Surprise: Virtually All Presidential Candidates (Including Trump) Are Good on Pot Legalization

What a difference a few decades make when it comes to letting the states decide marijuana's status.

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Surprise: Virtually All Presidential Candidates (Including Trump) Are Good on Pot Legalization

One of the most amazing aspects of the 2020 presidential race is that virtually all candidates, including President Donald Trump, have indicated they favor letting individual states decide the legal status of marijuana. That position was unthinkable even a few years ago, Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum tells Nick Gillespie in the latest Reason Podcast.

Sullum, the author of Saying Yes: In Defense of Drug Use (2004) and an award-winning writer on drug policy, also discusses the difficulties in measuring what comprises "stoned driving," whether smoking pot leads to opioid use, the places in America where you can still get locked up for possessing weed, and which southern state will be the first to legalize recreational marijuana.

This podcast is part of Reason's "Weed Week" coverage. Go here for all our stories.

Stories related to today's podcast:
"Pot Can Earn You Profits or a Prison Sentence," by Jacob Sullum

"Is Marijuana a Gateway to Opioids?," by Jacob Sullum

"Cory Booker Knocks Presidential Rivals for Joking About Marijuana," by Jacob Sullum

"Attorney General Barr Prefers Marijuana Federalism Over the Current Confusing Mess," by Eric Boehm
"New Mexico Makes History with Weed and Paraphernalia Decriminalization Bill," by Zuri Davis

 

Comments

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

Mmm. Well, they're talking a good game. Nobody over the age of 10 should actually believe anything they say.

[Fats of Fury]

They should pass around a blunt during the debates.

[Robert]

I said this was an issue that'd never be seriously controversial—that 1 day "everybody" would be against, & the next all for, & never admit to having been against. The issue just doesn't admit of serious controversy—makes too many people uncomfortable to disagree on. Plus, there were never serious, unembarrassing reasons, so silly to argue.

[Deconstructed Potato]

Kudos to Sullum for delivering such a good interview while totally baked.

[SIV]

#MAGA

[Slocum]

Not really a surprise and a clear demonstration of Milton Friedman's argument:

"The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing. Unless it is politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing, the right people will not do the right thing either, or it they try, they will shortly be out of office."

[Will Nonya]

Perhaps Trump and the GOP should push ahead with legalization and pluck that feather out of his opponents caps.

If the Dems in the house resist then that just provides more leverage.