A lot of people interviewed for the article are acting all surprised. "Oh wow, this is really surprising that he said this, given his policy stance on the drug"

Only one person really hit home with their response. Douglas Brinkley from Rice University:

“It reinforces Nixon as a Machiavellian political operative,” Mr. Brinkley said, adding that the former president “dehumanized drug users because it was in his political interest to do so.”

It was a convenient way to target the people he disliked, though.

Guess what skin colour was most associated with cannabis products in the public eye at the time.