Judge Claims War On Drugs Biggest Mistake Since Slavery

As Californians go to the polls to cast their vote in the US midterm elections, they will also have the opportunity to decide whether to pass Proposition 19, a law which would legalise cannabis for recreational use in the US state.

The farming of marjiuana for medicinal purposes has been legal under Californian state law since 1996, but remains banned under US federal law.

Judge James Gray welcomes the debate on marijuana use in California.

As a Superior Court Judge in the conservative area of Orange County, he was responsible for enforcing prohibition policies implemented by successive US governments since the 1980s.

During his service as a self-confessed drug warrior, he came to the conclusion that locking people up for breaking drug laws had little effect on the amount of drugs available on the street.