unexpected!
John Boehner is now pro-weed
Former Republican House Speaker John Boehner announced Wednesday that he is joining the board of Acreage Holdings, a self-described "investment company with an established footprint in the cannabis industry in the United States."
Previously, the nonprofit National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) had rated Boehner "hard on drugs" and given him a "zero percent" rating on legalization, meaning he was opposed to "all forms of marijuana decriminalization." In 2011, Boehner claimed to be "unalterably opposed to the legalization of marijuana" and said, "I remain concerned that legalization will result in increased abuse of all varieties of drugs, including alcohol."
Boehner acknowledged his change of heart in his announcement, tweeting that "my thinking on cannabis has evolved. I'm convinced de-scheduling the drug is needed so we can do research, help our veterans, and reverse the opioid epidemic ravaging our communities."
Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, a libertarian Republican, also joined Acreage's board. "Both Boehner and Weld say they've never tried the drug," Fortune writes, noting that nevertheless recreational marijuana use is legal in nine states as well as Washington, D.C. Read the full announcement at Acreage here.