Image by: Jayna Anderson
By Cara Anderson
IG: @carajojo
With the Presidential Election looming in our near future, cannabis users must be aware of the policies that each candidate supports. Half of our country has legalized marijuana, but it seems that the Democratic and Republican candidates running for president have been avoiding the topic. It’s almost humorous that the people in charge of governing cannabis laws and regulations aren’t drug tested, but I’ll dissect that another day. At times, this whole race seems like a sick practical joke, but it’s crucial we understand and advocate for our rights.
Hillary believes that medical marijuana needs more research, supports medical marijuana, promises to focus federal enforcement resources on violent crimes as opposed to marijuana possession. She aims to move marijuana from Schedule I classification to a Schedule II. Her husband, Bill, definitely medicates, have you seen him playing with the balloons? Nothing better than a grown man having the time of his life with balloons. Hillary claims to have never tried it. I think she should.
Donald Trump, who has recently been accused of using cocaine, believes that access to medical marijuana should be legal and that states should govern marijuana legalization. This man will do anything for a profit. He wants to legalize recreational weed to take profit away from dealers, and put profit into his own pocket.
In short, neither big party candidate refutes that medical marijuana is beneficial to the American people. Both candidates agree that legalization should be determined by individual states. Neither one is taking a radical stance. But, don’t forget that there are presidential candidates other than these two.
Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, is a marijuana supporter and partakes in medicating. He is, however, abstaining from medicating while he runs for office. So, it’s safe to say he backs medical marijuana. Johnson believes that legalizing marijuana will reduce substance abuse overall. He thinks that marijuana is safer than alcohol, among other substances. Overall, I back what Johnson stands for in terms of cannabis, but he didn’t know what Aleppo was, and a Libertarian has never won a presidential election. Sorry.
Jill Stein says the war on drugs is racist. She supports medical marijuana. Like Hillary, Jill wants to move marijuana to a Schedule II classified drug. Jill says “Marijuana is far less of a threat to personal and public health than alcohol and nicotine.” She believes in legalizing marijuana in all 50 states. But, as with the Libertarians, the Green party has never taken over the White House, sigh.
Despite my hopes that someone like Gary Johnson or Jill Stein would win, it’s not likely. So, it’s really down to Hillary and Donald, and again, it seems like a sick practical joke. There are so many more policies to be reviewed other than each candidate’s stance on marijuana. Do your homework, don’t be uneducated.
