Following in the grand tradition of animal-rights activist Bob Barker, comedian and The Price Is Right game-show host Drew Carey has joined the public policy fray. Carey, however, has taken up the libertarian banner, producing and hosting a series of videos for the Reason Foundation.

Carey’s first video for The Drew Carey Project—Gridlock, about traffic problems—didn’t get much attention. But his second, Drew Carey Defends Medical Marijuana, is making up for it

Carey is quoted on the teaser page for the video as saying,

I think it’s clear by now that the federal government needs to reclassify marijuana. People who need it should be able to get it – safely and easily,” says The Price Is Right and Power of 10 host Drew Carey in a new Reason.tv video examining medical marijuana and the war on drugs.

In the video, which is about ten and a half minutes long, Carey walks into a shop that sells marijuana ostensibly for medical purposes, takes a deep breath, looks at the camera, and says, "Smell that smell? It’s the smell of freedom." It’s a very amusing moment that reflects Carey’s great skill at comedic writing and performance, but it’s also, well, true.

Overall, the video is very well done, making its arguments rationally and giving evidence for the points it makes. It’s a nicely professional production overall, and is sensible and bsically fair while expressing its point of view clearly and without really demonizing the opposition.

I’m not at all sympathetic to the recreational use of marijuana, nor do I agree with Carey’s claims that marijuana is entirely benign in its effects, but I think he does have a point: the federal government really should leave this matter to the states.

In any case, it’s a real delight to see a celebrity taking a strong stand for freedom. Too often the very opposite is the case.