Gary Johnson had the chance to introduce himself to a national TV audience Wednesday night during the CNN Town Hall.The Libertarian presidential nominee had to defend the one thing most people do know about him, his position on drugs.One thing he's famous for is specifically wanting to legalize it marijuana. However a woman in the audience took Johnson to task and said her son tried heroin once and an overdose put him in a wheelchair."Governors, please explain to me how you think that legalizing marijuana straight through to heroin can possibly be a harm reduction?" she asked. “We are not espousing the legalization of any drug outside of marijuana,” Johnson said. He also told the mother her story was heartbreaking, but she continued to press the argument.“It is a sickness, it is an illness and you're not addressing the young people that are so desensitized to what drugs are doing, and putting drugs out there would desensitize them further,” the woman said.“We're not advocating legalization of any drugs, not heroin, but when you look at programs,” Johnson responded.“But you have, I’ve read literature in the past where you have,” she said.“I think what she is referring to you being asked in the past, would the world be better off if all drugs were legal and you said Yes,” CNN’s Chris Cuomo said.Johnson said he was referring to programs in other countries, where local governments allow heroin addicts to get their drugs tested, to try and avoid an overdose. He said he supports that but nothing more.When asked if he thinks all drugs should be legal, Johnson said, “I'm not advocating such, it’s marijuana.”

Gary Johnson had the chance to introduce himself to a national TV audience Wednesday night during the CNN Town Hall.

The Libertarian presidential nominee had to defend the one thing most people do know about him, his position on drugs.


One thing he's famous for is specifically wanting to legalize it marijuana. However a woman in the audience took Johnson to task and said her son tried heroin once and an overdose put him in a wheelchair.

"Governors, please explain to me how you think that legalizing marijuana straight through to heroin can possibly be a harm reduction?" she asked.

“We are not espousing the legalization of any drug outside of marijuana,” Johnson said. He also told the mother her story was heartbreaking, but she continued to press the argument.

“It is a sickness, it is an illness and you're not addressing the young people that are so desensitized to what drugs are doing, and putting drugs out there would desensitize them further,” the woman said.

“We're not advocating legalization of any drugs, not heroin, but when you look at programs,” Johnson responded.

“But you have, I’ve read literature in the past where you have,” she said.

“I think what she is referring to you being asked in the past, would the world be better off if all drugs were legal and you said Yes,” CNN’s Chris Cuomo said.

Johnson said he was referring to programs in other countries, where local governments allow heroin addicts to get their drugs tested, to try and avoid an overdose. He said he supports that but nothing more.

When asked if he thinks all drugs should be legal, Johnson said, “I'm not advocating such, it’s marijuana.”