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Dem Debate Uncovers Surprising Stances on Marijuana Legalization

Richard Battle

October 15th, 2015

Policy, Top Story

The first Democratic presidential debate was predictably dominated by front-runner Hillary Clinton, but comments about the legalization of marijuana managed to surprise some viewers.

Bernie Sanders Endorses Legalization

Bernie Sanders, a socialist senator from Vermont, became the first major-party candidate to endorse marijuana legalization and even admitted to smoking marijuana in the past. In addition, the senator indicated the drug-related arrests were out of control and these arrests were ruining lives by turning non-violent offenders into felons. Jail or prison time can separate families, while felony charges make it difficult to find employment.

“I suspect that I would vote yes,” said Sanders during the debate. “I am seeing in this country too many lives being destroyed for nonviolent offenses.”

According to DrugPolicy.org, the U.S. spends more than $51 million on the War on Drugs each year with 1.5 million people arrested in 2013 alone for non-violent drug charges. The number of people charged with marijuana law violations who were arrested for possession only amounted to 609,423 – or 88% of those arrested for marijuana law violations in general. These dynamics have contributed to one of the highest incarceration rates in the world.

Bernie Sanders has polled at about 24.4% compared to 45.6% for Hillary Clinton, according to the latest HuffPost Pollster averages.

Clinton Refuses to Take a Position

Hillary Clinton refused to take a position on the legalization of marijuana on stage, sticking to her hallmark political pragmatism. Earlier this year, she told CNN that she wanted to “wait and see” how legalization goes in the states before making a national decision, but cast some doubt on medical marijuana by questioning the amount of research conducted on the drug. She also labeled marijuana a “gateway drug” later in the year.

If she runs against a Republican in 2016, many activists fear that she will take the middle ground and continue erring to the conservative side. Mrs. Clinton’s general pragmatism could also lead to her not taking much action to support legalization when in office, which could let important issues like marijuana banking, drug schedule conflicts, and conflicting national and state laws fester and become even bigger problems.

The conservative stance on marijuana could also hurt her in the general elections given the strong support for legalization throughout the U.S. According to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll, 49% of Americans think marijuana should be legalized, while only 38% opposed legalization. Approximately 55% said they would support their state passing a law that legalizes recreational pot as long as it was taxed and limited to 21 years or older and state residents.

Opponent Stances

The biggest risk for Democrats is that younger voters that feel strongly about legalization may drift into the independent camp or side with a potential Republican supporter.

In June, Kentucky senator and Republican candidate Rand Paul made history by becoming the first presidential candidate to raise money from the legal cannabis industry. He also sponsored a bill allowing states to set their own policies regarding medical marijuana and has been a vocal supporter of reduced criminal punishments for those arrested for using or possessing the drug, while framing the debate as a states’ rights issue rather than a federal issue.

Other candidates like Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, and others have also taken a rather hands-off approach to the drug, while others like Chris Christie have taken a hardline approach against the drug.

In the end, cannabis advocates will be closely watching who wins both Republican and Democratic primaries to see how the vote will play out. Both parties have candidates that could potentially endorse marijuana, but their approaches tend to be in making it either a federal or a state issue.

This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.

About Richard Battle

Mr. Battle has over a decade of experience in the financial markets as both a private investor and financial journalist.

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