Bobby Ilich
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald
Trump will have their first of three debates on Monday. One topic that
likely won't be part of the debate, as was generally the case during
primary season, will be the legalization or the decriminalization of
marijuana.
As voters have shifted opinions on marijuana in recent years, so
have government officials, as well as the leading presidential
candidates. However, Clinton appears to a more specific stance on
marijuana than Trump, and doesn't view it with much stigmatization.
Clinton has repeatedly stated that she wants to move marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug, under the Controlled Substances Act,
to increase research, as well as to stop imprisoning marijuana users.
When asked in a town hall what she would do to decriminalize marijuana,
Clinton said that she "will do a lot."
"I have no doubt there are very real benefits for people," Clinton said of marijuana in a town hall in February.
Maya Harris, Clinton's policy adviser, said Clinton "will also
ensure Colorado, and other states that have enacted marijuana laws, can
continue to serve as laboratories of democracy."
Trump has offered a more cautious opinion on marijuana. He has
stated that medical marijuana is something "we should really consider
strongly," but legalization should be left up to the states.
Trump also questioned the effectiveness of marijuana legalization
in Colorado. "It's not exactly going trouble free," Trump said at a
rally. He also went as far as to say marijuana could have a negative
impact on "people's health and brain powers."
His campaign has also implied some reservations about marijuana use
during the Republican primary season. In a Trump attack advertisement
against Republican candidate Jeb Bush, there is a soundbite of Bush
saying, "So 40 years ago, I smoked marijuana," which was followed by
words on the screen that read: "Are we sure it was only forty years
ago?"
Trump has stated that he never touches drugs, alcohol, tobacco or coffee. Clinton has said she hasn't smoked marijuana.
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