Rick, Barr has indeed converted on the issue of medical marijuana:
Earlier this month, Barr signed on as a lobbyist for the Marijuana Policy Project, where his duties ironically will include pushing for repeal of his own “Barr amendment,” which the lawmaker attached to a spending bill and which overturned the results of the Washington, D.C., ballot initiative to allow medical marijuana.
Further down the page, you’ll find this statement from Barr explaining his conversion:
“I, over the years, have taken a very strong stand on drug issues, but in light of the tremendous growth of government power since 9/11, it has forced me and other conservatives to go back and take a renewed look at how big and powerful we want the government to be in people’s lives,” Barr said.
Earlier this month on Hannity & Colmes, Barr described his conversion as a renewed appreciation for federalism vis-à–vis the war on drugs:
I do not plan to support Barr’s candidacy, but count me among those who welcomes another voice of reason to the public debate over federal drug laws, even though he arrived at the right position belatedly.