Pubdate: Mon, 17 Feb 2014
Source: Battalion, The (Texas A&M U, TX Edu)
Copyright: 2014 The Battalion
Contact:  http://www.thebatt.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1137
Author: John Rangel

FRIEDMAN SHARES THOUGHTS ON WEED WITH STUDENTS

Kinky Friedman, Democratic primary candidate for Texas Agricultural
Commissioner, visited Texas A&M on Monday to discuss his main campaign
platform -- the end of marijuana and hemp prohibition in Texas -- with
members of Texas Aggie Democrats.

At the student organization's meeting last night, Friedman expounded
on the positive effects he hoped to bring to Texas through the
legalization of marijuana and hemp and explained how he believes his
policies would fortify Texas agriculture against drought, end the war
on drugs and change cancer medicine.

"Cotton is the number one cash crop [in Texas] right now, and it
should be pot and hemp," Friedman said. "Hemp requires half the water
that cotton does. Hemp delivers 2.5 times the fiber."

Friedman said he has spoken to law enforcement officers and found none
who supported the war on drugs. If elected, Friedman said he would
work to legalize marijuana as a means of succeeding against drug
cartels where current policies have failed.

"We will effectively castrate the Mexican drug cartels, and the new
cartel will be us -- the taxpayers, the people of Texas," Friedman
said.

Friedman's appearance on campus attracted students and local citizens
to hear his campaign platform and witness his take on political issues.

"I just think he's such a character and he kind of speaks his own
thoughts, so that's why I really enjoy seeing him," said Haley Jones,
senior industrial distribution major. "He doesn't really side with a
party, he just speaks what's on his mind and what he really, truly
believes."

Jones said she supports Friedman's stance on legalizing hemp and
marijuana and his campaign stance is a sign of changing political
attitudes across the nation.

"I think in the next ten to twenty years we'll all be in that position
anyways where almost all the states will have accepted the production
of hemp and weed," Jones said. "I think if he does get voted on in the
primary election, he has a great idea because it's what we're moving
towards."

Andrew Payne, junior history major, said Friedman's refusal to follow
the political status quo was his most remarkable trait.

"This is a man who is a comedian, a country music artist," Payne said.
"He's got a career already. Something drew him out of his career and
into politics. The man was attracted based on principle. And that's a
rare thing, a refreshing thing, in politics, and it inspires me."

Payne said Friedman's message was especially striking when compared to
the messages touted by current political parties.

"He's able to transcend the old, warn out, tired debates," Payne said.
"You could almost script a republican-democratic debate by yourself,
you've heard every argument the other side's got; he's above that."

Friedman spoke at the Texas Aggie Democrats meeting as part of the
Texas Aggie Democrats' Candidate Series. Justin Carpenter, political
director of Texas Aggie Democrats and senior political science major,
said bringing Friedman to talk on campus was a way to introduce
students to the people who may represent them in political office.

"Back in December, I thought it would be a good idea to bring some
candidates because we had some elections coming up, and I thought it
would be good to expose students to the candidates who were running
for them," Carpenter said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt