"It's so incredibly stupid that we arrest people for what they do in the privacy of their own home," said Thompson, whose older brother is Tommy Thompson, secretary of health and human services and former four-term governor of Wisconsin.

Ed Thompson, who is on a three-day visit to Washington, made the comments to pro-marijuana legalization activists at a small reception in his honor.

"I know a lot of people who smoke marijuana," Thompson said, adding that he thinks that, compared to alcohol or tobacco, it is relatively harmless. Thompson, who says he doesn't smoke or drink, favors legalizing marijuana and allowing its use for medicinal purposes, and he opposes imprisoning nonviolent drug offenders. This, he said, is something he learned in his five years as a prison guard.

"Nonviolent people should not be locked up with violent people," he said, adding that, if elected governor, he would consider pardoning drug offenders in prison. Thompson said he doubts the Legislature would go along with some of his proposals on drugs. Last year he lobbied for a law allowing the medicinal use of marijuana, he said, but the proposal went nowhere.

Washington-based activists favoring marijuana legalization said they would give Ed Thompson their support and argued that their support would be helpful with the broader public. Brother Tommy strongly opposes both medical marijuana and decriminalization of the drug.

"The American people are way ahead of the politicians on this issue," said R. Keith Stroup, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, citing polls that he said indicate public support for medical use of marijuana and opposition to the arrest of marijuana users.

Ed Thompson, the former mayor of Tomah, came to Washington to meet with policy experts and to get some publicity for his long-shot campaign for governor. In addition to meeting with marijuana activists, Thompson discussed the virtues of school vouchers with the libertarian Cato Institute, met with several reporters, took a tour of his brother's office at HHS and, he said, "received an hour of media training," in which he learned how to improve his television persona.

He wasn't sure how effective that training would be. "What you see is what you get," he said.

Thompson, who estimated he'll need to raise about a million dollars to run for governor, didn't hold any fund-raisers in Washington. On return to Wisconsin, however, he said he would continue holding three to four small fund-raisers each week around the state. Sometimes he only raises about $2,000 at these dinners, which isn't much compared to his brother's fund-raising performance as governor.

"I get $20 a plate," Ed Thompson said, laughing. "Tommy gets $1,000 a plate."

Source: Capital Times, The (WI)
Author: Ben Steverman, The Capital Times - Medill News Service
Published: May 3, 2002
Copyright: 2002 The Capital Times
Contact: tctvoice@madison.com
Website: http://www.captimes.com/

Related Articles & Web Site:

NORML: http://www.norml.org/

The Libertarian Party: http://www.lp.org/

Ed Thompson Makes the Most of His Time
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12686.shtml

Ed Thompson Joins Call for Medical Marijuana
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12685.shtml

The Candidate On Tap - Washington Post
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12211.shtml

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Peace. Realize, then Legalize.

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Peace. Realize, then Legalize.

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