Jimmy Carter, Minnesota and cannabis

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In early 1977, as Jimmy Carter began his presidency, Minnesota decriminalized small-amount cannabis possession. These two events connected. Marijuana, the term the criminal code selected for cannabis, caught on in the 1960s, becoming a powerful symbol of social angst. It was iconic of a troubled and divided America. For 24 years, our nonprofit quietly managed Minnesota’s decriminalization program for the Minnesota Supreme Court.

With decriminalization, the typically young offender would attend classes on drug abuse. If they weren’t rearrested (as none of the 7,000 were), they avoided possible incarceration and a destructive criminal record. It also saved local government serious money. The program likely wouldn’t have survived without Carter White House intervention.

By 1976, cannabis was common among a substantial minority of young Minnesotans. The cannabis leaf emblem was prominent in Vietnam antiwar and some civil-rights demonstrations. Selective enforcement at the time targeted perceived “undesirables.” A young Black man driving through the suburbs was likely to get stopped and searched, as was any young person with an attitude. It fed divisive civics with minorities disproportionately charged with cannabis possession.

The Minnesota education alternative was quickly adopted by nearly all Minnesota prosecutors and state district courts. It also was attacked. One legislator labeled the program a “pro-hippy surrender of values.” The program was in jeopardy when the Carter White House stepped in.

I first used cannabis as a soldier in Vietnam in 1969, at the recommendation of a Special Forces medic following an especially traumatic combat experience. I was surprised when it quickly relaxed me, as it did many other combatants. I also saw it misused. I witnessed a stoned soldier kill a fellow American. Like alcohol, cannabis can comfort as well as harm users. Acknowledging its capacity for value as well as misuse is important.

After service, I completed graduate work in epidemiology and established a nonprofit company on public-health policy. Among other projects, we established and managed the statewide drug education alternative for the courts. The program was attacked by politicians, some law enforcement and especially outraged, ad-hoc anti-drug groups. Recriminalizing small amount possession was probable.

Then something weird happened.

I was at a client safety-engineering meeting in 1977 with the Tennant Co. for my environmental engineering company when a Tennant staffer, looking a little stunned, entered the meeting: “President Carter needs to speak to Mr. Bomier.” Everyone was stunned, especially me. “Is this for real?” a Tennant executive asked. All I could say was “I don’t know.” I was not political and had no connection to the Carter administration.

The Office of the President was on the phone, but it wasn’t Carter. It was an aide to Dr. Peter Bourne, the president’s lead health adviser. I was asked to the White House to discuss the drug education alternative. The Carter administration considered the program wise and socially healing, endorsing the Minnesota approach.

Subsequently, the program received a highly publicized award from Karst Besteman, representing the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office. The Minnesota approach was promoted nationally. Also the Minnesota Legislature declined to shut down the program. A popular state senator was illegally using cannabis as a chemotherapy antiemetic, and the lead anti-cannabis legislator was convicted of theft. But I believe, most significantly, President Carter’s administration had declared it was the right thing to do.

One of President Carter’s staff said that this gentler approach must connect to this “Minnesota Nice” thing. I responded that to us President Carter was also Minnesota Nice.

I have been engaged in cannabis as a public health professional for nearly half a century, including as author of “Marijuana and the Responsible Parent,” now in its 12th edition, and a recent paper on cannabis policy for schools and municipalities, available at envrc.org.

Bruce Bomier is executive director of the Environmental Resource Council (ERC), which describes its mission as serving social and physical environments through blending science and values.