On the day that current Speaker Of The House Paul Ryan has announced that he will not be running for re-election, an ex-Speaker announces he has a new job: John Boehner is the new face of marijuana legalization in this country.
Boehner has joined the advisory board of a company that cultivates, processes and dispenses cannabis. Acreage Holdings operates in 11 U.S. states.
Boehner said nine years ago that he was unalterably oppose to pot legalization but has now changed his mind.
Over the last 10 or 15 years, the American people’s attitudes have changed dramatically,” he said in an interview. “I find myself in that same position.”
Boehner said his perspective shifted after he saw the plant’s efficacy in helping a close friend deal with debilitating back pain. Marijuana’s potential use as a treatment for veterans helped sway him, too. Plus he’s been studying the problems of the U.S. criminal justice system for years.
“When you look at the number of people in our state and federal penitentiaries, who are there for possession of small amounts of cannabis, you begin to really scratch your head,” Boehner said. “We have literally filled up our jails with people who are nonviolent and frankly do not belong there.”
I, too, have changed my mind on the issue because I want law enforcement to concentrate on crimes in which people and property are harmed by others. We can handle the issue of addiction, I believe, like we do with cigarettes and alcohol - culturally.