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2016 Presidential Candidate Breakdown

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presidential candidateHillary Clinton (Democrat)

Clinton has always been a “wait and see” type of politician. Her cannabis stance appears to mirror her earlier stance on same-sex marriage. She toes the hillaryclintonline, until support for it reaches a boiling point, and then she jumps on board.

  • Medical Cannabis – Yes
  • Recreational Cannabis – No
    • Supports rescheduling cannabis to Schedule II
    • Supports allowing states to make their own cannabis policy
    • Against incarcerating individuals for cannabis
    • Says she has never consumed cannabis

“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.” [1]

“On [laws allowing adult marijuana use], you know, states are the laboratories of democracy. We have at least two states that are experimenting with that right now. I want to wait and see what the evidence is.”[2]

Gary Johnson (Libertatrian)

Johnson has been a longtime advocate for cannabis legalization. He first publically called for decriminalization in 1999 and is an admitted user of garyjohnsoncannabis.

  • Medical Cannabis – Yes
  • Recreational Cannabis – Yes
    • Supports full legalization
    • Admitted to safely and regularly consuming cannabis
    • Endorsed ballot initiatives for recreational cannabis in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington
    • Endorsed by The Marijuana Policy Project
    • Ran Cannabis Sativa Inc. which developed cannabis-infused products

“Imagine [the Founding Fathers’] shock to learn that the government has decided it is appropriate to tell adults what they can put in their bodies—and even put them in jail for using marijuana, while allowing those same adults to consume alcohol and encouraging the medical profession to pump out addictive, deadly painkillers at will.”[3]

Jill Stein (Green)

Dr. Stein is a Harvard-trained medical doctor who supports full legalization. She regularly argues that cannabis is only dangerous because it is illegal, and jill-steinthat by criminalizing the plant we are feeding the black markets.

  • Medical Cannabis – Yes
  • Recreational Cannabis – Yes
    • Supports full legalization
    • Supports cannabis as a treatment for substance abuse.

“Make no mistake, ending marijuana prohibition would be a huge win for freedom and social justice, and a major step towards the just, Green future we deserve.”[4]

Donald Trump (Republican)

Prior to his political career Trump was outspoken about legalizing cannabis so that the government could profit from it. His stance has become a little donaldtrumpmore rigid since receiving the Republican nomination for president.

  • Medical Cannabis – Yes
  • Recreational Cannabis – No
    • In 1990, favored legalizing all drugs, but has since said he opposes recreational cannabis
    • Supports allowing states to make their own cannabis policy

“In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state . . . Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should happen—right? Don’t we agree? I think so. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states.”[5]

[1] Interview with Hilary Clinton, Jimmy Kimmel Live, March 24, 2016.

[2] Interview with Hilary Clinton, CNN, June 2014.

[3] Gary Johnson 2016 Presidential Campaign Website, accessed May 25, 2016.

[4] Jill Stein 2016 Official Presidential Campaign Website, accessed September 2016.

[5] Washington Post, October 29, 2015.

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