As medical marijuana and the legalization of cannabis remain hotly contested issues that are interwoven throughout the fabric of America, on Tuesday evening Piers Morgan revisited his recurring "Gone To Pot" franchise, inviting a collection of experts and advocates, legislators and law enforcers to offer their insights and commentary.

Joining "Piers Morgan Live" via satellite, Patrick Kennedy revealed his recently changed perspective, as he had initially been in favor of permitting pot to be used for medical purposes, but has since adjusted his stance:

"I found out the facts, and the facts are my initial thinking was like most Americans, I didn't think it was any big deal. Frankly, I thought people who had cancer or some medical need – every member of my family has had cancer – so I wouldn't begrudge them using something to mitigate the effects of chemotherapy for example," Kennedy explained. "Piers, when I learned the truth about the impact of us going down this road towards legalization, it really occurred to me that my original position was wrong."

Admitting that he smoked pot as a teenager, Kennedy expressed his passion for stopping a potential problem before it ever has a chance to reach a dangerous level:

"My fight has been for mental health and against addiction and trying to treat addiction, but the best way to treat addiction is prevention," explained the former U.S. Representative for Rhode Island's 1st congressional district. "What I really worry about with this reducing the kind of harm, perception of harm of marijuana, which is what's really out there now thanks to all this movement towards legalization, that more people will use."

Watch the clip for more of Morgan's interview with Kennedy, who refers to the legalization of medical marijuana as a "dangerous notion," and for the next edition of "Piers Morgan Live," watch CNN every night at 9.

-

» Follow "Piers Morgan Live" on Twitter

» Follow "Piers Morgan Live" on Instagram