Once a politically volatile subject, marijuana reforms have become a major campaign topic in the upcoming election. Both the Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls are staking out positions on whether to allow legal medical or recreational marijuana use or maintain its illegality.
Marijuana legalization has taken root in the Democratic presidential nominations with most of the contenders supporting changes to the laws. New Jersey senator Cory Booker is sponsoring the Marijuana Justice Act, which looks to legalize marijuana nationwide. The bill has so far received considerable support, including from some of his fellow candidates.
Senators Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand (who dropped out of the presidential race in August), and Elizabeth Warren have all signed on to Booker’s bill.
Former vice president Joe Biden is the only exception among the Democratic candidates. Biden has long positioned himself as a drug warrior. During his long career in Congress, Biden served as the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he championed more stringent rules and federal support for anti-cannabis efforts.
Currently, Biden supports removing marijuana from being a Schedule 1 controlled substance. This would allow states to decide whether to legalize marijuana or not and open up more scientific testing on…
