Posted on 28th Jan 2012 @ 1:43 AM

Gary Johnson, the libertarian former Republican presidential contender, recently released a scathing critique on Newt Gingrich's draconian drug policy.

Johnson remarks, “Ideas are important, especially in a presidential campaign, but some of Speaker Gingrich's ideas over the years are nothing short of scary.” Johnson then continued:

“Under his legislation, anyone coming home to the U.S. and caught carrying enough marijuana (2 oz.) to distribute would be sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole – or if caught twice, would be sentenced to death.

This is from someone who has admitted his own past marijuana use, saying ‘it was a sign we were alive and in graduate school’. And in 1981, Mr. Gingrich actually introduced legislation providing for the ‘therapeutic use of marijuana. (HR 4498, 97th Congress)

On drug policy alone, I am beginning to see what Rick Santorum means when he talks about the former Speaker having an idea a minute. We are talking about millions of Americans’ lives here, and having positions ranging from embracing medical marijuana to the death penalty for possessing a small amount of that same substance is astounding both in its hypocrisy and its inconsistency.

The War on Drugs is a failure, and bold steps are in order to align drug policy with reality and humanity. But Newt Gingrich’s notion of bold is not what we need.”

Thumbs up to Gary Johnson for standing up to Gingrich's “bold” ideas.

For more information on Gingrich and Johnson's drug policies, click here.