Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 330 › Conversation 330-015

Nixon & Colson on Campaign Strategy and Marijuana Legalization

Wednesday, April 5, 1972 · 11:43 AM–11:44 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation330-015 on Tape 330 (tape position 02:21:19–02:21:46)StartWednesday, April 5, 1972 at 11:43 AMEndWednesday, April 5, 1972 at 11:44 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 330-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss campaign strategy regarding the potential inclusion of marijuana legalization as a political issue. Nixon seeks advice on whether to take a firm stance against legalization to appeal to parental concerns, rather than limiting anti-drug rhetoric to heroin. Colson argues that opposing legalization would resonate with a broad base, including younger individuals who do not support the drug's widespread use.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 112.0 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 111.8 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 91.7 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:21:19 into the tape and ends around 02:21:46.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
2:21:10Let me say, I have decided to run.
2:21:13I think that we just run.
2:21:15Let's try.
2:21:16That's an issue.
2:21:16If we do it that way, I want to put it there however, what they want to do.
2:21:20I'm against the legalization of marijuana.
2:21:22I know this stuff is carefully left out.
2:21:25You know what I mean?
2:21:26It will be dealt only with heroin.
2:21:28Don't you think I should put it in?
2:21:33Or do you?
2:21:34Why not raise that issue?
2:21:37Why limit it to heroin?
2:21:40The legalization of marijuana.
2:21:41And the argument is the settlement of the kid matter is...
2:21:45I think you shouldn't have that.
2:21:49It will make the parents happy.
2:21:51The parents are the ones that are going to vote for the kids.
2:21:57And the marijuana-smoking kids are the ones that are going to have to get home a lot of the time.
2:22:02I don't think so.
2:22:03It's not your kids.
2:22:04In fact, your kids are the ones who don't want to...
2:22:06There's a lot of kids who say, for God's sake, don't legalize it.
2:22:09Harder.
2:22:10Yeah, kids who use marijuana.
2:22:12One friend of my daughter's.
2:22:19Okay, good.

NARA Description

On April 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:43 am to 11:44 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 330-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 330-15

Date: April 5, 1972
Time: 11:43 am - 11:44 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 22-86]

Also recorded on April 5, 1972

  • 022-085 11:39 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:39 am and 11:43 am.
  • 330-014 11:39 AM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:39 am and 11:43 am.
  • 022-086 11:43 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 11:43 am to 11:44 am.
  • 330-016 11:44 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:44 am and 11:45 am.
  • 330-017 11:45 AM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:45 am to 12:23 pm.
  • 330-018 12:23 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:23 pm and 1:32 pm.
  • 330-019 12:23 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:23 pm and 1:32 pm.
  • 330-020 12:23 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:23 pm and 1:32 pm.

All 54 conversations from April 5, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 330-015, April 5, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/330-015 (accessed October 1, 2026).