Here’s Where the 2020 Presidential Hopefuls Stand on Legal Marijuana
We combed through the Democratic candidates’ websites and compiled their official stances on cannabis legalization, community reinvestment and social equity.
Michael Bennet: While we weren’t able to find specific marijuana-related language on Bennet’s website, he has a long history of supporting legislation related to marijuana law reform.
Joe Biden: Biden’s Justice plan does not mention legalizing adult-use marijuana. However it does note “Biden believes no one should be in jail because of cannabis use” and pledges that “as president, [Biden] will decriminalize cannabis use and automatically expunge prior convictions. And, he will support the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes, leave decisions regarding legalization for recreational use up to the states, and reschedule cannabis as a schedule II drug so researchers can study its positive and negative impacts.”
Michael Bloomberg: No mention of marijuana on his website. In 2019 he was of the opinion that “marijuana legalization is the stupidest thing anybody has ever done” and pledged to fight it using the resources of Bloomberg Philanthropies. More recent statements from his spokesperson indicates he may have softened a bit on the issue.
Pete Buttigieg: According to his Douglass Plan, Buttigieg would “on the federal level, eliminate incarceration for drug possession, reduce sentences for other drug offenses and apply these reductions retroactively, legalize marijuana and expunge past convictions.”
Tulsi Gabbard: Found in the Marijuana and Legalization section of her website: “The failed war on drugs is an attack on our values of freedom and fairness as Americans. In recent years, many states have taken initiative by legalizing marijuana, reforming drug laws and sentencing guidelines, and winding down the “War on Drugs.”
Amy Klobuchar: No mention of marijuana on her official website. That said, her spokesperson told CNN she “supports the legalization of marijuana and believes that states should have the right to determine the best approach to marijuana within their borders.”
Deval Patrick: From his Fairness in Criminal Justice Platform. Patrick would “remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I drugs, repeal laws making it a federal offense to possess it, and make those changes retroactive.” He goes on to note “any change in our marijuana laws must be coupled with (i) equity for those currently incarcerated for marijuana offenses, (ii) additional research into, and awareness about, the effects of using marijuana, and (iii) support for legal marijuana entrepreneurs in communities disproportionately affected by criminal marijuana enforcement.”
Bernie Sanders: From the Legalizing Marijuana section of his website. Sanders plans to “legalize marijuana in the first 100 days via executive action, vacate and expunge all past marijuana-related convictions, ensure that revenue from legal marijuana is reinvested in communities hit hardest by the War on Drug and ensure legalized marijuana does not turn into big tobacco.”
Tom Steyer: From Steyer’s Criminal Justice Reform plan. “Tom will legalize marijuana, let states pass their own policies, expunge past records, and direct the federal government to open banking services to the marijuana industry.”
Elizabeth Warren: From Warren’s Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform Plan. “For four decades, we’ve subscribed to a “War on Drugs” theory of crime, which has criminalized addiction, ripped apart families — and largely failed to curb drug use. This failure has been particularly harmful for communities of color, and we need a new approach. It starts with legalizing marijuana and erasing past convictions…”
Andrew Yang: Found in the Legalize Marijuana section of his website. “We need to resolve the ambiguity and legalize marijuana at the federal level. This would improve safety, social equity, and generate tens of billions of dollars in new revenue based on legal cannabis businesses.”
