Sarah Palin: Marijuana Use Relatively Minimal Problem in Society

Sarah Palin said that she does not support marijuana legalization but seemed to offer some support for decriminalization of the drug.

CBS News reported June 17 that during a TV appearance with Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) — who supports legalization on libertarian grounds — Palin said, “If we’re talking about pot, I’m not for the legalization of pot. I think that would just encourage especially our young people to think that it was OK to just go ahead and use it.” 

However, Palin also characterized marijuana use as a “minimal problem” in society relative to other issues. “I think we need to prioritize our law enforcement efforts,” she said. “And if somebody’s gonna smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody else any harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at to engage in and try to clean up some of the other problems that we have in society.”

During her run for vice president, Palin acknowledged a past history of smoking marijuana. The drug was decriminalized in Alaska for many years.