Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Crossword
  • Video
    • Reason TV
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • Free Media
    • The Reason Interview
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • Freed Up
    • The Soho Forum Debates
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Reason Plus Subscription
    • Print Subscription
    • Gift Subscriptions
    • Subscriber Support

Log In

Create new account

Politics

"It's nice to see a popular Democrat take a strong stance against the drug war."

Damon Root | 5.24.2012 4:29 PM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

At Mediaite, Andrew Kirell gives a big cheer to Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker, who "took to Twitter to give a brilliant rant against the drug war and the disproportionate impact it has on blacks in America." After presenting Booker's best tweets on the subject, including the irrefutable observation that "Drug war is a failure costing billions of tax dollars annually AND destorying lives," Kirell remarks:

It's nice to see a popular Democrat take a strong stance against the drug war. But this is a rare position among mainstream politicians. I can think of only a handful of well-known politicians besides Booker who openly advocate for a rethinking of the drug war.

In a perfect world, this Twitter rant, plus the latest Rasmussen poll that 56% of Americans support marijuana legalization, would convince President Obama to "evolve" on the drug war and, at the very least, stop raiding medical marijuana dispensaries with a frequency that even Richard Nixon would have applauded.

Read the whole thing here.

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

NEXT: Rand Paul Amendment to Stop Armed FDA Agents From Raiding Farms Fails, 78-15

Damon Root is a senior editor at Reason and the author of three books, including A Glorious Liberty: Frederick Douglass and the Fight for an Antislavery Constitution (Potomac Books). His latest book is Emancipation War: The Fall of Slavery and the Coming of the Thirteenth Amendment (Potomac Books).

PoliticsPolicyWar on DrugsNanny StateMedical MarijuanaDrug PolicyDrugs
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Show Comments (3)

Latest

Pamela Colloff on America's Biggest Jailhouse Snitch, Wrongful Convictions, and Criminal Justice

Billy Binion | From the November 2026 issue

Police Destroyed Their Homes and Businesses. The Supreme Court Won't Say Who Should Pay.

Billy Binion | 10.25.2026 7:00 AM

Vinay Prasad on Anthony Fauci, COVID-19 Restrictions, and RFK Jr.

Zach Weissmueller | From the November 2026 issue

Iowa Voters Don't Want Police or Flock Tracking Their Cars. Politicians Are Still Catching Up.

Davide Mamone | 10.24.2026 8:00 AM

Trump Wants To Force Data Centers To 'Make Their Own Electricity.' Deregulation Would Work Better.

Josh Pauzé | 10.23.2026 5:30 PM

Recommended

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Amazon
Reason Facebook@reason on XReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeApple PodcastsReason on FlipboardReason RSS Add Reason to Google

© 2026 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Reason

The All-Argentina Issue is Here

New from Reason: a look into what Javier Milei has accomplished and what it will take to make the most of Argentina’s window for real change. Out now for subscribers.

Subscribe & Start Reading Learn More