Jimmy Carter, in apparent reversal, voices opposition to pot legalization

President Carter issued a statement Friday proclaiming that he does not favor marijuana legalization, despite previous statements that appeared to indicate that he favored state laws that allowed the possession and use of the drug.

“I do not favor legalization. We must do everything we can to discourage marijuana use, as we do now with tobacco and excessive drinking,” Carter said, according to a release from Project SAM. "We have to prevent making marijuana smoking from becoming attractive to young people, which is, I’m sure, what the producers of marijuana … are going to try and do.”

The group, Smart Approaches to Marijuana, opposes legalizing the drug, but instead believes those arrested for marijuana use should be sent to treatment facilities rather than jails. According to the group, Carter believes those caught with the drug should be given a warning hearing and screened for future use, but not have a permanent record kept.

“I said this 35 years ago … that I didn’t want to make it so that a person could possess … or smoke marijuana with impunity, but that they could be chastised, offered treatment, etc.," Carter said. The statement seemed to contradict a response Carter gave last year in Georgia, when he was asked if he favored legalization.

“I’m in favor of it. I think it’s OK,” Carter said during a forum. “I don’t think it’s going to happen in Georgia yet, but I think we can watch and see what happens in the state of Washington, for instance around Seattle, and let the American government and let the American people see does it cause a serious problem or not.”

But in his more recent comments, Carter said he was concerned with the potential implementation of laws legalizing pot use passed in November.

“I hope that Colorado and Washington, as you authorize the use of marijuana, will set up very strict experiments to ascertain how we can avoid the use of marijuana,” Carter said. “There should be no advertising for marijuana in any circumstances and no driving under the influence. We need to avoid the use of marijuana, particularly among young people.”

Project SAM was created by former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) and conservative author David Frum.

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