In a Jan. 25 speech to the Downtown Yakima Rotary Club, in Yakima, Washington, former anti-drug czar (1996-2001) Gen. Barry McCaffrey ripped into the recent legalization of marijuana in the states of Washington and Colorado, and drug legalization more generally.

According to the Yakima Herald, McCaffrey described the state's approval of pot legalization as "a huge mistake" that will only lead to increased drug abuse. "I think local political leadership in the state of Washington was intimidated and irresponsible, or uneducated." Uncompromising, McCaffrey said: "If you're an employer and you think it's OK for family members and employees to use drugs, you've got a screw loose." Asked about how the federal government will respond to the fact that pot is now legal in Washington and Colorado, while still illegal according to federal law, McCaffrey snapped: "I don't have a clue."

Displaying his limitations, McCaffrey also told the Yakima Herald that "When it comes to economic issues, the nation is still in great shape."

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