The legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic for decades, and is even more so now that we’re in election season. It seems Americans are beginning to warm up to the idea, at least in terms of its medical benefits. Yesterday, the Associated Press and the University of Chicago released a survey that found that 61 percent of Americans support legalization of the drug.
Regarding presidential candidates, Bernie Sanders has proved to be a consistent pro-marijuana legalization candidate — one who wants to not only further the cause, but also help those who get stuck behind jail and prison walls for recreational use. Other presidential candidates offer insincere and irrational stances.
This survey was more extensive than past surveys in that is asked a follow-up question regarding recreational use and medical use. Twenty-four percent of cannabis legalization supporters said that the drug should only be available to those with a medical prescription. Furthermore, 43 percent of the 61 percent of advocates agreed that there should be “restrictions on purchase amounts.” Only one-third of the supporters said there should be no restrictions on the amount of marijuana.
“The growing level of support for legalization that we see in poll after poll is exactly why we’re now in a situation — for the first time in history — where every major presidential candidate in both parties has pledged to let states set their own marijuana laws without federal interference,” said Tom Angell of the Marijuana Majority, a marijuana reform group.
Take Ted Cruz, for example. In 2014, the presidential hopeful criticized President Obama for “not imprisoning marijuana users in Colorado.” Back then, he sided with federal jurisdiction, rather than state legislation. However, a year later at Conservative Political Action Conference, he stated that:
“If the citizens of Colorado decide they want to go down that road, that’s their prerogative.”
Flip-flopper much?
And what about Hillary Clinton? Her approach is to “wait and see.” Simply put: she’s waiting to see what happens in Colorado and Washington before forming an opinion.
What if this was her method of developing a stance on every issue? We’d never advance as a nation.
Of course, Donald Trump’s radical views on marijuana legalization come as no surprise. His views are that “if drug lords are to be created, they better be made in the USA.” In his eyes, winning the war against drugs begins with the complete legalization of all drugs.
“If drug lords are to be created, they better be made in the USA,” he previously stated.
Not only is this idea completely outrageous, but it foreshadows consequences far worse than a continued war on drug. Legalize all drugs? How about starting with the drug that actually helps people.
Last but not least, we have Bernie Sanders.
Since 2001, the beloved presidential candidate has expressed his die-hard support for legalization of the drug, and can you really blame him? Not only did he co-sponsor the States Rights to Medical Marijuana Act, but he also recently advocated for an initiative to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.
Better yet, the presidential hopeful contrasts Clinton’s views on the drug in that he proposes that incarcerated offenders should have access to drug treatment in order to reduce recidivism rates.
The Bern has been felt by lawmakers and others, and when compared to the candidates previously mentioned, Sanders upholds the most sensible drug policy when talking about no-strings-attached, nationwide marijuana legalization.
Featured image via Flickr by Tony Webster available under a Creative Commons license.
