In 2009, Fox News host Glenn Beck told viewers, “I think it’s about time we legalize marijuana,” arguing that prohibition was feeding Mexico’s drug cartels. Coming from one of the best-known conservative broadcasters of the Tea Party era, the remark was widely shared by legalization advocates as a sign that the issue was crossing party lines.
The Weed Street Journal first posted the clip as a short video item. The original embed no longer works, so this page tells the story in full, using the record that can still be checked.
What Happened
Beck’s views on marijuana in 2009 were not a straight line. On February 25, 2009, he hosted Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project to discuss California’s talk of legalizing and taxing cannabis to close a budget gap. According to the Fox News transcript, Beck called himself a libertarian and said, “You want to legalize marijuana; you want to legalize drugs, that’s fine,” but he objected to legalizing “so we can make money” and added, “I think marijuana is bad for you. I know. I did it.” He also told Kampia he was a recovering alcoholic.
Later in 2009, in a segment on drug violence in Mexico, Beck went further. NORML described the episode: Beck argued that the country had to choose between jailing marijuana users and legalizing the drug, said the middle ground was hurting both the United States and Mexico, and declared, “I think it’s about time we legalize marijuana.” His guest, former Mexican deputy foreign minister Andrés Rozenthal, discussed how much cartel income came from smuggling cannabis north.
Why It Mattered
In 2009, legalization was still a minority position, and it was mostly associated with the left and with libertarians such as Rep. Ron Paul. Beck was then one of the loudest voices on cable news against the Obama administration. His comments gave reform groups a quotable conservative, and Marijuana Majority later included his 2009 line in its list of prominent supporters across the political spectrum, Reason noted.
His framing, that prohibition enriched cartels, was common on the right at the time. Estimates of the cartels’ marijuana share varied widely, and the figures quoted on air were never settled.
What Happened Next
Beck left Fox News in 2011 and built his own media company. On May 21, 2015, he told his radio audience that he was “a libertarian in transit” and was “moving deeper into the libertarian realm,” and called for the federal government to end its war on drugs and let states decide how to handle marijuana, according to Reason.
Republican voters moved in the same direction over the next decade. Gallup’s October 2023 poll found 70% of Americans favored legalization, including 55% of Republicans and 87% of Democrats. In December 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to finish moving marijuana to Schedule III, which our rescheduling explainer covers.
Legacy
Beck’s 2009 remark is remembered less for what he said than for who said it. It was an early example of the “states’ rights” and anti-cartel arguments that conservatives would use for the next 15 years. Adult-use marijuana is still illegal under federal law in 2026; see our federal marijuana laws guide for the current status, and our marijuana history section and cannabis news archive for more.
Glenn Beck Marijuana Legalization FAQ
Did Glenn Beck support marijuana legalization?
In 2009 he said on his Fox News show, “I think it’s about time we legalize marijuana.” In 2015 he called for ending the federal drug war and letting states decide.
Why did Glenn Beck say marijuana should be legal?
He argued that prohibition was a failed middle ground that funded Mexican drug cartels and hurt both the U.S. and Mexico.
Was Beck always in favor?
No. In a February 2009 interview he said he thought marijuana was bad for you and objected to legalizing it to raise tax money, while saying people who wanted legalization could argue for it.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.
