Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016/Marijuana
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There were more than a dozen potential and certified ballot measures relating to the legalization or regulation of marijuana in 2016. With a majority of Americans supporting the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, marijuana became a key social and criminal justice issue in the 2016 presidential election.[1][2][3]
Proponents argued that legalization could lead to increased revenues for the state, improved health for consumers, and better law enforcement outcomes. Opponents were concerned with marijuana's potential impact on substance abuse, road safety, minors, and the environment.
See below what Hillary Clinton and the 2016 Democratic Party Platform said about marijuana.
| CANDIDATE SUMMARY | |
Clinton on marijuana
- In 2016, Hillary Clinton received a grade of B+ from the Marijuana Policy Project for her support of medicinal marijuana research and the reclassification of marijuana as a Schedule II drug.[4]
- According to her 2016 presidential campaign website, Clinton believed that federal law enforcement should be focused on violent crime rather than simple marijuana possession. It continued, "Marijuana arrests, including for simple possession, account for a large number of drug arrests. Significant racial disparities exist in marijuana enforcement—black men are significantly more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white counterparts, despite the fact that their usage rates are similar. Hillary will allow states that have enacted marijuana laws to act as laboratories of democracy and reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule II substance."[5]
- On November 7, 2015, Clinton proposed loosening restrictions on marijuana and rescheduling the drug in order to spur medical research. She said, "What I do want is for us to support research into medical marijuana because a lot more states have passed medical marijuana than have legalized marijuana, so we have got two different experiences or even experiments going on right now. The problem with medical marijuana is there is a lot of anecdotal evidence about how well it works for certain conditions. But we haven't done any research. Why? Because it is considered that is called a schedule one drug and you can't even do research in it." She recommended reclassifying the drug to Schedule II.[6]
- Clinton said on October 14, 2015, that she would like Colorado to continue experimenting with marijuana policy. She said, “I really believe it’s important that states like Colorado lead the way so we can learn what works and what doesn’t work. I would certainly not want the federal government to interfere with the legal decision made by the people of Colorado.”[7]
- In June 2014, Clinton said that she supported medical marijuana use “for people who are in extreme medical conditions." When asked about legalizing marijuana for recreational use, she said, "We have at least two states that are experimenting with that right now. I want to wait and see what the evidence is." Clinton said she would never try marijuana. "Absolutely not. I didn’t do it when I was young, I’m not going to start now," she said.[8]
- Read what other presidential candidates said about marijuana.
| The 2016 Democratic Party Platform on marijuana | |||
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Recent news
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Quinnipiac University, "Allow Marijuana for Vets With PTSD, U.S. Voters Say 10-1, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Slim Majority Says Legalize Marijuana In General," June 6, 2016
- ↑ Gallup, "In U.S., 58% Back Legal Marijuana Use," October 21, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Support for marijuana legalization has hit an all-time high," March 25, 2016
- ↑ Marijuana Policy Project, "2016 Presidential Candidates," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ Hillary for America, "Criminal justice reform," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "Hillary Clinton proposes loosening restrictions on marijuana," November 7, 2015
- ↑ KUSA, "Hillary Clinton: Feds shouldn't 'interfere with' legal pot," October 14, 2015
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Hillary Clinton Leaves Door Open On Marijuana Legalization," June 18, 2014
- ↑ Democratic Party, "The 2016 Democratic Party Platform," accessed August 5, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
