At one point, she was one of the most controversial women in the world.  As Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Joycelyn Elders espoused many unusual positions that the believed were of positive benefit to the national health, no matter how they were perceived by the public.  Since she was fired from the position by then-President Bill Clinton in 1994, she’s not stopped advocating for what she feels is right, and that includes Joycelyn Elders’s current lobbying for legalized marijuana.

That’s right, a former Surgeon General supports Proposition 19, California’s decriminalizing marijuana initiative. “What I think is horrible about all of this, is that we criminalize young people. And we use so many of our excellent resources … for things that aren’t really causing any problems,” said Dr. Elders. “It’s not a toxic substance.  We have the highest number of people in the world being criminalized, many for non-violent crimes related to marijuana.  We can use our resources so much better.”

No matter how you feel about her or her positions, you have to admire Dr. Elders for speaking her mind when a lot of people in her situation wouldn’t dare open their mouth.  That takes guts.

Tags: United States Surgeon General, Joycelyn Elders, Proposition 19, California, legalized marijuana in California, Joycelyn Elders supports Proposition 19, unusual laws, legalized marijuana, state laws, recreational marijuana use, law changes, drug laws

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