Marijuana is very much running through the minds of voters, with the masses poised to decide whether to legalize it. It could give the Vermont senator a much-needed boost in some primary states, mainly in the West. Some pollsters and strategists are shocked it has taken this much time for a leading candidate to promote legalization this aggressively.
“Politicians are terrible at anything new,” stated Celinda Lake, a Washington political strategist who has worked on marijuana initiatives. “They always miss the trends where voters are ahead of them.”
She states voter opinions are changing on marijuana as quickly as it did on same-sex marriage, another concern where lawmakers battled to maintain pace with evolving public attitudes.
A new Gallup poll discovered that close to 60% of voters stated that cannabis should be legalized, suggesting there is not a lot of risk in embracing it. More important, the marijuana vote brings a population of people that are highly coveted by campaign operatives: It’s young, diverse and up for grabs.
However, there may be an issue in doubling down on the dime bag. ”It can easily be turned against them,” stated Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an anti-legalization group. What happens, he asked, when a pro-pot candidate is confronted at a town hall by the parent of a child who had a “psychotic episode” after consuming a marijuana lollipop? “How do you defend against that?”
The candidates are fighting with legalization at the same time that drug abuse is a concerning issue in the primaries, with a heroin epidemic a key concern of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states to hold contests. Republican contender Carly Fiorina has shared emotional words about losing her stepdaughter to addiction. And there is disagreement among strategists about just how rapidly public opinion has shifted in the voting groups that counts most in a closely contested election, such as Latinos and older women.
“There are too many battleground states where it is still controversial,” stated Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster.
Sanders framed his language carefully. That has got to change.”
He said he would take cannabis off the federal government’s list of illegal drugs, leaving states free to regulate it the way they do alcohol and tobacco.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican, has taken a similar plunge, yet the stakes are much greater for Sanders, who is far more popular with voters. Other candidates are fumbling their way forward.
Hillary Rodham Clinton has discussed with a small crowd in the pot havens of Oregon and Colorado that marijuana businesses in states where it is legal need relief from federal restrictions that can make it a difficult battle for them to operate.
However her campaign refused to accept funding from the marijuana industry’s trade group, and in the first Democratic debate she took a “wait and see” position.
Some Republicans, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, passionately stand against legalization. It is going to be on the ballot in swing states.” The effect on political candidates was unclear when legalization came before voters this past year. Alaskans voted to legalize recreational marijuana while also electing a Republican senator, Dan Sullivan, who opposed the move. Oregonians also voted to legalize cannabis, while at the same time reelecting an incumbent governor, Democrat John Kitzhaber, who was as well opposed to cannabis legalization.
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