In 1996, when he was in Congress, Newt Gingrich proposed to amend the Controlled Substances Act to include a provision for the death penalty for anyone who brings two ounces of marijuana or other drugs into the country.

Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson slams Gingrich, who's running for the Republican presidential nomination. "Some of Speaker Gingrich’s ideas over the years are nothing short of scary," says Johnson. "The War on Drugs is a failure, and bold steps are in order to align drug policy with reality and humanity. But Newt Gingrich’s notion of bold is not what we need."

About H.R. 4170 (Drug Import Death Penalty Act of 1996), Johnson notes: "Anyone coming home to the U.S. and caught carrying enough marijuana (two ounces) to distribute would be sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole - or if caught twice, would be sentenced to death."

Gingrich recently defended this position when he stated: "We need to think through a strategy that makes it radically less likely that we're going to have drugs in this country. Places like Singapore have been the most successful at doing that. They've been very draconian. And they have communicated with great intention that they intend to stop drugs from coming into their country."

Johnson also takes issue with Gingrich's "hypocrisy and inconsistency" when it comes to marijuana. The former Speaker of the House has admitted his own past use and, in 1981, sponsored legislation in favor of medical marijuana.

"We're talking about millions of Americans’ lives here," adds Johnson, "and having positions ranging from embracing medical marijuana to the death penalty for possessing a small amount of that same substance is astounding."

Johnson has abandoned his pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination and instead is seeking to become the Libertarian Party's 2012 candidate for the White House. He supports legalizing marijuana.

Watch Johnson on MSNBC's Up with Chris Hayes.

Also see:
Romney on Medical Marijuana
Newt Gingrich on Drugs
Newt Gingrich on OWS
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