Wow, never thought that I would say this, but here’s a democrat that I would actually consider voting for. This guy has a solid background and could appeal across party lines. I’m going to keep an eye on his campaign, and hopefully he puts the screws to the corrupt Hildabeast along the way! :jay:

http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2015/07/2016-candidate-jim-webb-treat-drugs-like-cigarettes/

A likely candidate for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination says the U.S. should focus on a public health approach to drugs that doesn’t involve locking people up.

Citing the country’s success in reducing tobacco use by educating people instead of criminalizing them, former U.S. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), said on Tuesday that “one of the most fascinating changes in our society in my adult lifetime has been the approach towards cigarette smoking. If you think about this, we didn’t make cigarettes illegal. We just got the information out there and educated people about the potential harm.”

He added that “there have to be similar approaches when it comes to drug use.”

The remarks, which came during an appearance at the National Sheriffs Association conference, seem to indicate that Webb favors legalizing or at least decriminalizing drug use.

Webb, who served in the Senate from 2007-2013, unsuccessfully pushed to pass legislation to create a blue ribbon commission to examine the criminal justice system and make recommendations for reforms. The initial version of the bill called for the commission to “make recommendations for changes in policies and laws designed to…restructure the approach to criminalization of, and incarceration as a result of the possession or use of illegal drugs.”

When Huffington Post asked Webb whether that meant the commission should examine legalization, the then-senator indicated he thought it would be appropriate:

    “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,” said Webb.

    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.

After pushback from law enforcement groups, however, the drug criminalization language and other specifics were removed from subsequent versions of the bill, generalizing the commission’s mandate to make recommendations aimed at “changes in oversight, policies, practices, and laws designed to prevent, deter, and reduce crime and violence, reduce recidivism, improve cost-effectiveness, and ensure the interests of justice at every step of the criminal justice system.”

But even that wasn’t enough to win support from a sufficient number of Senate colleagues to ensure passage. An attempt to attach the commission language to a larger funding bill came three votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster.

Webb’s new remarks, in which he called drug incarcerations “the elephant in the bedroom here that we don’t talk about enough,” indicate that if he does decide to run for president — and all signs indicate he will announce his candidacy soon — discussing criminal justice generally and drug policy specifically will likely be a key part of his platform.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umy_BT8BVuw&feature=youtu.be