ACLU of Texas agrees with Pat Robertson!

By Kirsten Bokenkamp Senior Communications Strategist When Pat Robertson comes out in favor of legalizing marijuana, the world listens!  The evangelical leader believes that people should not be sent to jail for marijuana possession, and cites the billions of dollars it currently costs taxpayers as one of his reasons for favoring legalization. Robertson recognizes that the war on drugs has been an expensive failure.  His answer: Treat marijuana just like alcohol.  Robertson thinks  the nation has gone overboard on the concept of being tough on crime, and says it makes no sense to send somebody to  jail for possession of a joint. The self-declared hero of the hippie culture made headlines in 2010 when he publically supported ending mandatory prison sentences for marijuana possession, arguing that putting young people in jail hurt their futures. Groups across the US in favor of legalizing marijuana are hoping that Robertson’s voice on this issue will sway his followers and others to recognize the financial and societal benefits of legalization. At the ACLU of Texas, we work on many ways to decrease over-incarceration; reforming drug laws to keep drug offenders out of jail and putting them into more effective and less expensive treatment programs is one of them. Robertson believes on this one, he’s on the right side.  We couldn’t agree more. Do you care about drug reform in Texas?  Sign up for e-alerts and help make a difference!