In an appearance on Fox Business Channel this week, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin expressed a somewhat lenient view on the enforcement of marijuana laws. "I'm not for the legalization of pot," said Palin. But "if somebody's going to smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody any harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at...." This stance lets Palin undermine the "media's caricature of her as some fire-breathing neo-con," says Allahpundit in Hot Air, "and electrify the debate over a hot-button issue, which she obviously relishes doing." It might even lead other "social conservatives" to take a "second look" at the "support for weed." One can only hope, says Julian Sanchez in The Atlantic. It's time to stop trying to protect our citizens through governmental "paternalism," and allow adults to "take responsibility" for personal decisions, like drug use. Watch Palin's statement below:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.