Ben Carson Breaks Ranks, Slams the War on Drugs

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson has criticized long-held federal policies that have unequally penalized minority communities.

Speaking recently at the Manhattan Institute, the Secretary said, ""There are systems in place, well-meaning as they may be, that incentivize people to make choices that ultimately do not strengthen the black family," Carson said. “It also didn’t help that the war on poverty sometimes conflicted with the war on drugs, which often dealt harshly with non-violent offenders, taking men away from their families, and disproportionately affecting minority communities.”

According to Civilized, Carson also criticized the federal government for being arrogant enough to think it could regulate the morals and lifestyles of the American people. He later said, "More harmful than any single government program has been the presumption that the federal government could manage affairs of human nature in the first place," Carson added. "It was not capable of replacing the institutions which used to nurture and guide Americans in their social activities and improvement. Like local government, churches, fraternal organizations and families themselves."

Carson seems not to have made up his mind about cannabis legalization. On the one hand, the former neurosurgeon argued that marijuana is a “gateway drug.” Previously, however, Carson has said "Would I recommend medical marijuana? Absolutely.” he said during a campaign rally. “I have no problem with medical marijuana.” He has also called for cannabis to be reclassified from its current status under Schedule I. But at a campaign rally, he said that if elected president he would have enforced federal marijuana laws even in states with legalization.