Presidential Candidates… on Weed

So, who should you vote for in the presidential race? There are many issues on which to judge the candidates and many perspectives on the issues. At HIGH TIMES, we won’t delve into the foreign policy, economics, and social programs each candidate supports or rejects, but rather the subject you all want to know about. You may have seen the candidates, but have you seen the candidates… on weed?

Hillary Clinton: The Democratic former Secretary of State is decent on the marijuana issue, offering her qualified support for medical marijuana, though she still thinks the issue “needs more research”. Sec’y Clinton also believes marijuana should be rescheduled down to Schedule II, alongside cocaine, methamphetamine, and Oxycontin. She’s referred to Colorado and Washington legalization as “laboratories of democracy” and expressed support for the right of states to go forward with legalization, but stopping short of endorsing legalization at the federal level.

Bernie Sanders: As of press time, Senator Sanders was still pressing for the nomination at the July 25 Democratic convention. If he’s a viable candidate in November, Sen. Sanders would be great for marijuana reform. He believes states have the right to legalize for medical and recreational use, and he has sponsored the only bill in Congress to legalize at the federal level. He has also said he supports the legalization efforts in Nevada and California, specifically.

Donald Trump: The Republican nominee is probably the worst of the five candidates on the marijuana issue. He’s been all over the map on reform; in the 1990s he was saying we should legalize all drugs, but as a GOP candidate, he opposes adult legalization. Mr. Trump has offered support for the right of states to set medical marijuana policies, however.

Gary Johnson: The former two-term New Mexico governor was nominated by the Libertarians and is also a great candidate for marijuana reform. He openly supports the legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use, even admitting his own medical and recreational marijuana use to make the point. Gov. Johnson was also recently the CEO of a medical marijuana corporation before resigning for his presidential run.

Jill Stein: The candidate of the Green Party is also highly regarded for her stance on marijuana reform. Dr. Stein supports the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana and has said she would remove marijuana from the federal Schedule I designation that treats it like heroin, LSD, and PCP.

You know we’ve come a long way when all the candidates support state-level medical marijuana programs and only one doesn’t support state’s rights for legalizing recreational marijuana.