Election 2016: Where Do The Presidential Candidates Stand On Legalizing Marijuana?
It's high time this nation came to a consensus on the legalization of marijuana.
Today is April 20. For some Americans, it’s just another day of the week; for others, it’s a national holiday to celebrate all things related to marijuana and cannabis culture. Whether you think marijuana is an evil weed or you smoke two joints before you smoke two joints and then you smoke two more, it’s plain to see that the legalization of marijuana, be it for recreational or medical use, has swept the nation in recent years, and it’s now become a major political issue.
In honor of 4/20 Day, we thought it would be appropriate to spell out where we stand today in terms of the legalization of marijuana, where we may be later this year thanks to various bills and ballot questions, and what the future may hold under the leadership of any of the five political candidates vying for the title of president.
According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), this is a map of the states that have legalized marijuana for recreational or medical use, or have decriminalized certain marijuana possession offenses:
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(Image via NORML.)
Later this year, at least 10 states may legalize the recreational use of marijuana, including, but not limited to, states like Arizona, California, Nevada, and Vermont (all highly likely); Connecticut, Michigan, and Rhode Island (perhaps); and Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York (yeah right).
Where do our five presidential candidates stand on the issue? We’ll be blunt: not many are in favor of recreational marijuana, but most recognize that this is a state issue.
- Ted Cruz
- John Kasich
- Donald Trump
- Hillary Clinton
- Bernie Sanders
While Cruz is against the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, earlier this month, he said the following at a convention rally in Colorado: “I think on the question of marijuana legalization, we should leave it to the states. If it were me personally, voting on it in the state of Texas, I would vote against it. The people of Colorado have made a different decision. I respect that decision. And actually, it is an opportunity for the rest of the country to see what happens here in Colorado, what happens in Washington state, see the states implement the policies, and if it works well, other states may choose to follow. If it doesn’t work well other states may choose not to follow.” If you puff-puff-pass those votes, Cruz won’t mind.
While Kasich is vehemently opposed to marijuana legalization (including for medical use), he did throw activists a roach during a February 2016 town hall meeting when he said he thought we could “take a look at” medical marijuana. On the whole, he seems wishy-washy on whether states may choose to implement their own marijuana laws, but claims he wouldn’t challenge those laws if he were elected president. Last April, Kasich said: “In my state and across this country, if I happened to be president, I would lead a significant campaign down at the grassroots level to stomp these drugs out of our country.” If it were up to Kasich, marijuana legalization of all types would be cached.
Trump’s opinions on the legalization of marijuana have been changed more often than the filter on a stoner’s most frequently used bowl. In 1990, in an interview with the Miami Herald, Trump said all drugs need to be legalized, including marijuana. He later changed his view, and now he’s strongly opposed to the legalization of marijuana for recreational use (though he does agree that it’s a states’ rights issue). Medical marijuana, on the other hand, is a-okay in Trump’s book — he says he’s 100 percent for it.
Clinton supports access to medical marijuana, but is playing the waiting game to come out with a real opinion on the legalization on recreational marijuana. In March, she had this to say about medical marijuana: “I think what the states are doing right now needs to be supported, and I absolutely support all the states that are moving toward medical marijuana.” Perhaps most importantly, Clinton has said that marijuana needs to be reclassified as a Schedule II drug to permit more medical research. Kine bud for Clinton?
Sanders supporters feel the Bern, but is he feeling the burn himself? Pass the dutchie on the left hand side, because of course he is. Sanders strongly supports allowing states to legalize marijuana for both recreational and medical use. According to his campaign site, he’d end the federal prohibition on marijuana, and would permit marijuana businesses to work legally with banks without fear of prosecution. Sanders has even admitted to inhaling marijuana, saying, “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.”
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The people have spoken, and according to a recent Gallup poll, at 58 percent, support for the legalization of marijuana is at an all-time high. Which presidential candidate will be most likely to lead our country into the future on this issue? After the Republican and Democratic nominees are chosen, you need to get to the polls on November 8, 2016, and make your voice heard — it’s high time this nation came to a consensus on legalization.
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Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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