving position on marijuana,

Several Nevada municipalities are issuing moratoriums on medical marijuana dispensaries, but Harry Reid really thinks they should be moving in the opposite direction – toward making medicinal pot legal.

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“If you’d asked me this question a dozen years ago, it would have been easy to answer – I would have said no, because (marijuana) leads to other stuff,” the Senate majority leader told the Sun today. “But I can’t say that anymore.”

“I think we need to take a real close look at this,” Reid went on. “I think that there’s some medical reasons for marijuana.”

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Reid cited CNN and NPR reports about children suffering from seizures as well, to make the case that over the past several years, he’d come to think that marijuana seemed a sensible and humane treatment for people suffering from particular conditions with no other treatment or cure.

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But Reid did say that he thought the current legal system for prosecuting and sentencing marijuana users was extremely flawed.

“I guarantee you one thing,” Reid said. “We waste a lot of time and law enforcement going after these guys that are smoking marijuana.”

When a straight arrow Mormon like Harry Reid starts talking up the benefits of legalization, that is a real sign that attitudes are changing. Marijuana legalization should be a no brainer for Republicans who are always talking about limited government, but the GOP is still worried about looking tough on drugs and trapped in some sort of political vortex that limits their position on pot to a cross between Reefer Madness and Nancy Reagan’s just no campaign.

Democrats have taken the legalization banner, and all the potential voters that come with it, and have run with the issue. The Democratic Party is quickly becoming the party of legalization. Harry Reid’s comments appeared to be directed at both the people of Nevada and the nation as a whole.

Sen. Reid was correct. This country wastes a lot of time and money busting people for smoking marijuana. It is an inefficient use of resources to be busting people for a drug that could be medically helpful to millions if legalized. More and more Democrats are recognizing this. Republicans don’t, which is why those who favor legalization are moving more and more towards the Democratic Party.

If Harry Reid can evolve, the rest of the party can’t be far behind.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association