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The legalization of marijuana is such a hot topic that even Olivia Culpo, the newly crowned Miss Universe, is weighing in on its merits. Culpo is the first American to win the title in fifteen years — and she’s now representing a country where recreational pot is legal in two states. Medical marijuana is fine, she said in an interview, but recreational pot is bad — and will stop people from reaching their full potential.
Here’s the video, from the Huffington Post:
When asked about marijuana, she says:
I think that…marijuana for medical purposes is understandable, but I don’t think that it should be legalized for recreational purposes, because it’s been proven to prevent people from their full potential. And I don’t think that’s a good thing for society. If we’re trying to move things forward, a drug like marijuana does the opposite. It will slow things down. And once again, for medical purposes I think it’s great, but for everyday, no.
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Her comments come as a Colorado task force begins its research on how to actually legalize marijuana in the state — and some of the governor-appointed members of that group share Culpo’s concerns that legal pot is bad for society.
Culpo, a twenty-year-old Boston University sophomore from Rhode Island, did not address the part of the interviewer’s question that asked whether she had ever smoked pot.
But before moving on to a different topic, she acknowledged that recreational marijuana could have some benefits. She said, “It’s not gonna do anything. Except for the economy, I understand that, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
More from our Marijuana archive: “Ten best Amendment 64-themed pics on Instagram“
Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin. E-mail the author at Sam.Levin@Westword.com.