Mayoral Candidate Ed Shadid Admits He Used To Be Addicted To Marijuana

It's hardly a talking point for most politicians, but Oklahoma City councilman and mayoral candidate Ed Shadid says he used to be addicted to marijuana.

Shadid made the comment while speaking recently in front of the High Noon Club, a conservative group that meets weekly at noon at H &H Shooting Sports.

"[I] had a sense of something missing, spiritually missing something. I had developed an addiction to marijuana for many years," he said.

The statement came as Shadid was talking about his personal journey.

"Even inside there was nothing spiritually, there was a bankruptcy and I struggled like that for a number of years,"Shadid said.

It's an admission that can haunt a political candidate. But Shadid says it's a big part of why he's running for mayor.

"There's a movement growing across the United States that says those of us in long term recovery need to come forward and talk about this chronic disease because that's the way it loses its shame and stigma," said Shadid Tuesday in an interview with News 9.

Shadid didn't want to give specifics about how long he was addicted or how it affected him professionally as a surgeon. The conversation he says should be about the success of his recovery. And so should the one about current embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.

"I would hope the media would go out of its way to point out that he needs help and how this process works," Shadid said.

That is why Shadid says he is putting his campaign possibly on the line and coming clean.

"Addiction is overrunning the city of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma," he said.

The solution to that is rehabilitation, not incarceration.

"It is both morally and fiscally responsible to invest in rehabilitation solutions as an alternative to incarcerate your way out of this problem," Shadid said.