With the utter madness that is the upcoming presidential elections in November 2016, many of us are very concerned with just how things are about to go down, what will change and how it will change. With much of the country strongly against both major candidates, there is Gary Johnson, who is quite a wild card in this race.
Come November 2016, nine states will vote on either fully legalizing recreational OR legalizing medical marijuana. California’s Amendment 64, Arizona’s proposition 205, Maine’s Question 1, Massachusetts’s Question 4, and Nevada’s Question 2 are all major bills legalizing recreational marijuana in their states. Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota have bills on the table to legalize and regulate medical marijuana, all monumental steps towards normalization nationwide.
While we are obviously in favor of legalization nationwide, that will take some time and many walls will be climbed before that takes place. Another factor in these upcoming elections are each candidates stance on prison reform and the status of the war on drugs.
This Blog intends to inform accurately on each candidates position on marijuana, a very important subject for many voters in 2016. With 54% of Americans polling in favor of legalized marijuana, the outcome of this election is a nail biter.
Hillary Clinton Position
While Hillary is a bit mum on the subject of full legalization, she has come out strongly in favor of medical cannabis. Her position is simple and streamlined:
- Reschedule marijuana as a Schedule 2 drug, instead of schedule 1
- Allow easier access to marijuana for medicinal research.
- Allow states operating with recreational cannabis breathing room and no fear of federal interference, if they follow guidelines (no sale to anyone under 21, decrease the black market, and regulations on driving while high on marijuana).
- Decrease prison sentences and punishments for non-violent drug crimes.
Again, our goal is full legalization, but this is a very progressive step towards a normalized future; one we cannot find much reason to argue with.
Donald Trump Position
This man is the wild card, honestly nobody knows what his firm position on cannabis. The only thing we do know is that he can change his mind at anytime to get more votes, frankly he does not care, he just wants to win.
The only shred of evidence of his position on marijuana was with an interview with Bill O’Reilly where he stated that he did see the benefits of medical marijuana, but skirted around the subject shortly.
Simply put: Donald Trump may or may not be in favor of marijuana legalization or its medical counterpart.
Gary Johnson Position
The former governor of Arizona has not been shy on his position, and has maintained that position for years. The man is strongly in favor of legalization, nationwide. Gary Johnson in fact, owns stock in a marijuana branding company called “Cannabis Sativa Inc.” The company is a marijuana-branding agency that works with growers and retailers around the country to design packaging, names and even strategies based on the product. Gary Johnson has a program as follows:
- Legalize recreational cannabis nationwide.
- Reform and reduce non-violent drug related offences.
- Increase research on marijuana.
- Watch as windfall of cash dumps into state and federal treasuries.
Gary Johnson gets our vote, in terms of his cannabis relationship and his openness on drug reform. It is very hard to argue with his position, as you can clearly see.
In Summary
When you go to the polls this November, no matter who you are voting for or why: Think about all of the millions of people that benefit from cannabis already, and the millions more that will see the benefits of legalization. While each of our votes is a selfish act (rightfully so), this decision is something that is bigger than just one person, this decision affects all of us. Choose wisely; think about someone you know with a life threatening condition that could use cannabis for medicinal purposes.
