Carly Fiorina: Overreacting to illegal drug use isn't the answer

The nation should stop overreacting to illegal drug use and stop doling out jail sentences that are way too long, Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina said in Iowa on Thursday.

"We know that we don't spend enough money on the treatment of drug use," said Fiorina, former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard. "When you criminalize drug abuse, you're actually not treating it. We had a daughter who died of addictions, so this lands very close to home for me."

Fiorina's daughter Lori, a drug and alcohol addict, died in 2009.

The "three strikes and you're out" law doesn't work well, and all the drug laws affect African-Americans more than others, Fiorina told The Des Moines Register's editorial board during an hourlong meeting.

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"I don't think that overreacting to illegal drug use is the answer," said Fiorina, who officially entered the 2016 race on Monday and is the only woman in the GOP field. She has never held elected office, but ran unsuccessfully for U.S. senator in California.

Asked whether she favors decriminalizing marijuana, Fiorina answered: "No, I do not think we should legalize marijuana."

Fiorina said her doctor asked whether she, as a cancer patient, wanted access to medicinal marijuana.

"My answer was no. My doctor said, 'I'm really glad. Because marijuana is now a chemically complex compound. We don't know what's in it or how it reacts with other things.' If you ask a doctor about any kind of transplant ... they say you cannot have one unless you've been free of marijuana for at least 30 days."

Society has telegraphed to young people that smoking pot is acceptable, she said.

"We don't have any trouble saying to teenagers: '... Having a beer at 16 years old has consequences. It can get you into trouble.' Somehow we've sent the message to young people, I know it's not what the law says, but the message is real clear: Pot is just no big deal. And it's just not true."

Asked whether, as president, she'd direct the U.S. attorney general to enforce federal drug laws in states such as Colorado, Alaska, Washington and Oregon, Fiorina said she wouldn't.

"I believe in states' rights," she said. "They're within their rights to legalize marijuana, and they're conducting an experiment I hope the rest of the nation is looking closely at."

Asked about immigration reform, Fiorina said she wants to secure both the northern and southern borders and fix the legal immigration system. As for those already in the country wrongfully, she said, it's not practical to deport anyone who hasn't engaged in crimes that are dangerous or destructive to society. Those who have obeyed the laws should be allowed to stay on and earn legal status, but not citizenship, she said.

Fiorina announced Thursday that she has hired GOP strategist Christopher Rants, a former leader in the Iowa House, as a senior strategist for her campaign. She will next be in Iowa on May 16 for the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Dinner.

This article was updated to accurately reflect which office Fiorina ran for in California.

