Who is saying what? Candidates and MMJ

When we look forward to the 2016 Presidential elections, there are hundreds of positions to cover. Front and center for many voters, is what position their potential candidate has in regards to Medical Marijuana and legalized Cannabis. Today we take a look at the likely nominees from each side of the aisle.

In 2014, voters in Colorado and Washington showed their support for legalized Cannabis by voting for laws allowing Adult-use, in addition to the existing voter approved Medical Marijuana programs. The fastest growing industry in the nation was off of the ground and as the "Green Rush" continued, powerful players emerged from the woodwork. This included big business and the politicly savvy who smelled the changing winds. Support for Medical Marijuana was and continues to be at an all-time high.

We assume many of you would agree with us when we say, having Presidential candidates fielding Marijuana questions is something we never use to see and something we never really expected. In todays world, Medical Marijuana is a real issue and will undoubtedly be a topic that will require the candidates attention. If Marijuana was running for president, it would enjoy a landslide victory. Over 80% of Americans have favorable opinions about Medical Marijuana, meanwhile, neither candidate mentioned here has over 50% favorability rating in current polling.

We'll start with the wild card -

If Bernie Sanders somehow gains the endorsement to run as the Democratic nominee, he is the man! Sanders has said numerous times that he is for the legalization and regulation of Cannabis. This would make it federally legal and it will allow scientists and Universities to conduct meaningful human trials to determine the efficacy of Cannabis as a medicine. If you are a one issue voter and MMJ is your one issue, you should vote for Sanders.

Hilary Clinton -

In a July 2014 town hall hosted by CNN, Clinton was asked about the topic. After admitting she felt her answer was "committing radical candor", the answer was to wait and see what happens inside the newly legalized states before developing an opinion. When asked again at the October 2015 CNN Democratic debate in Las Vegas, she emphatically said that she was not ready to take a position.

Clinton has been on record saying that Medical Marijuana should be available, however, she felt it was only prudent in patients with extreme conditions. That could mean only the terminally ill, it could mean anything but the tone paints a very limited and restrictive scope.

On November 7, 2015, Clinton said she supports reclassifying Marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II to remove barriers to researching its medical benefits. She reiterated that position in a March 2016 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live when she said - “I think what the states are doing right now needs to be supported, and I absolutely support all the states that are moving toward medical marijuana, moving toward — absolutely — legalizing it for recreational use. …What I’ve said is let’s take it off the what’s called Schedule I and put it on a lower schedule so that we can actually do research about it. There’s some great evidence about what marijuana can do for people who are in cancer treatment, who have other kind of chronic diseases, who are suffering from intense pain. There’s great, great anecdotal evidence but I want us to start doing the research.”

Donald Trump-

We can look back to 1990 when Trump was boasting that the only way to win the war on drugs was to legalize them all. Over the years his position has understandably changed. During the campaign, he has voiced a cautious approach based on the uncertainty, as he sees it, about the health impacts on people who consume Cannabis.

In a February 2016 appearance on the Fox network, Bill O'Reilly quizzed Trump about his position on legalization in Colorado. When asked if he would end the legalization in Colorado, Trump was non committal. He then went on to clearly state his support for Medical Marijuana, even saying that "I know some people that have serious problems.. and.. it really, really helps them".

As a savvy businessman, it will be interesting to see how he marries his love of industry with the traditionally negative attitude that the Republican party holds concerning Marijuana and other drugs (alcohol excluded). He has gone on record with "100% support" for MMJ programs but whether Adult-use laws will stand is to be seen.

Overall -

Many of the Cannabis advocate groups like Marijuana Policy Project and NORML feel that neither candidate would go so far as to federally legalize Cannabis. They believe that both Clinton and Trump would allow the existing Adult-use laws in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Washington DC to stay in place. Clinton has expressed her desire to reschedule Cannabis to Schedule 2 (which allows studies) and Trump has said that he outright supports Medical Marijuana.

So at the end of the day, we're likely to see similar results from either candidate. That sentiment is based on taking what they've said to date, at face value. If history has taught us anything, opinions can change over the course of a campaign and what we are led to believe, is not always the action our leaders take. Cannabis reform is an important issue to us all and we sincerely hope it is one of the factors considered when choosing our next President.

#legal