Dennis Kucinich: "It's Not a Radical Position" to Want Pot Legalized

"It's not a radical position…to say that decriminalization or legalization ought to occur," says U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).

Reason.tv caught up with Kucinich at Seattle's 2011 Hempfest, where he spoke with Nick Gillespie about growing political support for marijuana legalization and the need for citizens to speak up frankly about their drug use. "The cost of enforcing these laws is prohibitive," says Kucinich, who says "libertarians on both sides of the aisle" are gaining ground in Congress and among the electorate at large. "The American people are mature enough to make their own decisions."

Seattle Hempfest is an annual event that started in 1991 as a protest against the prohibition of marijuana, the commercial cultivation of non-psychoactive hemp for a variety of uses, and related issues. Every year since, tens of thousands of people gather each August to listen to speakers and bands and to show their support for legalizing pot and hemp products.

About 2.30 minutes. Shot by Alex Manning and edited by Zach Weissmueller.

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