Topics in the News: Marijuana
Deb Haaland on Marijuana:
(Drugs Dec 4, 2020)
Member of Cannabis Caucus, co-sponsor of MORE Act
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 aims to repair damage done to communities of color and low-income communities by requiring resentencing and expungement of prior convictions. "The MORE Act is the first step to
addressing policies that criminalize people of color. As a co-sponsor of this bill, I'm proud to take this step and I hope my colleagues in the Senate will take a stand for justice," said Congresswoman Haaland, a member of the Cannabis Caucus.
Click for Deb Haaland on other issues.
Source: Press release haaland.house.gov on Biden Administration
Joe Biden on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 15, 2020)
Rehab but no jail time for drug use; decriminalize marijuana
I don't believe anybody should be going to jail for drug use. They should be going into mandatory rehabilitation. We should be building rehab centers to have these people housed. We should decriminalize marijuana, wipe out the record so you can
actually say honesty, "You ever been arrested for murder for anything?" You can say no, because we're going to pass a law saying there is no background that you have to reveal relative to the use of marijuana.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: Second 2020 Presidential Debate/ABC Town Hall Philadelphia
Kamala Harris on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 7, 2020)
Will get rid of cash bail and decriminalize marijuana
We will, on the issue of criminal justice reform, get rid of private prisons and cash bail and we will decriminalize marijuana.
And we will expunge the records of those who have been convicted of marijuana. This is a time for leadership on a tragic, tragic issue.
Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.
Source: 2020 Vice-Presidential Debate in Utah
Joe Biden on Marijuana:
(Drugs Aug 23, 2020)
Will fight for policy of decriminalizing marijuana
BIDEN: No one should be going to jail because they have a drug addiction. They should be going into mandatory drug treatment that's why I set up drug courts.
HARRIS: That's part of the policy and the platform, that a Biden-Harris administration is going to fight for.
A Department of Justice, unlike what Bill Barr is under Donald Trump, that is actually investigating these cases and enforcing consent decrees.
A policy that is going to be about decriminalizing marijuana. Having a policy that is about looking at having a centralized database in our country that tracks police officers that have been found to break the rules or break the law.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: ABC This Week 2020 National Convention Biden/Harris Q&A
Tulsi Gabbard on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 18, 2020)
Relief for marijuana industry, including SBA assistance
A clutch of congresspeople are pushing for the marijuana industry to be included in the next round of government relief for businesses affected by the economic fallout of the coronavirus. The document bears the names of 34 members of the House.
It's a bipartisan group which includes Democrats Katie Porter and Tulsi Gabbard, and Republican Matt Gaetz, asking in their letter that the sector also be permitted to receive financial assistance from the government's Small Business Administration (SBA)
Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues.
Source: The Motley Fool e-zine on 2020 HI-2 House race
Mike Bloomberg on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 25, 2020)
Decriminalize possession, but wait on pot & kids
Q: You have called marijuana another addictive drug that we've never done research on.BLOOMBERG: Look, the first thing you do is we should not make this a criminal thing if you have a small amount. For dealers, yes, but for the average person, no,
and you should expunge the records of those that got caught up in this before. Number two, we're not going to take it away from states that have already done it. But, number three, you should listen to the scientists and the doctors.
They say go very slowly. They haven't done enough research. And the evidence so far is worrisome, before we get all our kids, particularly kids in their late teens, boys even more than girls, where this may be damaging their brains.
Until we know the science, it's just nonsensical to push ahead. But the cat's out of the bag. So some states have it, you're not going to take it away. Get rid of the--decriminalize the possession.
Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.
Source: 10th Democratic Primary debate on eve of S.C. primary
Amy Klobuchar on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 18, 2020)
Legal marijuana: consider pardon, expunging criminal records
Q: If marijuana is legalized, would you consider a pardon or encourage states to seal or expunge those records?
KLOBUCHAR: Yes, I would. I think it's really important to look at it as a way of making changes to our drug policy and doing the right thing.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall on eve of 2020 S. C. primary
Pete Buttigieg on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 8, 2020)
Fewer arrests than US, but more black arrests for pot
Buttigieg sidestepped a question about why the number of marijuana possession arrests among black residents in South Bend increased under his leadership. Rather than answer the question directly, Buttigieg instead said that that category of arrests was
lower in his city than the national average. He then pivoted to discussing racism more broadly, before being called out by the moderator for deflecting.When asked if Buttigieg's response was substantial, Warren replied simply, "No."
Click for Pete Buttigieg on other issues.
Source: CNBC.com excerpts of 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate
Elizabeth Warren on Marijuana:
(Welfare & Poverty Feb 8, 2020)
Need race-conscious laws to overcome housing discrimination
Mayor Pete Buttigieg sidestepped a question about why the number of marijuana possession arrests among black residents in South Bend increased under his leadership. Rather than answer the question directly, Buttigieg instead said that that category of
arrests was lower in his city than the national average. He then pivoted to discussing racism more broadly, before being called out by the moderator for deflecting.When asked if Buttigieg's response was substantial, Warren replied simply, "No."
"It's important to own up to the facts about how race has totally permeated our criminal justice system," she said. Warren referenced her housing plan, saying that the United States needs to "start having race-conscious laws."
"It was the policy of the United States of America to discriminate against African Americans and any other people of color for buying homes until 1965," she said. "You can't just repeal that and say, 'Okay, now everything is even.' It's not."
Click for Elizabeth Warren on other issues.
Source: CNBC.com excerpts of 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate
Pete Buttigieg on Marijuana:
(Crime Feb 7, 2020)
Systemic racism has penetrated into police departments
On my watch, drug arrests in South Bend were lower than the national average, and specifically to marijuana, lower than in Indiana. But there is no question that systemic racism has penetrated to every level of our system, and my city was not immune.
I took a lot of heat for discussing systemic racism with my own police department, but we've got to confront the fact that there is no escaping how this is part of all of our policies.
Click for Pete Buttigieg on other issues.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Pete Buttigieg on Marijuana:
(Crime Feb 7, 2020)
Legalize pot and help those incarcerated unfairly
I am calling for us to take up reforms that end incarceration as a response to possession and make sure that we legalize marijuana and do it retroactively with expungements to correct the harm done in so many cases of incarceration,
disproportionately of black and brown Americans where the incarceration did far more harm than the offense it was intended to deal with.
Click for Pete Buttigieg on other issues.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Mike Bloomberg on Marijuana:
(Crime Jan 20, 2020)
End cash bail; $2.5 billion for public defenders
Mike will fund $2.5 billion over 10 years for public defense--requiring grantees to have pay parity for defenders and prosecutors, as well as workload limits. Mike will also end federal cash bail and build new supervised release alternatives, end court
fines and punitive fees, and propose a new federal sentencing structure to reverse an overly punitive legacy. He will de-criminalize the use and possession of marijuana, commute all existing sentences, and expunge all records.
Mike will launch a Department of Justice reform hub to evaluate and fund state-level criminal justice reform efforts, set a goal to reduce incarceration by 50% by 2030 and spread the use of alternatives to prison pioneered in New York. He will
launch a national initiative to address unsanitary and inhumane prison conditions and will launch new education and job training programming. He will focus probation on re-integration, with a goal of cutting probation revocation by one-third nationally.
Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.
Source: 2020 Presidential campaign website MikeBloomberg.com
Deval Patrick on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 27, 2019)
2012: As governor, opposed pot decriminalization
In July 2012, Patrick declared that "warehousing non-violent offenders is a costly policy failure" and proudly signed a bill that offered parole to a few hundred non-violent drug offenders.
But despite the governor's rhetoric, Massachusetts continued rounding up and locking away vast numbers of people caught with prohibited substances. Patrick strongly opposed decriminalizing marijuana.
Click for Deval Patrick on other issues.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 20, 2019)
Deal with impact of pot on blacks not privileged whites
Marijuana is already legal for privileged people. The war on drugs has been a war on black and brown people. These are the kind of issues that mean a lot to our community. We lost in Wisconsin because of a massive diminution in the
African-American vote. We need to have someone that can inspire, as Kamala said, to inspire African-Americans to the polls in record numbers.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: November Democratic primary debate in Atlanta
Joe Biden on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 20, 2019)
Black community supports decriminalizing marijuana
I think we should decriminalize marijuana. Anyone who has a record should be let out of jail, their records expunged. I do think it makes sense, based on data, that we should study what the long-term effects are for the use of marijuana.
I come out of a black community, in terms of my support. If you notice, I have more people supporting me in the black community that have announced for me because they know me, they know who I am.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: November Democratic primary debate in Atlanta
Joe Biden on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 17, 2019)
Not nearly enough evidence on marijuana as gateway drug
Biden said, "The truth of the matter is, there's not nearly been enough evidence that has been acquired as to whether or not it is a gateway drug. It's a debate, and I want a lot more before I legalize it nationally. I want to make sure we know a
lot more about the science behind it."Biden said he thinks "states should be able to make a judgment to legalize marijuana." He added that he also supports medical marijuana and possession of the substance "should not be a crime."
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: BusinessInsider.com on 2019 Democratic primary
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 15, 2019)
Decriminalize opioids; legalize marijuana
I remember a veteran telling me that he bought heroin off the street because he was originally prescribed an opioid at the VA. Imagine that veteran instead had been prescribed marijuana, because we made that legal in America, ensured the
VA could prescribe it, and made sure that he was not prescribed something to which he would become addicted. Drug addiction is not a problem for the criminal justice system. They're an opportunity for our public health system.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: October Democratic CNN/NYTimes Primary debate
Kamala Harris on Marijuana:
(Drugs Sep 12, 2019)
Opposed marijuana legalization, but currents have changed
Q: You used to oppose the legalization of marijuana; now you don't. You've said that you changed on this and other things because you were, "swimming against the current, and thankfully the currents have changed." But when you had the power,
why didn't you try to effect change then?HARRIS: I made a decision that, if I was going to have the ability to reform the system, I would try to do it from the inside.
And so I took on the position that allowed me, without asking permission, to create one of the first in the nation initiatives that was a model and became a national model around people who were arrested for
drugs and getting them jobs. I created one of the first in the nation trainings for a police officer on the issue of racial bias and the need to reform the system.
Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.
Source: September Democratic Primary debate in Houston
Tim Ryan on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 17, 2019)
Legalize marijuana, but no expungement
Ryan on Legalizing Marijuana: Legalize it.18 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Bill de Blasio; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Kamala Harris; John Hickenlooper; Jay Inslee;
Amy Klobuchar; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren; Marianne Williamson; Andrew Yang.
Candidates supporting legalization argue that criminal penalties for marijuana possession have created far more
harm than would come from treating it more like alcohol or tobacco.
Many candidates--including Sens. Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris--would go even further, calling for past criminal convictions for marijuana possession to be
expunged.
Both former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee opposed their states successful 2012 referendums allowing recreational marijuana sales, but have since become champions of legalization.
Click for Tim Ryan on other issues.
Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"
Wayne Messam on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 17, 2019)
Let the states decide on legalizing marijuana
Messam on Legalizing Marijuana: Let the states decide.TWO CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Steve Bullock; John Delaney.
The federal government has generally taken a hands-off approach to enforcing federal marijuana laws in states that have authorized
medical or recreational markets. But that informal policy could be reversed by any administration at any moment. That's why some candidates have endorsed allowing state-legal markets to operate without fear of punishment from the federal government.
Click for Wayne Messam on other issues.
Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"
Seth Moulton on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 17, 2019)
Legalize marijuana, but no expungement
Moulton on Legalizing Marijuana: Legalize it.18 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Bill de Blasio; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Kamala Harris; John Hickenlooper; Jay Inslee;
Amy Klobuchar; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren; Marianne Williamson; Andrew Yang.
Candidates supporting legalization argue that criminal penalties for marijuana possession have created far more
harm than would come from treating it more like alcohol or tobacco.
Many candidates--including Sens. Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris--would go even further, calling for past criminal convictions for marijuana possession to be
expunged.
Both former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee opposed their states successful 2012 referendums allowing recreational marijuana sales, but have since become champions of legalization.
Click for Seth Moulton on other issues.
Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"
Steve Bullock on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 17, 2019)
Let the states decide on legalizing marijuana
Bullock on Legalizing Marijuana: Let the states decide.TWO CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: John Delaney; Wayne Messam.
The federal government has generally taken a hands-off approach to enforcing federal marijuana laws in states that have authorized
medical or recreational markets. But that informal policy could be reversed by any administration at any moment. That's why some candidates have endorsed allowing state-legal markets to operate without fear of punishment from the federal government.
Click for Steve Bullock on other issues.
Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"
Marianne Williamson on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 17, 2019)
Legalize marijuana, but no expungement
Williamson on Legalizing Marijuana: Legalize it.18 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Bill de Blasio; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Kamala Harris; John Hickenlooper; Jay Inslee;
Amy Klobuchar; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren; Andrew Yang.
Candidates supporting legalization argue that criminal penalties for marijuana possession have created far more
harm than would come from treating it more like alcohol or tobacco.
Many candidates--including Sens. Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris--would go even further, calling for past criminal convictions for marijuana possession to be
expunged.
Both former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee opposed their states successful 2012 referendums allowing recreational marijuana sales, but have since become champions of legalization.
Click for Marianne Williamson on other issues.
Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"
Amy Klobuchar on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 17, 2019)
Legalize marijuana, but no expungement
Klobuchar on Legalizing Marijuana: Legalize it.18 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Bill de Blasio; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Kamala Harris; John Hickenlooper; Jay Inslee;
Amy Klobuchar; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren; Marianne Williamson; Andrew Yang.
Candidates supporting legalization argue that criminal penalties for marijuana possession have created far more
harm than would come from treating it more like alcohol or tobacco.
Many candidates--including Sens. Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris--would go even further, calling for past criminal convictions for marijuana possession to be
expunged.
Both former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee opposed their states successful 2012 referendums allowing recreational marijuana sales, but have since become champions of legalization.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.
Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"
Mike Gravel on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 12, 2019)
Proposed a Constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana
The former senator is proposing a constitutional amendment to remove marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, thus legalizing it recreationally on the federal level. It's an unconventional approach to drug reform befitting of an unconventional presidential
candidate, but Gravel argues that it would be the easiest way given the current congressional gridlock.
Click for Mike Gravel on other issues.
Source: Reason magazine, articles on 2020 candidates
Eric Swalwell on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Supports medical and recreational marijuana
- Allow Cannabis Businesses To Use Banks
- Allow VA Doctors To Recommend Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
- End Cannabis Prohibition At Federal Level
- Cosponsors
the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, which would legalize and regulate cannabis at the federal level.
- Cosponsors the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017, which would end cannabis prohibition at the federal level.
- Cosponsors the
SAFE Banking Act of 2019, which would allow banks to work with cannabis businesses that are legal at the state level.
- Cosponsors the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2017, which would end the federal prohibition of industrial hemp.
- Voted in favor of
preventing the Justice Department from prosecuting medical cannabis patients and providers in states where it is legal. (2015)
- Voted in favor of allowing VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis for veterans in states where it is legal. (2015)
Click for Eric Swalwell on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Kamala Harris on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
SAFE Banking Act: Decriminalize marijuana finances
- Allow Cannabis Businesses To Use Banks
- Allow VA Doctors To Recommend Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
- End Cannabis Prohibition At Federal Level
- Cosponsors
the Marijuana Justice Act of 2019, which would end cannabis prohibition at the federal level, expunge federal cannabis convictions, and reinvest in the communities that have been most harmed by cannabis prohibition.
- Cosponsors the SAFE Banking Act of
2019, which would allow banks to provide services to cannabis businesses that are legal at the state level.
- Quote: "While I don't believe in legalizing all drugs--as a career prosecutor I just don't--we need to do the smart thing, the right thing, and
finally decriminalize marijuana." (2017)
- Quote: "Instead of going after drug cartels, and violent crime, and major traffickers, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is going after recreational marijuana users. That's not being smart on crime." (2018)
Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Marijuana Justice Act: decriminalize pot & expunge records
- Allow Cannabis Businesses To Use Banks
- Allow VA Doctors To Recommend Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
- End Cannabis Prohibition At Federal Level
- Introduced
the Marijuana Justice Act of 2019, which would end cannabis prohibition at the federal level, expunge federal cannabis convictions, reinvest in the communities that have been most harmed by cannabis prohibition, and penalize states that continue to
disproportionately arrest people of color and low-income individuals for cannabis-related crimes.
- Cosponsors the STATES ACT, which would prevent the federal government from interfering with cannabis policy at the state level, allow banks to provide
services to legitimate cannabis businesses, and end the federal prohibition of industrial hemp.
- Signed a letter calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to respect state marijuana laws. (2018)
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Kirsten Gillibrand on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Supports medical and recreational marijuana
- Allow Cannabis Businesses To Use Banks
- Allow VA Doctors To Recommend Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
- End Cannabis Prohibition At Federal Level
- Cosponsors
the Marijuana Justice Act of 2019, which would end cannabis prohibition at the federal level, expunge federal cannabis convictions, reinvest in the communities that have been most harmed by cannabis prohibition, and penalize states that continue to
disproportionately arrest people of color and low-income individuals for cannabis-related crimes.
- Cosponsors the SAFE Banking Act of 2019, which would allow banks to work with cannabis businesses that are legal at the state level.
- Cosponsored
the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, which would end the federal prohibition of industrial hemp.
- Cosponsored the CARERS Act of 2017, which would allow VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis for veterans in states where it is legal.
Click for Kirsten Gillibrand on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Steve Bullock on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Strongly supports medical marijuana
- Signed a bill to regulate Montana's medical cannabis industry. (2017)
- Opposed a Montana Supreme Court ruling that upheld strict regulations of the state's medical marijuana industry,
saying, "I am concerned about the ability of thousands of patients with serious medical conditions to access a treatment that has been approved by their doctors." (2016)
Click for Steve Bullock on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Tim Ryan on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Supports medical and recreational marijuana
- Allow Cannabis Businesses To Use Banks
- Allow VA Doctors To Recommend Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
- End Cannabis Prohibition At Federal Level
- Cosponsors the
Marijuana Justice Act of 2018, which would end cannabis prohibition at the federal level and expunge federal marijuana convictions.
- Cosponsors the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, which would legalize and regulate cannabis at the federal level.
- Cosponsors the STATES Act of 2019, which would prevent the federal government from interfering with cannabis policy at the state level.
- Cosponsors the SAFE Banking Act of 2019, which would allow banks to work with cannabis businesses.
-
Cosponsored the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, which would have ended the federal prohibition of industrial hemp. (2015)
- Voted in favor of allowing VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis for veterans in states where it is legal. (2016)
Click for Tim Ryan on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Seth Moulton on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Supports medical and recreational marijuana
- Allow Cannabis Businesses To Use Banks
- Allow VA Doctors To Recommend Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
- End Cannabis Prohibition At Federal Level
- Cosponsors
the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017, which would end cannabis prohibition at the federal level.
- Cosponsors the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2017, which would prevent the federal government from interfering with cannabis policy
at the state level.
- Cosponsors the SAFE Banking Act of 2019, which would allow banks to work with cannabis businesses that are legal at the state level.
- Voted in favor of allowing VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis
for veterans in states where it is legal. (2016)
- Voted in favor of preventing states from penalizing banks for providing financial services to legitimate cannabis businesses. (2014)
Click for Seth Moulton on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Tulsi Gabbard on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Supports medical and recreational marijuana
- Allow Cannabis Businesses To Use Banks
- Allow VA Doctors To Recommend Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
- End Cannabis Prohibition At Federal Level
-
Cosponsors the Marijuana Justice Act of 2018, which would end cannabis prohibition at the federal level and expunge federal cannabis convictions.
- Cosponsors the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition
Act of 2017, which would end cannabis prohibition at the federal level.
- Cosponsors the STATES ACT, which would prevent the federal government from interfering with cannabis policy at the state level, allow
banks to provide services to legitimate cannabis businesses, and end the federal prohibition of industrial hemp.
- Cosponsors the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2017, which would end the federal prohibition of industrial hemp.
Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Michael Bennet on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Supports medical and recreational marijuana
- Allow Cannabis Businesses To Use Banks
- Allow VA Doctors To Recommend Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Medical Cannabis
- Allow States To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
- End Cannabis Prohibition At Federal Level
- Cosponsors
the Marijuana Justice Act of 2019, which would end cannabis prohibition at the federal level, expunge federal cannabis convictions, reinvest in the communities that have been most harmed by cannabis prohibition, and penalize states that continue to
disproportionately arrest people of color and low-income individuals for cannabis-related crimes.
- Cosponsors the SAFE Banking Act of 2019, which would allow banks to work with cannabis businesses that are legal at the state level. (2019)
-
Cosponsors the STATES Act of 2019, which would prevent the federal government from interfering with cannabis policy at the state level.
- Signed a letter urging the Senate Appropriations Committee to respect state cannabis laws. (2018)
Click for Michael Bennet on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Gavin Newsom on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Supports recreational marijuana but no black market
- Directed the California National Guard to crackdown on unlicensed cannabis farms. (2019)
- Quote: "We moved towards legalization to get people into the daylight and into the sunshine of a regulated environment,
which means you've got to act maturely, you've got to play by the rules. You can't play in the margins. There is no more black market." (2017)
-
Endorsed and campaigned for the ballot initiative that legalized recreational cannabis California. (2016)
-
Chaired California's Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy, which endorsed cannabis legalization and made numerous suggestions for how to implement it. (2015)
Click for Gavin Newsom on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Elizabeth Warren on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 2, 2019)
Legalize marijuana at both federal & state levels
- Introduced the STATES Act of 2019, which would prevent the federal government from interfering with cannabis policy at the state level.
- Cosponsors the SAFE Banking Act of 2019, which would allow banks to work with cannabis
businesses that are legal at the state level.
- Cosponsored the CARERS Act of 2017, which would prevent the federal government from interfering with state medical cannabis policy, end the federal prohibition of CBD, and allow
VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis for veterans in states where it is legal.
- Told VICE: "I believe the federal government should get out of the business of outlawing marijuana. If a state like Massachusetts wants to make
it legal, then that should be up to the state of Massachusetts." (2018)
- Quote: "States have the right to enforce their own marijuana policies--and I'm working on legislation to make sure it stays that way." (2018)
Click for Elizabeth Warren on other issues.
Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jun 30, 2019)
The war on drugs has been a war on people
I came from Yale and Stanford, where people were using marijuana, using drugs, where there's no difference between drug usage and drug selling between blacks and whites. But African Americans are almost four times more likely to be incarcerated for
those things. This war on drugs has been a war on people. We have had a 500% increase in the prison population since 1980, overwhelmingly black and brown. There's more African Americans under criminal supervision today than all the slaves in 1850.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: Meet the Press 2019 interview series
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Crime Jun 26, 2019)
2.3M Americans behind bars is most in the world
In this country, you have 2.3 million of our fellow Americans behind bars. It's the largest prison population on the face of the planet.
Many are there for nonviolent drug crimes, including possession of marijuana, at a time that more than half the states have legalized it or decriminalized it.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: June Democratic Primary debate (first night in Miami)
Howie Hawkins on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 28, 2019)
Drug abuse treatment should be available on demand
Our campaign is about ending the war on drugs and mass incarceration. We call for the legalization of marijuana and the decriminalization of other drugs on the model of the Portuguese harm reduction policies. Drug abuse is a health problem, not a
criminal problem. Criminalizing opioids contributes to the carnage of fatal overdoses. Addicts need help, not incarceration. Drug abuse treatment should be available on demand.
Click for Howie Hawkins on other issues.
Source: Declaration of Candidacy for the Green Party Nomination
Kirsten Gillibrand on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2019)
Marijuana Justice Act: decriminalize pot & expunge records
Legalizing marijuana is an issue that has seen a steady uptick in support over the years. Fifteen states have decriminalized marijuana while 10 others and the District of Columbia have legalized the drug, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Many in the Democratic presidential primary field have issued full-throated support for legalizing the drug on the federal level. Earlier this year, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Marijuana Justice Act, which would legalize marijuana on the
federal level and expunge the records of those who have been charged with a crime for using or possessing the drug. Several Democratic presidential contenders have signed on as cosponsors of the measure: Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand
(D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro are among the candidates that have also signaled support for legalization efforts.
Click for Kirsten Gillibrand on other issues.
Source: Denver CBS Local on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2019)
Decriminalize marijuana at state level, but not federally
Legalizing marijuana is an issue that has seen a steady uptick in support over the years. Fifteen states have decriminalized marijuana while 10 others and the District of Columbia have legalized the drug, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
In a CNN town hall in March, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said while he would not pursue legalization on a federal level, but that he believes the states should be allowed to move forward. "I would not ask the federal government to legalize it
for everyone," Hickenlooper said. "But I think where states do legalize marijuana with the voters or through their general assembly, the federal government should get out of the
way and allow them to get banking, allow them to look at systems by which you can have this experiment go on successfully."
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: Denver CBS Local on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Michael Bennet on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2019)
Marijuana Justice Act: decriminalize pot & expunge records
Legalizing marijuana is an issue that has seen a steady uptick in support over the years. Fifteen states have decriminalized marijuana while 10 others and the District of Columbia have legalized the drug, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Many in the Democratic presidential primary field have issued full-throated support for legalizing the drug on the federal level. Earlier this year, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Marijuana Justice Act, which would legalize marijuana on the
federal level and expunge the records of those who have been charged with a crime for using or possessing the drug. Several Democratic presidential contenders have signed on as cosponsors of the measure: Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand
(D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro are among the candidates that have also signaled support for legalization efforts.
Click for Michael Bennet on other issues.
Source: Denver CBS Local on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Bernie Sanders on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2019)
Marijuana Justice Act: decriminalize pot & expunge records
Legalizing marijuana is an issue that has seen a steady uptick in support over the years. Fifteen states have decriminalized marijuana while 10 others and the District of Columbia have legalized the drug, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Many in the Democratic presidential primary field have issued full-throated support for legalizing the drug on the federal level. Earlier this year, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Marijuana Justice Act, which would legalize marijuana on the
federal level and expunge the records of those who have been charged with a crime for using or possessing the drug. Several Democratic presidential contenders have signed on as cosponsors of the measure: Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand
(D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro are among the candidates that have also signaled support for legalization efforts.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: Denver CBS Local on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Joe Biden on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2019)
Nobody should be in jail for smoking marijuana
Joe Biden supports decriminalizing marijuana, but isn't going as far as calling for the drug to be legalized on the federal level. "Nobody should be in jail for smoking marijuana," Biden told voters at a house party in NH.Asked by CNN if the former
vice president supports legalizing marijuana, a Biden campaign spokesman said Biden believes the drug should be decriminalized and that decisions on legalization should continue on the state level. "Vice President Biden does not believe anyone should be
in jail simply for smoking or possessing marijuana. He supports decriminalizing marijuana and automatically expunging prior criminal records for marijuana possession, so those affected don't have to figure out how to petition for it or pay for a
lawyer. He would allow states to continue to make their own choices regarding legalization and would seek to make it easier to conduct research on marijuana's positive and negative health impacts by rescheduling it as a schedule 2 drug," he added.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: Denver CBS Local on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Joe Biden on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2019)
2000s: mandatory minimum for marijuana; 2019: decriminalize
[A Biden spokesman said that Biden believes that marijuana should be] "rescheduled as a schedule 2 drug." Marijuana, along with heroin, is classified as a schedule 1 drug, defined as having "no currently accepted medical use." Schedule 2 drugs, which
include cocaine, do have accepted medical uses.His decriminalization position marks a bit of a shift for Biden. "Focusing significant resources on interdicting or convicting people for smoking marijuana is a waste of our resources," Biden said in
interview with TIME in 2014. "That's different than [legalization]. Our policy for our Administration is still not legalization, and that is [and] continues to be our policy."
While in the Senate, Biden, who over the years expressed opposition to
legalizing marijuana, was an architect or supporter of tough-on-crime legislation, including the creation of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, also known as the "drug czar," and establishing mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: Denver CBS Local on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Julian Castro on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2019)
Decriminalize and legalize marijuana
Legalizing marijuana is an issue that has seen a steady uptick in support over the years. Fifteen states have decriminalized marijuana while 10 others and the District of Columbia have legalized the drug, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Many in the Democratic presidential primary field have issued full-throated support for legalizing the drug on the federal level. Earlier this year, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Marijuana Justice Act, which would legalize marijuana on the
federal level and expunge the records of those who have been charged with a crime for using or possessing the drug. Several Democratic presidential contenders have signed on as cosponsors of the measure: Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand
(D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro are among the candidates that have also signaled support for legalization efforts.
Click for Julian Castro on other issues.
Source: Denver CBS Local on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Pete Buttigieg on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2019)
Decriminalize and legalize marijuana
Legalizing marijuana is an issue that has seen a steady uptick in support over the years. Fifteen states have decriminalized marijuana while 10 others and the District of Columbia have legalized the drug, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Many in the Democratic presidential primary field have issued full-throated support for legalizing the drug on the federal level. Earlier this year, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Marijuana Justice Act, which would legalize marijuana on the
federal level and expunge the records of those who have been charged with a crime for using or possessing the drug. Several Democratic presidential contenders have signed on as cosponsors of the measure: Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand
(D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro are among the candidates that have also signaled support for legalization efforts.
Click for Pete Buttigieg on other issues.
Source: Denver CBS Local on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Elizabeth Warren on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2019)
Marijuana Justice Act: decriminalize pot & expunge records
Legalizing marijuana is an issue that has seen a steady uptick in support over the years. Fifteen states have decriminalized marijuana while 10 others and the District of Columbia have legalized the drug, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Many in the Democratic presidential primary field have issued full-throated support for legalizing the drug on the federal level. Earlier this year, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Marijuana Justice Act, which would legalize marijuana on the
federal level and expunge the records of those who have been charged with a crime for using or possessing the drug. Several Democratic presidential contenders have signed on as cosponsors of the measure: Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand
(D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro are among the candidates that have also signaled support for legalization efforts.
Click for Elizabeth Warren on other issues.
Source: Denver CBS Local on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Elizabeth Warren on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 8, 2019)
Co-sponsored federal legalization of marijuana
Signed on as a cosponsor of
Cory Booker's Marijuana Justice Act to legalize weed at the federal level.
Click for Elizabeth Warren on other issues.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
Kamala Harris on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 7, 2019)
Co-sponsor of Marijuana Justice Act for legalization
She's declared her support for legalizing marijuana at the federal level, admitting in an interview that she had smoked a joint "a long time ago."
Signed on as a cosponsor of Cory Booker's Marijuana Justice Act to legalize weed at the federal level.
Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 6, 2019)
Legalize marijuana nationally including recreational use
He reintroduced a bill that would legalize marijuana on the federal level and supersede the patchwork of 10 states
(and Washington, D.C.) that have legalized recreational marijuana.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
Pete Buttigieg on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 6, 2019)
Marijuana is personal responsibility issue; move to legalize
Buttigieg says the U.S. should be working towards legalizing recreational marijuana, because of all the problems associated with current marijuana policy. This should be more of a personal responsibility issue, he argues. "You look at rates of
incarceration, you look at the racial disparity that is attached to whether somebody is likely to experience incarceration as a consequence of a non-violent drug offense and all of it points us in the same direction," Buttigieg said.
Click for Pete Buttigieg on other issues.
Source: Indianapolis Star on 2020 presidential hopefuls
John Delaney on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 2, 2019)
Remove marijuana from Schedule I; remake guidelines
A Delaney administration will work to:- Remove marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and create strong federal guidelines and taxation polices to support decisions at the state level
-
Increase federal support for recidivism reduction programs that have proven to be effective
- Increase funding for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program to increase community policing
Click for John Delaney on other issues.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website JohnDelaney.com
Donald Trump on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 2, 2019)
Opposed allowing vets access to legal cannabis
The House Veterans' Affairs Committee held a hearing on three bills. One bill would allow VA healthcare providers to write state-legal medical cannabis recommendations for veterans who qualify. A separate bill would direct the
VA to conduct a clinical study on the risks and benefits of medical marijuana. A third would prevent the VA from stripping veterans of their benefits because they consume state-legal cannabis.
The Trump administration opposed all three.
Not too long ago, veterans could lose their lifelong military benefits if a drug test turned up evidence of cannabis use, no matter how legal.
The VA reformed that policy in late 2017--but it's a policy subject to easy change, not a protection codified by law. President Trump opposes codifying it into law.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: Bruce Barcott in Leafly.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Michael Bennet on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 2, 2019)
Sponsored bill to end Federal ban on marijuana
Bennet sponsored a bill in
February to "End Federal Prohibition of Marijuana."
Click for Michael Bennet on other issues.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 29, 2019)
Decriminalize marijuana; expunge criminal records
He is in favor of decriminalization and
expunging criminal records of cannabis-related offenses.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
Joe Biden on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 25, 2019)
Supports marijuana decriminalization, not legalization
He has a long history of being anti-marijuana, calling it a "gateway drug."
While vice president, Biden said that he supports decriminalization rather than legalization.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 22, 2019)
As teen, grew his own marijuana before it was legal
One fun thing about John Hickenlooper: - Once opposed to the idea of legalization of marijuana in Colorado, he has come around to it.
-
He wrote in his memoir that when he was young he once tried to grow weed outside his bedroom window in Pennsylvania.
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: Axios.com on 2020 Democratic primary
Elizabeth Warren on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 22, 2019)
Change to pro-legalization of marijuana
It makes no darn sense that we treat marijuana as a schedule 1 drug, which means in effect the federal government has determined that it has no medicinal use, that it can't have any good effects, no research is supposed to be done. [Then there's the]
racial impact of the enforcement of marijuana laws. The best evidence suggests that African-Americans and whites use marijuana at about the same rates, and yet African-Americans are far more likely to be arrested for marijuana use than whites are.
Click for Elizabeth Warren on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back
Bill Weld on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 15, 2019)
On board of cannabis company; supported medical marijuana
Weld sits on the board of directors of Acreage Holdings, a cannabis company looking to roll back federal regulations, the Washington Post reports.
He has supported legalization of medical marijuana since 1992.
Click for Bill Weld on other issues.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
Andrew Yang on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 14, 2019)
Decriminalize opiates & marijuana, but not cocaine
Q: What about legalizing pot?A: If we just catch you with a quantity that suggests that you're just using it personally, then instead of referring you to a jail cell, we refer you to treatment. We need to decriminalize opiates for personal use. I'm
also for the legalization of cannabis. We need to remove that from the federal controlled substance.
Q: What about cocaine?
A: Cocaine would not be on the list of substances I would engage in this, because the addiction has very different features.
Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Bernie Sanders on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 12, 2019)
Co-sponsored federal legalization of marijuana
He co-sponsored Sen. Cory Booker's recently reintroduced
Marijuana Justice Act, that would legalize marijuana on the federal level.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
Julian Castro on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 11, 2019)
Legalize and regulate marijuana; expunge criminal records
I actually support the legalization of marijuana. It's going to be regulated, right? People are not going to be able to do whatever they want, but a well-regulated, legalized system of marijuana,
I think, makes sense. On top of that, we need to go back and expunge the records of people who were imprisoned because of using marijuana.
Click for Julian Castro on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Jay Inslee on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 10, 2019)
Opposed marijuana legalization; now sees it as success
I actually did not support the initiative when it came up several years ago because I was concerned about youthful usage -- but what we have found is that those fears have not come to pass. We have not had adverse health results with our young people.
We've not had ramping criminality in the distribution of marijuana. And it has been helpful by providing about $700 million of revenue so that we can help the health of our children in schools for our children.
It's time for the United States to decriminalize and legalize marijuana. The drug war has been one of the elements of such racial disparities in our judicial system.
That's one of the reasons I was the first governor to offer pardons to over 3,000 people with marijuana convictions because the drug war has resulted in too much racial disparity.
Click for Jay Inslee on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Kirsten Gillibrand on Marijuana:
(Civil Rights Apr 9, 2019)
Let ex-cons vote; address racism in criminal justice
I support full restoration of felons' rights to vote. I also believe we have to take on institutional racism and particularly mass incarceration and take on institutional racism in criminal justice. It's one of the reasons why I'm for decriminalization
& full legalization of marijuana, because of how it's applied in the criminal justice system as purely racist. I also support banning cash bail, because again, the way that is applied, it harms communities of color overwhelmingly and disproportionately.
Click for Kirsten Gillibrand on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Andrew Yang on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 7, 2019)
Legalize marijuana; pardon marijuana-related offenses
Marijuana legalization: Yang pledged to legalize marijuana and pardon all non-violent drug related offenses, then later clarified in an interview with
George Stephanopoulos that he would only pardon marijuana-related offenses. Yang said he would still decriminalize opioids.
Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.
Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
Andrew Yang on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 7, 2019)
Pardon non-violent drug offenders, focusing on marijuana
[VIDEO CLIP]: YANG: And I would pardon everyone who's in jail for a non-violent drug related offense. I would pardon them all on April 20th, 2021 and I would high five them on the way out of jail. [END CLIP]Q: That include cocaine dealers, opioid
dealers?
YANG: I would decriminalize opioids, but in that particular segment I was referring to marijuana related drug offenses specifically
Q: So only marijuana, not all non-violent drug offenders.
YANG: Yes, that's correct.
Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.
Source: ABC This Week 2019 interview of presidential hopefuls
Andrew Yang on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 29, 2019)
Full legalization of marijuana; expunge federal convictions
I don't love marijuana. I'd rather people not use it heavily. But it's vastly safer than people becoming addicted to opiates like heroin. And our criminalization of it seems stupid and racist, particularly now that it's legal in some states.
We should proceed with full legalization of marijuana and pardon those in jail for non-violent marijuana-related offenses. It's a safer, less addictive means to manage pain for many Americans.As President, I will...-
Support the full legalization of marijuana at the federal level and remove it from the controlled substances list.
-
Expunge the federal convictions of all marijuana-related use or possession offenses.
- Identify non-violent drug offenders for probation and potential early release.
Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.
Source: 2020 presidential campaign website Yang2020.com
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 27, 2019)
Decriminalize marijuana; expunge past criminal records
In this climate where many states are moving to legalize marijuana, I have a lot of frustrations. We fundamentally have different laws in this country that are treating people differently. There are still marijuana arrests. In 2017, there were more
marijuana arrests in this country than all violent crime arrests combined. And marijuana enforcement is disproportionately impacting black and brown communities. There is no difference in America between using and even selling marijuana between
blacks and whites. But if you're African American in this country, you're almost four times more likely to be arrested for that. That's why I fast put a bill into the Senate called the Marijuana Justice Act, which is about decriminalizing marijuana on
the federal level, letting the states do what they want, but very importantly in the same breath, we've got to talk about expunging the records of everyone who is still suffering.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 20, 2019)
Marijuana legalization works, but leave it to states
On marijuana legalization: I was opposed to it originally. We were worried about teenage consumption going up. We were worried about the risks of people driving while high. Most of our fears haven't come true. We haven't seen a spike in consumption.
It's so much better than the old system when we sent millions of kids to prison, most of them kids of color, and not only imprisoned them, but made them felons, made already difficult lives much, much harder.I would not ask the federal government to
legalize it for everyone. But I think where states do the federal government should get out of the way and allow them to be able to get banking, which we can't legally get in Colorado, so everything is supposed to go by cash. My dream would be the
federal government to make sure that the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration regulate whether pesticides are used, that we get all the legal barriers to doing medical research around marijuana [removed].
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
John Delaney on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 10, 2019)
Let states regulate and tax marijuana
Having drugs being sold in the shadows is why there's a movement at the state level to legalize marijuana, to decriminalize it, and to allow it to be legal for medical purposes. The federal government should get out of the way and let that movement
continue, because right now the federal government is blocking it by keeping marijuana as a scheduled substance. Get it into a market where it could be regulated, where we can make sure it's labeled and distributed appropriately, where we can tax it.
Click for John Delaney on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Tulsi Gabbard on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 10, 2019)
End failed war on drugs, opioid addiction is medical crisis
We must end this failed war on drugs. I introduced bipartisan legislation that would end the federal prohibition on marijuana. This will have a great impact on the opioid crisis. In states where marijuana is legalized, we have seen a drop in opioid
addiction, and a drop in opioid-related deaths. This will have an impact on our economy in so many different ways, as well as taking a huge bite out of our broken criminal justice system, where far too many nonviolent drug offenders are wasting away.
Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues.
Source: CNN Town Hall on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Crime Mar 7, 2019)
Legalize marijuana; restore ex-con voting rights
Criminal justice reform is one of Booker's key policy areas in his presidential policy platform. He was a key force behind the FIRST STEP Act, which President Trump signed into law. Booker will soon introduce what he calls the Next Step Act, a package
of further criminal justice changes. It includes provisions that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, and give felons [who have served their time] the right to vote.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: NPR Morning Edition, "Election 2020: Opening Arguments"
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Crime Mar 7, 2019)
Ended "three strike penalty"; more reform is needed
He was a key force behind the FIRST STEP Act. Among other things, that law ends the "three strike penalty," helps judges avoid mandatory minimum sentences, and gives prisoners more access to rehabilitation programs. Booker will introduce the
Next Step Act, a package of further criminal justice changes. It includes provisions that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, and give [ex-]felons the right to vote.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: NPR Morning Edition: Election 2020 Special Series
Tulsi Gabbard on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 7, 2019)
Let states legalize marijuana; non-user supports free choice
Gabbard on marijuana legalization: "The fact that marijuana's still a Schedule I drug is unacceptable in the harm that it is causing to the people of our country and to taxpayers as well. The impact this has on individuals, potentially leading to
criminal records that impact them, their families, their ability to get a job, housing, financial aid for college--the impacts of this are great. That's not to speak of the impact on states, small businesses and banks in those states that have legalized
some level of marijuana."She said that "freedom of choice" is a key reason she has focused so much on cannabis during her time on Capitol Hill. "I don't smoke marijuana. I never have," she said. "But I believe firmly in every person's freedom to make
their own choices, and that people should not be thrown in jail and incarcerated or made into criminals for choosing to smoke marijuana whether it be for medicinal and non-medicinal purposes."
Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues.
Source: Forbes Magazine "Marijuana Nexus" on 2020 Democratic primary
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 6, 2019)
Supports states permitting marijuana, not federal reform
Hickenlooper advocated for federal reforms to marijuana but said he does not advocate for blanket laws to legalize marijuana nationally. "I don't think the federal government should come in and tell every state it should be legalized."
Hickenlooper, who originally opposed legalizing the drug in his state, said "the things I feared six years ago have not come to pass." "The federal government should reclassify marijuana so it's not a schedule I narcotic," Hickenlooper said.
The former governor also argued for banking reforms so that businesses handling marijuana money "don't have to do everything in cash."
However, he stopped short of fully endorsing a measure to legalize marijuana at the federal level and did not address calls to expunge the criminal records of those charged with possession.
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: The Hill e-zine on 2020 Democratic primary
Joe Biden on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 26, 2019)
Long record of opposing marijuana legalization
Biden remains one of very few prominent Democrats who've still failed to endorse cannabis legalization at the federal level. The last time he substantively addressed legalization appears to be 2010, in an ABC News interview: "There's
a difference between sending someone to jail for a few ounces and legalizing it," he said. "The punishment should fit the crime. But I think legalization is a mistake. I still believe [marijuana] is a gateway drug."
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: David Bienenstock in Leafly.com on 2020 Democratic primary
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 11, 2019)
Legalize marijuana federally, plus state incentives
Kamala Harris' call for legalization of marijuana follow the lead of multiple others. Sen. Cory Booker, a NJ Democrat and one of Harris' top opponents for the party's nomination, introduced a bill in 2017 that would both legalize marijuana use at a
federal level & encourage states to legalize it locally through incentives. By attaching the issue to himself early on, Booker--one of the early top prospects for the Democrats in 2020--all but forced contenders to take a stance on legalizing marijuana.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: Politico.com, "Legalization," on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Kamala Harris on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 11, 2019)
Legalize marijuana: it gives a lot of people joy
Sen. Kamala Harris called for the legalization of marijuana at a federal level: "Half my family's from Jamaica," the California Democrat said, laughing when asked to respond to those who think she's opposed to legalizing recreational use of the
drug. "Are you kidding me?"Harris also said she smoked a joint in college. "And I inhaled," she added, joking in reference to President Bill Clinton's comments on the campaign trail in 1992 that he smoked marijuana but "didn't inhale it."
When asked if she would smoke again if the federal government were to legalize the recreational use of the drug, Harris laughed and replied: "Listen, I think it gives a lot of people joy. And we need more joy."
Harris said legalization would have to come with some caveats, emphasizing a need for research on the effects of marijuana on the developing brain and a means for regulating use of the drug while driving.
Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.
Source: Politico.com, "Legalization," on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Gina Raimondo on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 13, 2019)
Legalize marijuana, since we're surrounded by legal states
Facing the "inevitable" prospect of being surrounded by states that have legalized recreational marijuana, Gov. Gina Raimondo will propose that Rhode Island do the same. "I do this with reluctance," she said. "I have resisted this for the four years
I've been governor. Now, however, things have changed, mainly because all of our neighbors are moving forward" with legalization.The proposal, included in her budget plan, would create one of the most regulated recreational pot industries in the
country, the governor said, aimed at reducing the health and safety problems experienced in some of the 10 other states that have approved recreational use in recent years.
For instance, it would prohibit home-growing of recreational pot, now allowed
in MA, ME, and VT, and ban high-potency products from recreational store shelves, such as "dabs," which are concentrated resins that are smoked.
If the proposal is approved by lawmakers, the first recreational stores could open by next January.
Click for Gina Raimondo on other issues.
Source: Providence Journal on 2018 Rhode Island gubernatorial race
Kamala Harris on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 8, 2019)
Dismantle War on Drugs; start with marijuana legalization
It's past time we get done dismantling the failed war on drugs--starting with legalizing marijuana. Between 2001 and 2010, more than seven million people were arrested for simple possession of marijuana. They are disproportionately black and brown.
One stark example: during the first three months of 2018, 93 percent of the people the NYPD arrested for marijuana possession were people of color.
These racial disparities are staggering and unconscionable.
We need to legalize marijuana and regulate it. And we need to expunge nonviolent marijuana-related offenses from the records of the millions of people who have been arrested and incarcerated so they can get on with their lives.
Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.
Source: The Truths We Hold, by Kamala Harris, p. 66
Stacey Abrams on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 2, 2018)
For medical marijuana; open to legalizing recreational use
Abrams supports Georgia's medical marijuana legislation and wants to legalize growth of marijuana in Georgia for medical use.
Abrams also supports decriminalizing some marijuana violations, similar to what the city of Atlanta has done. She says she is open to legalizing recreational marijuana if there's a strong substance abuse network in place.
Click for Stacey Abrams on other issues.
Source: WMAZ CBS-TV-13 on 2022 Georgia Gubernatorial race
Deb Haaland on Marijuana:
(Civil Rights Oct 9, 2018)
Justice, dignity and safety for all the marginalized
When too many are facing increasingly hateful violence--specifically in the black, brown, Native American, and LGBTQ communities-- I will fight for justice, dignity, and safety for marginalized communities. We must ensure that our policies reflect the
inclusion and kindness we want to see in America. That means demilitarizing our nation's police forces, legalizing marijuana for adults over 21, ensuring that we support the DOJ in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes and police violence.
Click for Deb Haaland on other issues.
Source: 2018 NM-1st House campaign website DebForCongress.com
Ron DeSantis on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 9, 2018)
No recreational marijuana; let voters decide medical usage
Q: Legalize or decriminalize marijuana?Ron DeSantis (R): No. Opposes recreational use. Will implement will of the voters on medical.
Andrew Gillum (D): Yes. "Legalize it. Tax it. Use the revenues to fix Florida's public schools."
Click for Ron DeSantis on other issues.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Florida Governor race
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 9, 2018)
Long-time advocate for marijuana legalization
Q: Legalize or decriminalize marijuana?Ted Cruz (R): Personally opposed to legalization, but states should choose for themselves.
Beto O'Rourke (D): Yes. Long-time legalization advocate. Sponsored bill to end federal prohibition.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Texas Senate race
Ted Cruz on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 9, 2018)
Opposed to marijuana legalization, but let states choose
Q: Legalize or decriminalize marijuana?Ted Cruz (R): Personally opposed to legalization, but states should choose for themselves.
Beto O'Rourke (D): Yes. Long-time legalization advocate. Sponsored bill to end federal prohibition.
Click for Ted Cruz on other issues.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Texas Senate race
Ron DeSantis on Marijuana:
(Education Oct 9, 2018)
Expand both charters & vouchers
Q: Increase funding for K-12 education?Ron DeSantis (R): No statements found on funding, but prefers setting policy at local level.
Andrew Gillum (D): Yes. Proposes a $1 billion "Fair Share" investment in public schools
covered by increasing state's corporate tax rate & legalizing & taxing marijuana.
Q: Education: Support the expansion of charter schools or help parents send their children to private schools with public money?
Ron DeSantis (R): Yes. Expand both charters & vouchers. Let federal dollars follow students to any schools their families choose.
Andrew Gillum (D): No. Against vouchers & "unaccountable, for-profit charter schools who use public dollars to enrich their executives."
Click for Ron DeSantis on other issues.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Florida Governor race
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Drugs Aug 27, 2018)
End prohibition on marijuana, expunge records of possessors
Second, we need to end the failed war on drugs that has long been a war on people, waged on some people over other people. Who is going to be the last man--more likely than not a black man--to languish behind bars for possessing or using marijuana
when it is legal in more than half of the states in this country? We should end the federal prohibition on marijuana and expunge the records of those who were locked away for possessing it
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: O'Rourke OpEd in Houston Chronicle: 2020 Democratic primary
Bernie Sanders on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 4, 2018)
Why is marijuana treated legally equal to heroin?
After almost fifty years of the war on drugs, we can conclude that this was has been a dismal failure and, as in many other wars, countless lives have been destroyed. In 2018, the Controlled Substances Act continues to treat both marijuana and heroin
equally as Schedule 1 substances. You may like marijuana or you may not, but very few informed people believe that marijuana should be treated similarly to a killer drug like heroin.And yet, in 2016, there were approximately 587,000 arrests for
marijuana--roughly one per minute.
Many states and cities are taking action to undo the damage caused by the war on drugs. More and more states are moving to decriminalize or legalize the possession of marijuana, and some have passed legislation
to expunge prior misdemeanor convictions. The prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s was a failed policy. The prohibition of marijuana has also failed.
Addiction is not a crime. It is an illnesses, and should be treated as such.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: Where We Go From Here, by Bernie Sanders, p.196-7
Arvin Vohra on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 30, 2018)
Drugs should be as legal as tomatoes
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Marijuana is a gateway drug"?A: Oppose. If elected, I will sponsor legislation to end the war on drugs. I want drugs to be as legal as tomatoes, so that drug businesses can settle disputes by calling
their credit card companies, instead of resorting to violence. I want to end all drug related violence; I want there to be no more innocent bystanders. That comes from legalizing all drugs, so that disputes can be handled without violence.
Click for Arvin Vohra on other issues.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maryland Senate candidate
Michael Bennet on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 24, 2018)
Let states experiment with marijuana; address racial issues
What we're having right now is a tremendous experiment in federalism, and that's what we should continue to do. The states should look at this and ultimately we should decide as a country what we want to do, but I don't know that we're there yet.
I think the sentencing disparities suggest important issues that have to be addressed.
Click for Michael Bennet on other issues.
Source: The Atlantic, "Immigration," on 2020 Democratic primary
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 11, 2018)
National model for marijuana legalization
We were the first state to legalize recreational marijuana while creating a roadmap for other states. By the way--we're not wild about
Washington telling us what's best for us. We expect the federal government will respect the will of Colorado voters.
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Source: 2018 State of the State address to the Colorado legislature
Donald Trump on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 4, 2018)
2016: let states decide on pot; 2018: feds over state law
While on the campaign trail, President Trump was asked his view on state marijuana policy reform, and he consistently said it should be a states' rights decision.29 states have enacted effective medical marijuana laws. Marijuana is legal and
regulated for adults in 8 states.
[But Trump's] Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded the Department of Justice policy that directed federal law enforcement not to target individuals or businesses that are in compliance with state law.
From August 2013 until yesterday, the Department of Justice policy had been not to enforce federal marijuana laws against individuals or businesses in states that are complying with
state medical or adult-use marijuana laws, provided that one of eight federal priorities is not implicated.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: MPP.org on 2018 Trump Administration
Gavin Newsom on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 24, 2017)
Let California legalization continue
Newsom sent a letter to President Trump urging him not to carry through with threats to launch a federal enforcement effort against recreational marijuana firms that will be legalized in California. Newsom's letter attempts to persuade
the president that a regulated market for adult-use marijuana is preferable to what has existed in the past. "The war on marijuana has failed," Newsom wrote. "It did not, and will not, keep marijuana out of kids' hands."
Click for Gavin Newsom on other issues.
Source: Los Angeles Times on 2018 California gubernatorial race
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 1, 2017)
Opposes Drug War, but control border for opioid precursors
BROKEN PROMISE: : Booker had adopted a strongly progressive stance on drugs -supporting medical marijuana; supporting treatment instead of incarceration for drug possession; opposing drug enforcement is racially biased; and opposing the
War on Drugs in general. He "evolved" and signed on to the War on Opioids, seeking international treaty restrictions on opioid precursor trafficking. ANALYSIS: : Some progressives and minority voters would consider the "opioid epidemic"
just the latest application of biased enforce-ment, and would expect Booker to apply his racial-bias philosophy to a general rejection of drug enforcement. Booker would differentiate opioids as more dangerous than marijuana -
which critics would say follows in the scare-tactic footsteps of Demon Rum and Reefer Madness. Booker's proposed border interdiction above is a standard proposal of Drug Warriors--just involving international institutions as a novel feature.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: Cory Booker 'Promises Broken,' by Jesse Gordon, p. 30
Stacey Abrams on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 30, 2017)
Expand list of conditions for medical marijuana
HB 65: Expands the list of conditions for which a patient may register with the Low THC Oil Patient Registry. HB 65 expands the list to include
Tourette's syndrome, autism, intractable pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease, human immunodeficiency virus, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. MY VOTE: YES
Click for Stacey Abrams on other issues.
Source: 2018 Georgia governor campaign website StaceyAbrams.com
John Kasich on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 30, 2017)
No mixed message: don't do opioids & don't do marijuana
Gov. John Kasich said he doesn't think Ohio's new medical marijuana program will help mitigate the state's opioid crisis, though recent studies indicate otherwise.Kasich was asked at a news conference announcing new opioid prescription limits
what role medical marijuana might play in addressing the growing number of opiate overdose deaths in Ohio. Kasich said telling kids not to do drugs but that marijuana is OK sends a mixed message. "I know it's not recreational marijuana, not
recreational use, but I don't see a role for it in this at all," Kasich said.
Studies have shown opioid overdoses and deaths have decreased in states that allow medical marijuana, which is far less addictive and lethal. Republicans and Democrats cited
the opioid crisis as a reason to pass Ohio's medical marijuana law last year.
"I don't like the whole thing -- medical marijuana," Kasich said. "It got passed because somebody was going to have a broader law."
Click for John Kasich on other issues.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
John Kasich on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 30, 2017)
2016: Legalized medical marijuana, with tight regulations
Twenty-eight states and Washington D.C. have legalized medical marijuana use. Ohio's medical marijuana law, signed by Kasich last June, allows patients with one of 21 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended to them by a physician.
Smoking marijuana and growing it at home are not allowed.Three state agencies are in the process of establishing a tightly regulated program to grow and sell medical marijuana in limited amounts.
Studies have shown marijuana can alleviate pain.
The most recent study found hospitalization rates for painkiller addiction and abuse dropped 23% on average in states after they allowed medical marijuana use. Hospitalization rates for overdoses dropped 13%, according to the report published
in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
"I don't like the whole thing -- medical marijuana," Kasich said. "It got passed because somebody was going to have a broader law."
Click for John Kasich on other issues.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 26, 2017)
Voters passed legal pot, and I will uphold the voter's will
Q: Jeff Sessions as a senator was opposed to marijuana. Is Jeff Sessions as the new Attorney-General going to enforce federal law and shut down Colorado's recreational-use marijuana businesses?HICKENLOOPER: You know, at first, I opposed it.
But our voters passed it 55-45. It's in our constitution. I took a solemn oath to support our constitution. The states have sovereignty [on this issue].
Q: You don't think it's clear that the federal government could stop you?
HICKENLOOPER: I don't think it is. It's never my choice to be in conflict with federal law. That being said, Senator Sessions said [in his confirmation hearings], "Enforcement of marijuana is not going to be a priority." Over 60% of American people
are now in a state where either medical or recreational marijuana is legalized. It's become one of the great social experiments of our time.
Q: If this were on a ballot today, would you support it?
HICKENLOOPER: Well, I'm getting close.
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: Meet the Press 2017 interview by Chuck Todd
Gavin Newsom on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 19, 2017)
Pushed Proposition 64, legalizing adult use of marijuana
This past November, Newsom proved he's a serious force to reckon with when it comes to passing groundbreaking legislation. Having started California's Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy in 2014, he campaigned for five months and got
Proposition 64, legalizing adult use of marijuana in the state, passed, with 56 percent of voters in favor. Now, he's the telegenic face of a movement. "I'm happy to be associated with this change. I'm sick and tired of politics and politicians as
usual," says Newsom today. "I'll be kicked out before I rust out. You can love me or hate me and disagree with me, but you sure as hell know where I stand.""Gavin boldly stands up for social issues with unwavering commitment while relentlessly
championing people who can't speak for themselves," says a longtime friend. "This issue is one of many that Gavin thinks of in a big picture way. He's an outlier and a great leader."
Click for Gavin Newsom on other issues.
Source: Billboard.com on 2018 California gubernatorial race
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Welfare & Poverty Jan 12, 2017)
Use marijuana tax revenue to address chronic homelessness
Almost two thirds of Americans now live in a state that has legalized marijuana in some form. We need to address some of the unintended consequences of legalization. There's no question that marijuana and other drugs--in combination with
mental illness or other disabling conditions--are essential contributors to chronic homelessness. Tax revenue from marijuana sales can and should be used to help those who fall through the cracks, including
hundreds of homeless vets, helping them find stable, supportive housing.We currently spend more than $40,000 per person to perpetuate lives of misery among the chronically homeless.
But for less than a third of that we could invest up front in housing, wraparound supportive services and job training. In every booming economy in the country--like ours--homelessness of all types is a growing concern.
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Colorado Legislature
Susan Rice on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 20, 2016)
Admitted to past drug use, none since 1990
Obama administration National Security Adviser Susan Rice admitted on security clearance forms that she smoked marijuana for "recreational use" until 1990, according to a copy of forms published on the hacker website Wikileaks. Rice said that she smoked
marijuana "very infrequently" from October 1982 until June 1990, according to the forms. "Rare recreational use of marijuana prior to and in 1990. None since 1990," Rice writes in a comments section on the form.
Click for Susan Rice on other issues.
Source: Washington Free Beacon on Obama Cabinet
Bernie Sanders on Marijuana:
(Crime Jul 9, 2016)
End mass incarceration & reform criminal justice
[At the 2016 convention preparation], we were victorious in including amendments in the platform that made it the policy of the Democratic Party to fight for:- Abolishing the death penalty, ending mass incarceration, and enacting major criminal
justice reforms;
- Establishing a path toward the legalization of marijuana;
- Ending disastrous deportation raids, banning private prisons and detention centers, and passing comprehensive immigration reform.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: Where We Go From Here, by B. Sanders, p.16-7, on 2016 DNC
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 24, 2016)
First state to regulate legal sale of marijuana
[With the 2013 legislative session] We became the first state in the nation to pass laws to regulate the legal sale of marijuana. Every other regulated industry has benefited from years of trial and error, and could look to other states or even other
countries for models of what has worked and what has not. That was not an option here. The General Assembly agreed to a 15 percent excise tax to an initial 10 percent sales tax for recreational marijuana.
For the sake of public safety, we set a legal limit of active THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, that drivers can have in their blood so that juries have a benchmark to judge whether someone was too high to drive.
The Colorado Department of Revenue created an innovative seed-to-sale tracking system. The rules were written. Recreational sales of marijuana would begin on January 1, 2014.
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: The Opposite of Woe, by John Hickenlooper, p.317
Marty Walsh on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 16, 2016)
Regular pot users likely to try more dangerous drugs
Leading elected officials such as Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, and Attorney General Maura Healey insist the scourge of addiction starts with the first puff. "Decades of research have now debunked the myth that marijuana is harmless,"
the trio wrote in an OpEd in the Boston Globe. "The science also shows that regular marijuana users--especially those who start at a young age--are more likely to try more dangerous drugs."
Click for Marty Walsh on other issues.
Source: CommonWealth Magazine on 2021 Boston Mayoral race
Merrick Garland on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 16, 2016)
Let DEA decide whether marijuana has any medical benefits
In 2012, Garland and two other judges on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit presided over a case brought by Americans for Safe Access against the Drug Enforcement Administration. Americans for Safe Access argued that the DEA should no longer
classify marijuana as a schedule 1 drug along with drugs such as heroin that don't have "accepted" medical benefits.The court rejected the appeal, siding with the DEA. Garland signed onto the court's opinion, which quoted a part of the DEA's defense,
showing Garland's willingness to defer to government health experts. "To establish accepted medical use, the effectiveness of a drug must be established in well-controlled, well-designed, well-conducted & well-documented scientific studies with a large
number of patients," the DEA said in the quoted passage. "To date, such studies have not been performed."
During the hearing, Garland said he felt the justices had to "defer" to the judgment of scientists on whether marijuana should be reclassified.
Click for Merrick Garland on other issues.
Source: Mashable.com on 2016 SCOTUS confirmation hearings
Marty Walsh on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 4, 2016)
Don't legalize marijuana: it's unsafe & lowers IQ in kids
This November, voters in Massachusetts will be asked whether to legalize marijuana. Our state has already decriminalized the drug for personal use, and we've made it legally available for medical use. The question before us now is whether marijuana
should be fully legal and widely available for commercial sale. We think the answer is "no."Where marijuana is legal, young people are more likely to use it: while use among minors has declined nationwide in recent years, states like
Colorado have seen an increase. Kids in states that have legalized marijuana have easier access to the drug. And many believe that, since the drug is legal for adults, it must be safe to use.
What the evidence shows us, though, is that marijuana is not
safe. Regular use that starts in adolescence has been shown to impair brain development, and even lower IQ. And increasingly, medical science is also showing a frightening correlation between regular marijuana use and severe mental health issues.
Click for Marty Walsh on other issues.
Source: Boston Globe, op-ed by Marty Walsh & Charlie Baker
Donald Trump on Marijuana:
(Principles & Values Feb 29, 2016)
Agrees with Hillary on marijuana, campaign finance, trade
Hillary and Trump do agree on some, including:- Tax Reform: Both would increase income taxes on the wealthy, although Trump would lower corporate taxes and estate taxes.
- Faith-based initiatives: Both support working with religious organizations
for social services.
- Drug War: Both cautiously support state-based medical marijuana while postponing other aspects.
- Campaign Finance Reform: Both would reform the current finance system, although Hillary supports public financing (while
Trump avoids the issue by self-financing).
- Free Trade: Both would reform our current trade deals, although for different goals: Hillary for better labor and environmental standards; Trump for a better overall deal.
The bottom line: If you prefer
a polar opposite to Hillary, Trump should not be your chosen candidate. And if you prefer someone who will dismantle forever the Bush legacy, Hillary should not be your chosen candidate. Neither is the extremist their opponents make them out to be.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton On The Issues, by J. Gordon
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 16, 2016)
Drug war isn't waged in privileged communities
I knew, from living in the relatively privileged communities I grew up in, that the drug war wasn't waged in those places like it was in Newark. I was coming from college campuses and towns where marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, and other drugs were
widespread and often used openly, with little fear of the police.The war on drugs has turned out to be a war on PEOPLE--and far too often a war on people of color and the poor.
Marijuana use, for example, is roughly equal among blacks and whites, yet blacks are 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for possession than whites.
Further, there is no difference between blacks and whites in dealing drugs. In fact, some studies show that whites are more likely than blacks to sell drugs, even though blacks are far more likely to be arrested for it.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: United, by Senator Cory Booker, p.181
Elizabeth Warren on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 13, 2016)
Legalizing marijuana will reduce opioid deaths
Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to explore the use of medical marijuana as an alternative to the powerful opioid painkillers that kill thousands of people each year. In a letter to CDC chief
Tom Friedan, the Massachusetts Democrat also asks the agency to look into "the impact of the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana on opioid overdose deaths."
Click for Elizabeth Warren on other issues.
Source: Washington Post on 2016 Veepstakes: "Legalizing marijuana"
Bernie Sanders on Marijuana:
(Crime Feb 11, 2016)
Whites & blacks smoke pot equally, but blacks go to jail
What we have to do is end over-policing in African- American neighborhoods. The African-American community and the white community do marijuana at about equal rates. The reality is four times as many blacks get arrested for marijuana. Far more blacks get
stopped for traffic violations. We need fundamental police reform when we talk about a criminal justice system. What we have got to do is make it clear that any police officer who breaks the law will be held accountable.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin
Hillary Clinton on Marijuana:
(Budget & Economy Feb 4, 2016)
Committed to reducing corporate power not only Wall St
SANDERS: Wall Street is perhaps the most powerful political force in this country. You have companies like Goldman Sachs, who paid a fine for $5 billion for defrauding investors. It was one of those companies whose illegal activity helped destroy our
economy. Kid gets caught with marijuana, that kid has a police record. A Wall Street executive destroys the economy, no criminal record. That is what power is. That is what has to change. CLINTON: Of course it has to change. That's why I have a plan.
It's been judged to be the most effective. I do not believe that that is enough. We now have power under the Dodd-Frank legislation to break up banks. I've said I will use that power if they pose a systemic risk. But I want to go further, because it
was investment banks, it was insurance companies, it was mortgage companies, all of which contributed. Let's not just be narrowly focused on one part of the problem. We have a lot of issues with corporate power that have to be addressed.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Hillary Clinton on Marijuana:
(Principles & Values Jan 30, 2016)
Disagrees with Bernie on crime, drugs & foreign intervention
Where do Hillary and Bernie disagree on the issues? This list comprises legitimate differences on issues, not just differences of fervency or recency:- Faith: Hillary would work with faith-based organizations on many fronts;
Bernie focuses on church-state separation.
- Crime: Hillary supports the death penalty; Bernie focuses on "Black Lives Matter."
- Drugs: Hillary supports medical marijuana legalization;
Bernie supports more than that, and considers the War on Drugs to be a major source of systemic racism. Hillary started using the term "systemic racism" in response to Bernie's use of the term.
- Foreign intervention: Hillary is interventionist while
Bernie would stay out of many hotspots. This is the strongest difference between the two candidates: Hillary is much more hawkish than Bernie (but still dovish compared to Republicans).
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: Bernie vs. Hillary On The Issues, by Jesse Gordon
Bernie Sanders on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 17, 2016)
Why police records for marijuana but not white collar crime?
CLINTON: One out of three African American men may well end up going to prison. SANDERS: Let me respond to what the secretary said. We have a criminal justice system which is broken. Who in America is satisfied that we have more
people in jail than any other country on Earth, including China? Disproportionately African American, and Latino. Who is satisfied that 51% of African American young people are either unemployed, or underemployed?
Who is satisfied that millions of people have police records for possessing marijuana when the CEO's of Wall Street companies who destroyed our economy have no police records.
We need to take a very hard look at our criminal justice system, investing in jobs and education, not in jails and incarceration.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2016 NBC Democratic presidential primary debate
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 14, 2016)
Regulatory regime to marijuana needs to be strengthened
Coloradans voted to legalize marijuana three years ago and we had to build a regulatory system from scratch. We should continue to look at lessons learned from alcohol and tobacco as we monitor and update marijuana regulations.
Back in the day, candy cigarettes desensitized kids to the dangers of tobacco--and today, pot-infused gummy bears send the wrong message to our kids about marijuana.
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Colorado legislature
Bernie Sanders on Marijuana:
(Drugs Dec 19, 2015)
Take marijuana out of the controlled substances list
Q: What to do about drug addiction?CLINTON: Heroin is a major epidemic. I would like the federal government to offer $10 billion over ten years to work with states.
O'MALLEY: The number of heroin deaths is growing significantly. We have to tell
doctors who are prescribing opiates that we cannot have this huge number of opiates out there.
SANDERS: Today we have more people in jail than any other country on earth, 2.2 million people. Predominantly African-American and Hispanic.
We are spending $80 billion a year locking up Americans. I think we need a major effort to come together and end institutional racism. We need major reforms of a broken criminal justice system. What does that mean? It means that we have to rethink
the so-called war on drugs which has destroyed the lives of millions of people, which is why I have taken marijuana out of the Controlled Substance Act. So that it will not be a federal crime.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2015 ABC/WMUR Democratic primary debate in N.H.
Ted Cruz on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 11, 2015)
Let's see what happens in Colorado with legalization
- Previously, the senator had criticized the Obama administration for not enforcing federal marijuana laws in Colorado & Washington after voters in those states adopted laws that regulate and tax marijuana similarly to alcohol. But more recently...
- "That's a legitimate question for the states to make a determination. And the citizens of Colorado and Washington State have come to a different conclusion. They've decided that they want to legalize it. I think it is appropriate for the federal
government to recognize that the citizens of those states have made that decision. One of the benefits of it, is we can now watch & see what happens in Colorado & Washington State." Hugh Hewitt Show, April 16, 2015
- "I don't support drug legalization,
but I do support the Constitution. I think individual states can choose to adopt it. So if Texas had it on the ballot, I'd vote against it, but I respect the authority of states to follow different policies." Texas Tribune, March 24, 2015
Click for Ted Cruz on other issues.
Source: Marijuana Policy Project on 2016 presidential hopefuls
Donald Trump on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 29, 2015)
Yes to medical marijuana; otherwise, decide state by state
In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state. Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states.
And of course you have Colorado. There's a question as to how it's all working out there, you know? That's not going exactly trouble-free.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: Washington Post 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Hillary Clinton on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 13, 2015)
Stop imprisoning marijuana users
Q: When asked about legalizing recreational marijuana, you said let's wait and see how it plays out in Colorado and Washington. It's been more than a year since you've said that. Are you ready to take a position tonight?CLINTON: No. I think that we
have the opportunity through the states that are pursuing recreational marijuana to find out a lot more than we know today. I do support the use of medical marijuana, and I think even there we need to do a lot more research so that we know exactly
how we're going to help people for whom medical marijuana provides relief. So, I think we're just at the beginning, but I agree completely with the idea that we have got to stop imprisoning people who use marijuana. Therefore, we need more states,
cities, and the federal government to begin to address this so that we don't have this terrible result of a huge population in our prisons for nonviolent, low-level offenses that are primarily due to marijuana.[1]
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: 2015 CNN Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas
Bernie Sanders on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 13, 2015)
I would vote for recreational marijuana, to reduce jailings
Q: In Nevada, there will be a measure to legalize recreational marijuana on the 2016 ballot. If you were a Nevada resident, how would you vote?A: I would vote yes because I am seeing too many lives being destroyed for non-violent offenses.
We have a criminal justice system that lets CEOs on Wall Street walk away, and yet we are imprisoning young people who are smoking marijuana. I think we have to think through this war on drugs which has done an enormous amount of damage.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2015 CNN Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas
Rand Paul on Marijuana:
(Drugs Sep 16, 2015)
More rehabilitation and less incarceration
Q [to Senator Paul]: Governor Christie recently said, "if you're getting high in Colorado today," where marijuana has been legalized, "enjoy it until January 2017, because I will enforce the federal laws against marijuana." Will you?PAUL: I think one
of the great problems, and what American people don't like about politics, is hypocrisy. People have one standard for others and not for them--for themselves. The people going to jail for this are poor people, often African-Americans and often
Hispanics, and yet the rich kids who use drugs aren't. I personally think that this is a crime for which the only victim is the individual, and I think that America has to take a different attitude. I would like to see more rehabilitation and less
incarceration. I'm a fan of the drug courts which try to direct you back towards work and less time in jail.
CHRISTIE: N.J. says if you are non-violent, non-dealing drug user, you don't go to jail for your first offense. You go to mandatory treatment.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary debate on CNN
Mike Pence on Marijuana:
(Drugs Sep 8, 2015)
Do not legalize: pot is a gateway drug
In late March 2013, in response to Gov. Pence's criticism of legislation that rewrites Indiana's criminal code to lower drug penalties, a Senate committee amended the criminal code reform bill to make punishment for marijuana crimes tougher than
the legislation's Republican authors had originally proposed. House Bill 1006 supporters say the intent of the bill is divert drug users out of state prisons and into treatment programs, while reserving the prisons for the worst offenders.
Pence waited till mid-March to weigh in on House Bill 1006 and did so at a press briefing with TV and radio reporters, telling them, "I think we need to focus on reducing crime, not reducing penalties."During a 2012 gubernatorial debate in
Zionsville, Gov. Mike Pence said he opposed any marijuana law reforms and viewed marijuana as a "gateway" drug. His Democrat opponent John Gregg generally agreed, but added that medical marijuana would be worth studying.
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: Howey politics on 2016 Indiana gubernatorial race
Bernie Sanders on Marijuana:
(Drugs Sep 5, 2015)
Decriminalize marijuana and study recreational legalization
Q: What about medical marijuana?A: Bernie supports the medical use of marijuana and the rights of states to determine its legality. He co-sponsored the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act in 2001
Q: And recreational pot?
A: Bernie wants to learn more about the impact that recreational legalization will have in states such as Colorado in order to determine whether or not he supports it: "Vermont voted to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and
I support that. And when I was mayor of Burlington, in a city with a large population, very few people were arrested for smoking marijuana. Our police had more important things to do."
Q: Has Bernie ever inhaled?
A: Bernie has inhaled! But, he wasn't a fan, personally: "Because I coughed a lot. I smoked marijuana twice, didn't quite work for me. It's not my thing, but it is the thing of a whole lot of people."
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2016 grassroots campaign website FeelTheBern.org, "Issues"
Kamala Harris on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 20, 2015)
Recognize the war on drugs was a failure
In 2014 Kamala Harris was asked for her opinion on legalizing recreational marijuana. Her response, which incensed the pro-pot crowd to no end, was laughter. What a difference a year makes. Now she's running for a US Senate seat. And she's changed
her tune from laughter to support for an end of the federal prohibition on medical marijuana.At the 2015 Democratic State Convention, here's what she said, "Standing up for the people means challenging the policy of mass incarceration by recognizing
the war on drugs was a failure. Now is the time to end the federal ban on medical marijuana."
Harris' own pronouncements on cannabis have been evolving. Last fall she lashed out at feds' continued crackdowns in medical marijuana states, saying, "An
overly broad federal enforcement campaign will make it more difficult for legitimate patients to access physician-recommended medicine." Late last year, she also said she believed that recreational pot legalization in California was inevitable.
Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.
Source: LA Weekly coverage of 2015 California Senate race
Ted Cruz on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 5, 2015)
2014: federal enforcement; 2015: let states experiment
At CPAC last week, Ted Cruz responded to a question about marijuana legalization in Colorado by endorsing a federalist approach: "This is a great embodiment of what Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis called 'the laboratories of democracy,'"
Cruz said. "If the citizens of Colorado decide they want to go down that road, that's their prerogative. I personally don't agree with it, but that's their right."Those remarks contradict Cruz's previous position, when he criticized the
Obama administration for failing to aggressively enforce the federal ban on marijuana in states that have legalized the drug. In January 2014, he described the Justice Department's prosecutorial restraint, which is designed to respect state policy
choices, as an abuse of executive power.
Cruz's apparent turnaround reflects a political reality: Cruz's calibration is the easiest way to strike the balance between younger, more tolerant GOP voters and social conservatives.
Click for Ted Cruz on other issues.
Source: Forbes Magazine on 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf.
Ted Cruz on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 27, 2015)
I disagree with states legalizing pot, but it's their right
Just a year ago, Ted Cruz criticized Pres. Obama for allowing Colorado and Washington to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. Now, he's basically in favor of the same approach: "If the citizens of Colorado decide they want to go down that road,
that's their prerogative," he said a the CPAC Conference. "I personally don't agree with it, but that's their right."The conference is a chance for potential presidential candidates to stake out ground for 2016 and marijuana could be prime turf.
Cruz has expressed openness to changing marijuana laws in the past. At a January 2014 event in Texas, he said there are "some reasonable arguments on that issue." But he also blasted the president for ignoring federal drug laws and allowing residents in
Colorado and Washington to carry out their marijuana policies. "Mind you these are criminal laws," Cruz said. "These are laws that say if you do 'X, Y, and Z' you will go to prison. The president announced, 'No, you won't.'"
Click for Ted Cruz on other issues.
Source: Fusion.net on 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf.
Rand Paul on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 26, 2015)
End hypocrisy and over-criminalization of marijuana
[In a CPAC interview] Rand Paul offered backhanded advice to Jeb Bush: "Younger voters in particular don't like hypocrisy. Him saying recently down in Florida that he would still incarcerate people even for medical marijuana, and then it turns out--him
basically acknowledging that he'd been using recreational marijuana as a kid. I don't think anybody faults him for youthful indiscretions. But if you look at the people who end up getting caught up in the war on drugs, they're often not elite kids at
prep schools. They're poor kids with no school."Paul said conservatives need to reach beyond traditional audiences like gun-rights defenders to anyone who has been mistreated by
Big Government, including "businesses mistreated by Big Government regulations" and "poor people mistreated by Big Government and over-criminalization."
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: Poltiico.com on 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf.
Ted Cruz on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 26, 2015)
Let states be laboratories of democracy on marijuana
At the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference, Sen. Cruz said he is opposed to the legalization of marijuana for adult use, but he believes states should have the right to establish their own marijuana policies: "I actually think this is a great
embodiment of what Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis called the laboratories of democracy. If the citizens of Colorado decide they want to go down that road, that's their prerogative. I don't agree with it, but that's their right."
Click for Ted Cruz on other issues.
Source: MPP.org on 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf.
Mike Bloomberg on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 9, 2015)
No legalization; pot lowers IQ by 5 to 10 points
When an audience member at the Aspen Institute asked Bloomberg about Colorado marijuana, he responded that it was a terrible idea, one that is hurting the developing minds of children.
Though he admitted to smoking a joint in the 1960s, he said the drug is more accessible and more damaging today: "What are we going to say in 10 years when we see all these kids whose
IQs are 5 and 10 points lower than they would have been?" he asked. "I couldn't feel more strongly about it, and my girlfriend says it's no different than alcohol.
It is different than alcohol. This is one of the stupider things that's happening across our country."
Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.
Source: Aspen Times 2015 coverage of 2016 Presidential hopefuls
Ted Cruz on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 4, 2015)
I foolishly smoked pot when young, but never since
Sen. Ted Cruz's team admitted the tea party Texan smoked marijuana when he was a teen -- but never since. And he's hardly the only top-ranking politico, Republican or Democrat, to confess to the drug use in recent days."Teenagers are often known for
their lack of judgment, and Sen. Cruz was no exception," one of Mr. Cruz's campaign spokesman told The Daily Mail. "When he was a teenager, he foolishly experimented with marijuana. It was a mistake, and he's never tried it since."
Click for Ted Cruz on other issues.
Source: Washington Times 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Rand Paul on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 2, 2014)
Jailing people for 10 years for marijuana is ridiculous
Q: Tell me a couple of things that Republicans and Democrats could work together on.PAUL: One of the things I have talked to the president about is criminal justice reform. This means extending back the right to vote for people who made
youthful nonviolent mistakes, expunging their records, trying to make it easier for them to find employment. I think put somebody in jail for 10 years for possession of marijuana or sale of marijuana is ridiculous.
Some people are in jail for life. So, I have called the president, and I have told him, I agree with commuting some of these sentences, lessening some of these sentences, treating it more as a health issue.
So, I think people's opinions on criminal justice for nonviolent drug crimes has changed. That is something we could do together.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: Face the Nation 2014 interview: 2016 presidential hopefuls
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 6, 2014)
Voters were "reckless" to legalize retail marijuana
Colorado voters were "reckless" for legalizing retail marijuana, Gov. John Hickenlooper said during a pair of debates marked by candidates who dealt with uneasy positions and pivots. "I'm not saying it was reckless because
I'll get quoted everywhere, but if it was up to me, I wouldn't have done it, right?" he said during the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce debates. "I opposed it from the very beginning. Oh, what the hell, I'll say it was reckless."
The lunchtime debates between Hickenlooper and his gubernatorial challenger Bob Beauprez, and later Sen. Mark Udall and his Senate challenger Rep. Cory Gardner, were meant to focus on economic issues. The governor explained that he believed
Coloradans lacked enough data about health effects in voting for retail pot, and suggested other states should take heed.
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Source: Denver Post on 2014 Colorado Gubernatorial debate
Hillary Clinton on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 31, 2014)
Medical marijuana now; wait-and-see on recreational pot
When CNN hosted a town hall with Clinton last month, interviewer Christiane Amanpour asked her about marijuana. Clinton said she was "committing radical candor" in her answer, a reference to the newfound freedom she said she was enjoying.
Clinton said it should be available medicinally for people with "extreme conditions" and that she wants to "wait and see" the evidence in states legalizing it for recreational use before taking a position.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: Politico.com, "Clinton Book Tour"
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 1, 2014)
Failed War on Drugs paved way for pot legalization
[On marijuana legalization]: "Let's face it, the War on Drugs was a disaster. It may be well intentioned
but it sent millions of kids to prison, gave them felonies often times when they had no violent crimes. I was against this, but I can see why so many people supported it."
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: The Atlantic, "Legalization," on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Hillary Clinton on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jun 14, 2014)
Medical marijuana maybe ok; states decide recreational use
[This week], New York lawmakers approved legislation that would make it the 23rd state in the country to permit medical marijuana use, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. Voters in Alaska and possibly Oregon will decide in November whether to
join Colorado and Washington in allowing the sale of marijuana for recreational use.As the momentum behind marijuana legalization grows, the issue is becoming inescapable for potential presidential contenders in 2016. The latest to weigh in was
Hillary Clinton, who was asked about marijuana last week during her book tour. She seemed slightly more open to medical marijuana than she was during the 2008 campaign, saying it was appropriate in limited cases, but that more research was necessary.
"On recreational, you know, states are the laboratories of democracy," Mrs. Clinton told CNN interviewer Christiane Amanpour. "We have at least two states that are experimenting with that right now. I want to wait and see what the evidence is."
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: Beth Reinhard in Wall Street Journal, "Third Way"
Mike Pence on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 23, 2014)
I don't support legalization of marijuana
Q: Colorado and Washington state have legalized recreational use of small amounts of marijuana. Big pot of money there with taxes--is this is something you'd consider?PENCE: No.
Q: Why not?
PENCE: Well, I don't support legalization of marijuana
and that's been my position for a long time and will continue to be.
Q: Has the National Governors Association considered the state revenue implications?
PENCE: There is some common ground that you see at the National Governors Association and it's
the focus that Gov. Mary Fallin and others placed on workforce development. Here in Indiana, we've initiated an effort to make career and vocational education a priority in every high school. And at the National Governors Association, it seems to be a
recurring theme that making sure that we have not only the best educated, but the best skilled workforce as a pathway toward higher wages. It's a pathway toward a growing economy and it's a pathway toward a real renewal of the industrial Midwest.
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: 2014 CNN "State of the Union" interview of Mike Pence
Bill de Blasio on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 22, 2013)
50,000 arrests for marijuana possession unjust and wrong
In New York City, nearly 50,000 people were arrested last year for marijuana possession. Low-level marijuana possession arrests have disastrous consequences for individuals and their families. These arrests limit one's ability to qualify for student
financial aid and undermine one's ability to find stable housing and good jobs. What's more, recent studies demonstrate clear racial bias in arrests for low-level possession, with African-Americans arrested four times more frequently as whites--despite
roughly equal usage rates.This policy is unjust and wrong. First-time offenses for possession of small amounts of marijuana are supposed to be punishable by fine only, unless publicly displayed. However, too many young African-Americans and
Hispanics--without prior convictions--are still arrested for marijuana possession after being stopped and frisked by police, who then treat it as public display. Bill de Blasio will direct the NYPD to stop these misguided prosecutions.
Click for Bill de Blasio on other issues.
Source: 2013 Mayoral campaign website, www.billdeblasio.com
Rand Paul on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 24, 2013)
Don't promote marijuana but don't jail non-violent criminals
Q: You would like to relax some of the laws for people who possess and are smoking marijuana, and synthetic recreational drugs. Why?PAUL: The main thing I've said is not to legalize them but not to incarcerate people for extended periods of time.
With Senator Leahy, we have a bill on mandatory minimums. There are people in jail for 50 years for nonviolent crimes. And that's a huge mistake. Our prisons are full of nonviolent criminals. I don't want to encourage people to do it.
Marijuana takes away your incentive to work. I don't want to promote that but I also don't want to put people in jail who make the mistake. There are a lot of young people who do this and then later on, they get married and they quit; I don't want to
put them in jail and ruin their lives. The last two presidents could conceivably have been put in jail for their drug use, and it would have ruined their lives. They got lucky, but a lot of poor kids, particularly in the inner city, don't get lucky.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: Fox News Sunday 2013 interviews: 2016 presidential hopefuls
John Hickenlooper on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 10, 2013)
Now it's legal, but keep marijuana out of the reach of kids
Now it's legal, but keep marijuana out of the reach of kids
Some other amendments passed in November... one on federal campaign finance reform... and another, for the life of me I can't remember the third one. Oh yeah, Amendment 64. [legalizing medical marijuana].
Now it's legal, but keep marijuana out of the reach of kids
We need to expand our DUI law to keep our highways safe from those driving while impaired, and we must put in place consumer and
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.
Source: 2013 Colorado State of the State address
Cory Booker on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jul 16, 2012)
The war on drugs has failed; support medical marijuana
Newark Mayor Cory Booker took to Reddit Sunday to criticize the war on drugs, saying it was ineffective and "represents big overgrown government at its worst."The Democrat wrote during the Reddit "ask me anything" chat: "The so called War on Drugs has
not succeeded in making significant reductions in drug use, drug arrests or violence. We are pouring huge amounts of our public resources into this current effort that are bleeding our public treasury and unnecessarily undermining human potential."
Booker then called drug arrests a "game": "My police in Newark are involved in an almost ridiculous game of arresting the same people over and over again and when you talk to these men they have little belief that there is help or hope for them to
break out of this cycle," he wrote.
Booker has said he supports medical marijuana, and outlined programs he has implemented to lower drug arrests: reentry, court reform, jobs, treatment and legal aid.
Click for Cory Booker on other issues.
Source: Huffington Post, "Cory Booker & Drug War"
Elizabeth Warren on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 10, 2012)
Opposes the outright legalization of marijuana
Sen. Scott Brown and his chief Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren are both declining to say whether they support or oppose a ballot question that would legalize the medical use of marijuana in Massachusetts.
Brown said Tuesday he'd like to learn more about the proposal before taking a position on it. The Massachusetts Republican described the ballot question as "a state issue." Warren also declined to stake out a position.Warren said
Monday she looked forward to a public hearing on the ballot question. Warren said she opposes the outright legalization of marijuana.
The Legislature's Committee on Public Health held a hearing
Tuesday on the question that would allow patients with debilitating medical conditions such as cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis to get permission from their doctors to use marijuana.
Click for Elizabeth Warren on other issues.
Source: Boston Globe, "Pot Question"
Mike Bloomberg on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 29, 2011)
You bet I smoked pot, and I enjoyed it; but.
In 2010, over 50,000 New Yorkers were arrested for marijuana possession. Of those arrested, 86 percent were Black and Latino, even though national surveys show that Whites use in greater numbers.
The crackdown on marijuana crimes in New York has taken place during the term of Michael Bloomberg, who when asked if he had used marijuana responded, "You bet I did, and I enjoyed it." The injustice of a white man--one who has admitted to using,
and enjoying, marijuana--overseeing the most zealous campaign of marijuana prosecution in the world (no other city prosecutes more of its citizens for this offense), one that ends up disproportionately impacting Blacks and Latinos, is glaring.
And to add insult to injury, New Yorkers must pay, through taxes, the price to make all of these arrests. The cost of prosecuting this offense in New York City alone is estimated to range from $53 million to $88 million annually.
Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.
Source: Dealing Death and Drugs, by Beto O'Rourke, p. 91
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 29, 2011)
Low price of pot means low crime rate
Once marijuana [is smuggled across the Mexican border] to El Paso, it is valued at $240 a pound. The [raw drugs] are typically transported to stash houses where they are consolidated, repackaged, and shipped to markets nationwide. That's where the real
profits are. Street values of drugs in El Paso are much lower than in larger markets where most of the product transited through Juarez is headed.The El Paso region's role in the drug trade is mostly limited to warehouse and distribution to other
larger, more profitable American markets. This is similar to El Paso's role in the maquilla sector, where goods are manufactured in Juarez then shipped to El Paso for distribution to U.S. markets. The relatively low value of the retail drug trade in
El Paso might be one reason that the murder rate here is so low compared to other, more lucrative destination markets. The average murder rate for [U.S. destination] cities was 16 murders per 100,000 in 2010; in El Paso it was 0.8 per 100,000.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: Dealing Death and Drugs, by Beto O'Rourke, p. 36-7
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 29, 2011)
Mexico estimates US pot market at $3B; US says $14B
The Mexican government estimates that the cartels take of the marijuana market in the U.S. is between $750 million to $3 billion. For cocaine, they estimate between $1.65 billion to $4.8 billion. Heroin brings in between $300 to $700 million and
methamphetamine between $160 million to $480 million.The United States government is much more bullish about the revenues made Mexican drug cartels, estimating that Mexican cartels bring home between $15 billion to
$30 billion annually from illicit drug sales. At one point, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy estimated that more than 60 percent of the cartels' revenue--$8.6 billion out of $13.8 billion in 2006--came from
U.S. marijuana sales. They retracted those estimates in 2010, but continue to assert that marijuana is the top revenue generator for Mexican drug cartels.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: Dealing Death and Drugs, by Beto O'Rourke, p. 42
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 29, 2011)
Regulating drug market would bring in billions of revenue
The cost to prosecute marijuana prohibition is not cheap. Nationally, is close to $9 billion annually. On the other side of the ledger, states could expect to collect almost $3 billion in new taxes and the federal government nearly $6 billion if
marijuana was taxed at rates comparable to alcohol and tobacco.As governments at all levels desperately search for services to cut and revenues to raise, a rational policy of regulation and taxation of marijuana sales could provide much needed help.
Think of the number of local police officers, federal agents, judges, court personnel, prison guards and parole officers involved in attempting to uphold this prohibition against marijuana. Regulating and controlling the market would
reduce the police power of the government for what is widely recognized as a trifling crime, allow it to focus resources on greater need, and generate additional tax revenue.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: Dealing Death and Drugs, by Beto O'Rourke, p. 92
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 29, 2011)
Legalization closes "gateway" effect of marijuana
A popular theory is that marijuana is a "gateway drug," meaning that the use of this drug will lead to the use of other, harder drugs. To buy marijuana in the U.S., you must purchase it from an illegal drug dealer. There is a good chance that the same
dealer is also selling other, harder drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines. It is in his interests to get you to buy these other offerings.If you buy dope in a coffee shop in Amsterdam, where marijuana is decriminalized, you can only
add a coffee or a hot chocolate to your order. In the U.S., your choices often include an array of toxic recreational drugs. It is no wonder that in the Netherlands the lifetime prevalence of cocaine use is 2 percent while in the U.S. it is 16 percent.
The Dutch have effectively closed the gateway from marijuana to other drugs.
Regulate marijuana and you remove other more pernicious options from the 42 percent of Americans who try marijuana in their lifetime.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: Dealing Death and Drugs, by Beto O'Rourke, p. 94
Beto O`Rourke on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 29, 2011)
2009: US arrested 758,000 adult citizens for pot possession
In 2009, the United States arrested 758,593 of its own adult citizens for merely possessing marijuana. That a negotiation of goods for money--between two consenting adults--can result in the arrest of both parties, is stunning.These arrestees are now
permanently scarred and marked in the systems of justice, employment, and social standing. Their chance of becoming productive members of society is now diminished. And the alternatives of crime and illicit activity become more obvious.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.
Source: Dealing Death and Drugs, by Beto O'Rourke, p. 89-90
Joe Biden on Marijuana:
(Drugs Dec 24, 2010)
Marijuana is a gateway drug; legalization is a mistake
Leave it to the White House to take a position to the right of Pat Robertson, who questioned the nation's pot laws this week. VP Joe Biden tells ABC, "There's a difference between sending (someone) to jail for a few ounces and legalizing it.
The punishment should fit the crime. But I think legalization is a mistake. I still believe it's a gateway drug. I've spent a lot of my life as chairman of the Judiciary Committee dealing with this. I think it would be a mistake to legalize."
This comment comes on the heels of Robertson's statement: "I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kinda thing
(is) costing us a fortune and it's ruining young people. Young people go into prisons - they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That's not a good thing."
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.
Source: CelebStoner.com Entertainment News
Rand Paul on Marijuana:
(Principles & Values Oct 18, 2010)
I'm "a pro-life Christian"; denies worshiping "Aqua Buddha"
Conway's campaign asks in a new statewide ad, "Why did Rand Paul once tie a woman up, tell her to bow down before a false idol & say his god was Aqua Buddha?" The latter claim refers to a charge made in the GQ article by an unnamed college swim teammate,
who said Paul and another student also tried to force her to smoke marijuana. The episode reportedly occurred in 1983. Paul has called the claim "ridiculous" and said he was "never involved with kidnapping." During a Saturday debate, Conway repeated
the allegation against Paul--triggering one of the angriest exchanges of the 2010 campaign season. "You know, Jack, you know how we tell when you're lying? It's when your lips are moving. OK?" Paul sputtered. "You're going to stand over there and accuse
me of a crime for 30 years ago from some anonymous source?" He added: "Jack, have you no decency? Have you no shame?"
Paul describes himself as a "pro-life Christian" and says his faith is "something very personal to me, my wife, my kids."
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: National Post coverage of 2010 Kentucky Senate debate
Rand Paul on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 20, 2010)
Favors legalizing medical marijuana
How conservative is he? The 47-year-old Paul wants to abolish the federal departments of education, commerce and energy, as well as the income tax.Like Palin, with whom Paul now stands atop the Tea Party cake, he is opposed to all government bailouts
and earmarks, and President Obama's "socialist" health care law. He favors a constitutional amendment banning abortion, even in cases of rape and incest.
But in a libertarian twist, he also favors legalizing medical marijuana.
Click for Rand Paul on other issues.
Source: David Saltonstall in Daily News, "New Hero of Tea Party"
Jesse Ventura on Marijuana:
(Drugs Mar 8, 2010)
Banks & prison-industrial complex gets rich on the drug war
Federal law still considers marijuana a dangerous illegal drug, although 14 states have now enacted laws allowing for some use for medical purposes.Let me cite a few statistics that I find mind-boggling. According to NORML, an advocacy group for
legalizing marijuana, more than 700,000 of America's estimated 20 million pot-smokers got arrested in 2008. About HALF of the 200,000 inmates in our federal prisons are in there for drug-related offenses. Between 1970 and 2007, we saw a 547% increase in
our prison population, mainly because of our drug policies. Of course, that's just fine with the new prison-industrial complex, where corporations are now running the show. We as taxpayers shell out $68 billion every year for prisons, & a lot of that end
up going into private contractors' pockets!
Of course, they're not the only ones getting rich. Well-documented federal reports lead to the conclusion that American banks are "collectively the world's largest financial beneficiary of the drug trade."
Click for Jesse Ventura on other issues.
Source: American Conspiracies, by Jesse Ventura, p.114
Jesse Ventura on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 1, 2008)
Let states decide medical marijuana laws
Early in 2001 Bush stated that he was a strong believer in giving more power to the states, which I applaud. He was going to be, he said, an old-style Federalist president. I believed him.
Yet just about every move he's made since that day has taken power away from the states. Cases in point: 12 states have now passed laws to allow the medical use of marijuana.
The federal government under Bush says no way, it won't let the states do this. 2 states have voted for dignity in death. If I'm living in MN and terminally ill,
I could have the option of moving to Oregon and fulfill my wishes not to prolong the agony. Again, the Bush administration says, oh no, you can't.
Click for Jesse Ventura on other issues.
Source: Don`t Start the Revolution, by Jesse Ventura, p. 67
Jesse Ventura on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 1, 2008)
Treat marijuana like we treat alcohol and tobacco
I wish that Canada and Mexico would legalize marijuana, because that would put the US on an island. You'd have two countries proving, like the city of Amsterdam has, that making drugs legal is not a negative formula, but the best way to deal with the
problem. Making something illegal doesn't mean it goes away, it just means criminals are going to run it.Why not treat marijuana in the same way as alcohol or tobacco? It's so widely used, and it has medical purposes that are denied by the US Food and
Drug Administration. Numerous doctors and private studies have clearly shown that medicinal marijuana is a painkiller that can help cancer and AIDS patients and can also be used to treat glaucoma.
The fact is growing hemp for industrial purposes would
make it a very useful plant. It can be a fiber for clothing, a source of paper, even an alternative fuel. Canada is already using hemp this way. I simply don't see that cannabis grows wild on earth just so humans can eradicate it.
Click for Jesse Ventura on other issues.
Source: Don`t Start the Revolution, by Jesse Ventura, p.189-190
Jesse Ventura on Marijuana:
(Principles & Values Apr 1, 2008)
Supports libertarianism with a small "l"
Describing himself as a libertarian with a small "I"--liberal on social issues, conservative on fiscal issues---ex-Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura today set forth an independent platform that included ending the "so-called war on drugs" by
legalizing marijuana and bringing home all American troops from military bases around the world--"unless these countries want to compensate us for guarding their borders."
Click for Jesse Ventura on other issues.
Source: Don`t Start the Revolution, by Jesse Ventura, p.307
Mike Gravel on Marijuana:
(Drugs Nov 11, 2007)
War on drugs is a total failure
On certain facets of social policy, Gravel happily goes out on a limb that the mainstream candidates, whatever their personal views, would never dare test. On the war on drugs: “I think the
American people realize the war on drugs is a total failure--waste of time, waste of money. What’s wrong with marijuana? You can go out to buy a fifth of gin and do more damage to yourself.”
Click for Mike Gravel on other issues.
Source: The Contenders, by Laura Flanders, p.197-198
Barack Obama on Marijuana:
(Drugs Aug 14, 2007)
Experimented with cocaine but turned down heroin
The teenage years mark a period of rebellion for males, and Obama’s racial turmoil only exacerbated those natural feelings. He was always a solid B student, but by his senior year, he was slacking off in his schoolwork in favor of basketball, beach time
parties. He also, as he described it later, “dabbled in drugs and alcohol.” He would buy a six-pack of Heineken after school and polish off the bottles while shooting baskets. He also smoked marijuana and experimented with snorting cocaine but demurred
from heroin when he said a drug supplier seemed far too eager to have him experience it. Later, Obama noted that white kids, Hawaiian kids and wealthy kids also turn to drugs to soothe whatever causes them pain.His grandmother recalled that she and he
husband discussed Barry’s declining grades and grew concerned about his possible drug use and overall lack of direction. Obama, however, questioned his elderly grandmother’s memory, [claiming it] was a very transitory period in his life.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: From Promise to Power, by David Mendell, p. 45-46
Mike Gravel on Marijuana:
(Drugs Aug 9, 2007)
Allow buying marijuana at liquor stores
We have to address the whole drug issue. I see no reason between marijuana and booze or alcohol, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to go to a liquor store and buy marijuana.
It has recuperative powers.
Click for Mike Gravel on other issues.
Source: 2007 HRC/LOGO debate on gay issues
Mike Gravel on Marijuana:
(Drugs Feb 26, 2007)
Legalize the use and possession of marijuana
Senator Gravel advocates for the legalization of the use and possession of marijuana and ending the war on drugs and treating drugs as a medical problem rather than a criminal problem.
Click for Mike Gravel on other issues.
Source: Wikipedia.org article on Mike Gravel campaign
Barack Obama on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 3, 2007)
Admitted marijuana use in high school & college
Long before he was in the national media spotlight, Barack Obama had this to say about himself: “Junkie. Pothead. That’s where I’d been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man... I got high [to] push questions of who
I was out of my mind.” Obama’s revelations were not an issue during his Senate campaign two years ago. But now his open narrative of early, bad choices, including drug use starting in high school and ending in college, are sure to receive new scrutiny.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: Lois Romano, Washington Post, p. A1 on 2008 election
Bill Weld on Marijuana:
(Drugs Aug 25, 2005)
Favors medical marijuana and needle-exchange programs
Although he has favored medical marijuana and needle-exchange programs, he does not, as is occasionally assumed, support drug legalization and
has bragged about prosecuting "drug thugs" while serving in the Reagan Justice Department.
Click for Bill Weld on other issues.
Source: W. James Antle III in Spectator Magazine
Ken Salazar on Marijuana:
(Drugs Sep 12, 2004)
Opposed 2000 initiative for medical use of marijuana
Ken Salazar, as chief legal counsel for Colorado, vigorously opposed the citizen-led initiative that approved medical use of marijuana in 2000. If elected to the Senate, he will be responsible for writing federal law, rather than advising the state
on laws already enacted. As a legislator, will he support Colorado voters or will he continue the draconian anti-medical marijuana policies of his predecessors? It is time for Salazar to declare his position on this issue.
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Source: Denver Post: Letters To The Editor
Mike Bloomberg on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 10, 2002)
You bet I smoked pot; and I enjoyed it
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Foundation, (NORML), launched a new $500,000 ad campaign in New York City this week, urging an end to the massive number of arrests of pot smokers in this city, and features NYC Mayor Michael
Bloomberg’s quote on his own use of pot. “You bet I did. And I enjoyed it,” said then Mayoral candidate Bloomberg just before the elections last year when a New York magazine reporter asked about his pot use. “I’m not thrilled they’re using my name.
I suppose there’s that First Amendment that gets in the way of me stopping it,“ Bloomberg told reporters when informed of the NORML ads graced with His Honor’s face and attributing the quote to him. But Bloomberg added that the NYPD will continue to
vigorously enforce the laws. The campaign includes a full-page ad in the New York Times, as well as posters for bus stops, buses, and phone booths. There are also two 60-second radio ads that will be played by the top stations in the city.
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Source: Preston Peet, www.drugwar.com
Mike Bloomberg on Marijuana:
(Drugs Apr 10, 2002)
NYPD will continue to vigorously enforce drug laws
[When he learned that NORML would use his image and his words on pro-marijuana advertisements, Bloomberg said] that the NYPD will continue to vigorously enforce the laws [against marijuana use]. In 1992, when former Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani took office, there were just 2,000 arrests of pot smokers. Until that time, cops would usually issue a ticket and fine instead of arresting people, yet by 2000,
NYC was arresting approximately 50,000 people for simple use and possession every year, nearly a 1,000 a week. The NYPD now runs most every pot smoker they catch through the criminal court system, which can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours, or longer,
subjecting marijuana users to dangers far above and beyond any resulting from their simple use of pot, and the city will oftentimes attempt to coerce those arrested to plea out to charges they don’t deserve under the law.
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Source: Preston Peet, www.drugwar.com
Ken Salazar on Marijuana:
(Drugs May 31, 2001)
Medical marijuana partly allowed, but he doesn’t like it
The attorney general’s office concluded, regarding United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Cooperative, that:- a) the Supreme Court’s ruling does not invalidate Colorado’s medical marijuana law; and
- b) the ruling does not prevent the State
from moving forward to meet the requirements of Colorado’s constitutional amendment concerning the medical use of marijuana.
Salazar noted that he personally opposed passage of the medical marijuana initiative last year for a variety of reasons,
including that the initiative could not legalize marijuana use under federal law, as the US Supreme Court has now confirmed. “All Colorado citizens must understand that possession, manufacture and distribution of marijuana by any person or organization,
even for purposes of medical treatment, continues to constitute a violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act,” Salazar warned. “’Medical necessity’ is not a defense to the federal prohibition notwithstanding the state’s law to the contrary.”
Click for Ken Salazar on other issues.
Source: Attorney General’s Press Release, "Marijuana Consequences"
John Kasich on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 19, 1999)
Educate students that marijuana is a gateway drug
I first heard Jessica Hulsey speak at the President's Summit for America's Future in April 1997, and her account of her childhood on the streets of Long Beach, California, with addicts for parents. Jessica hates the drugs but not the abusers.
Although she opposes any legalization of drugs, she thinks treatment, not jail, is the answer for most drug abusers. If people must be jailed, she thinks, they must receive treatment there.
She thinks more anti-drug education, starting at earlier ages, is needed in the schools. She warns students that marijuana is both addictive and a "gateway" to other drugs. She would like to see tougher laws against drunk driving.
Based on her own life experience, she wants to see drug abuse treated more as a public health problem.
I have no doubt we will hear more of Jessica and her war on drugs.
Click for John Kasich on other issues.
Source: Courage is Contagious, by John Kasich, p. 69&79-80
Jesse Ventura on Marijuana:
(Drugs Jan 1, 1999)
Stop being so afraid of marijuana; some uses are OK
Our government has the weirdest bias against cannabis. There’s no reason for everybody to be so afraid of it. It’s not the antichrist the DEA makes it out to be. Industrial hemp is a very useful plant. I challenged the attorney general to get rid of the
criminal stigma associated with hemp so we can look at it in terms of how it might be useful. And government has no business telling us what we can and can’t use for pain relief.
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Source: Ain’t Got Time To Bleed, p. 38
Bill Weld on Marijuana:
(Drugs Oct 19, 1996)
Less welfare for drug users; tougher sentences for offenders
A high school student asked the candidates to lay out specific plans to reduce marijuana use among minors. "You need massive education," said
Kerry, who reiterated his support for after-school programs in public schools to keep kids off the streets.In response, Weld went after his opponent, accusing
Kerry of funding welfare payments to drug users. "You're not doing the addicts any favors if you're giving them cash," the governor said. Kerry denied the charge.
Weld said his solution to the state's drug problem includes tougher sentences for drug offenders and education programs aimed at seven- to nine-year-olds.
Click for Bill Weld on other issues.
Source: Harvard Crimson on Kerry/Weld debates
Hillary Clinton on Marijuana:
(Drugs Sep 25, 1996)
Involved parents most influential in reducing teen drug use
Some factors that increase the risk of substance abuse in adolescents deserve emphasis. Casual attitudes towards marijuana and minors’ access to cigarettes raise the likelihood that teenagers will make a sad progression to more serious drug use
& earlier sexual activity. Dropping out of school puts the child at greater risk, as does having a parent who is an abuser of alcohol or drugs.One reason my husband is adamant about curbing smoking is the fact that he learned firsthand in his own
family, about the slippery slope that begins with the use of one addictive substance and leads to other destructive behaviors.
The characteristics that keep kids from using drugs are hard to quantify but not to understand. Children who truly grasp tha
they have a choice to make in the matter are more likely to make a responsible one. So are children with high self-esteem. Most influential of all is the optimism & awareness that comes from knowing their parents are interested & involved in their lives.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: It Takes A Village, by Hillary Clinton, p.152-153
Page last updated: Mar 01, 2022
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