Geraldo calls for legalizing marijuana 'in every corner of this country' to curb fentanyl overdoses

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Geraldo Rivera called for the complete legalization of recreational marijuana in the hopes of offering a safer alternative to fentanyl, which continues to spread havoc through the United States at record pace.

"What I would do were I in charge is, I would absolutely legalize marijuana everywhere in every corner of this country, every kind of marijuana you want," Rivera said Wednesday on "The Five." "The chewies, the smokies, any way you want to get stoned."

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The Fox News correspondent-at-large made the comment in response to the House Democrats' decision a day earlier to reject several amendments that would have strengthened penalties for distributing the deadly drug that was responsible for over 90,000 overdoses in the U.S. last year alone.

Despite the surging amounts of fentanyl seized at the border by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Rivera doesn't believe tighter border control would be enough to remedy the ongoing crisis. 

"I am in favor of the border wall being built, but it won't stop the professional smugglers," he said. "They'll get that stuff in. People are going to get stoned one way or the other," he continued. "If they have access to legal pot, I think that the demand of drugs like fentanyl which killed Prince, it's a killer drug, it is so potent…" he trailed off. 

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"The Five" co-host Jesse Watters flatly rejected the sentiment firing back, "If I couldn't find pot, I don't think I'd go looking for fentanyl," Watters said.

Co-host Greg Gutfeld suggested lawmakers should "stop cracking down on prescription opioid users because you're driving those people to the street and you're punishing lawful pain."

"The bottom line, any kind of war on drugs ain't gonna make this better," Gutfeld said. "It never has. You've got to go after the source and then you've got to legalize it and get the government and the police off people's backs."