SANTA FE, N.M. — Libertarian presidential candidate and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson says he forgives a former public safety secretary who resigned over Johnson’s stance on legalizing marijuana.
More on Gary Johnson, pot politics & Election 2016
Election 2016: What you need to know about the 2016 presidential candidates’ marijuana views
For never-Trumpers: This marijuana-loving Libertarian staking claim as Trump alternative
Definitive guide to marijuana on the 2016 ballot: Recreational & medical initiatives
Weed news and interviews: Get podcasts of The Cannabist Show.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Watch The Cannabist Show.
Peruse our Cannabist-themed merchandise (T’s, hats, hoodies) at Cannabist Shop.
That former secretary, Darren White, now is CEO and security director of one of the state’s new medical marijuana producers.
Johnson told The Associated Press on Monday that everyone makes mistakes, but he is happy that White has come around and endorsed the legalizations of marijuana.
White stepped down as Johnson’s secretary of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety in 1999, because he publicly disagreed with then-Gov. Gary Johnson’s stand on legalizing marijuana. He later became a two-term Bernalillo County Sheriff.
Today, White says he uses marijuana due to chronic back pain. He endorsed Johnson for president in July.