Wallowing Around in a Gerontocracy
Plus: The editors consider what type of fresh attacks the marijuana legalization movement is likely to encounter.
In this week's The Reason Roundtable, Matt Welch is back alongside editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Nick Gillespie as they wade through the missteps of our modern gerontocracy.
0:32: Nancy Pelosi's countless failures
23:23: President Joe Biden turns 80 years old
36:30: Weekly Listener Question:
Hi Friends! I like weed. Marijuana is a wonderful drug (I don't know why we keep looking for female Viagra when it already exists), and I celebrate recent expansions of legalization. There are risks, just as there are with any drug, and there is a potential for abuse. Nonetheless, if you compare the damage done by weed with the damage done by the war on drugs, it's not even close. Unsurprisingly, I have noted an uptick in news items describing the dangers of marijuana. Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal declared, "Marijuana May Hurt Smokers More Than Cigarettes Alone." The conclusion was based on a study of a whopping six marijuana-only smokers. This news trend makes me nervous. What attacks can we expect now that legalization is spreading? I'm thinking flimsy studies to convince everyone it's a major health risk (from the left) and stories about psychosis (from the right). What do you think is the next move against legal marijuana, and how can we anticipate it?
46:53: Donald Trump returns
52:51: This week's cultural recommendations
Mentioned in this podcast:
"Nancy Pelosi Embodied America's Gerontocracy Problem," by Eric Boehm
"After House Democrats' Midterm Defeat, Nancy Pelosi Says She'll Step Down From Congressional Leadership," by Christian Britschgi
"Dianne Feinstein and the Dangers of Gerontocracy," by Peter Suderman
"Joe Biden: 'Why the Hell Would I Take a Test?…Are You a Junkie?'" by Nick Gillespie
"Pot Prohibition Continues Collapsing, and Psychedelic Bans Could Be Next," by Jacob Sullum
"Republicans Contemplate a Post-Trump World," by J.D. Tuccille
"Donald Trump Announces He Will Run for President in 2024," by Joe Lancaster
Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.
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Audio production by Ian Keyser
Assistant production by Hunt Beaty
Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve
