The debate over the legalization of marijuana came up in one of the buzziest moments in Wednesday’s Washington Post-MSNBC Democratic presidential debate when Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) chided former vice president Joe Biden for his recent comments on it. What happened While responding to another question, Booker “returned to” the topic of black voters and […]
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Legalizing Marijuana, With a Focus on Social Justice, Unites 2020 Democrats
People in Colorado still remember John Hickenlooper’s crack after the state legalized marijuana, a move he opposed: “Don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly.” But Mr. Hickenlooper, the governor at the time of the 2012 initiative allowing recreational use of cannabis, eventually changed his mind. He acknowledged that fears of increased use by […]
Beto O’Rourke calls for federal marijuana legalization ahead of likely 2020 bid
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke called for the legalization of marijuana nationwide Monday in an email to supporters that comes ahead of an expected bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. The former Texas congressman’s call came as part of a series of criminal justice proposals he said would “build a criminal justice system that is […]
Where the 2020 presidential candidates stand on marijuana legalization
If there’s one thing that united Democrats and Republicans in the Reagan era (besides their unfortunate fixation with perms), it was their near universal hatred of weed. Everybody was a cop back then. Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate for president in 1984, called for another “War on Drugs” — all drugs. Ronald Reagan, for his part, believed that marijuana […]
Pot for All: How Congress Is Trying to Make Weed Legal
From decriminalization to opening up the banking industry, both sides of Congress are preparing cannabis bills – but with much different approaches Over the past decade, marijuana legalization has happened at break-neck speed at the state and local level. And yet, pot-related reforms have moved glacially at the federal level, especially since prohibitionist Jeff Sessions was […]
Bernie Sanders Backs Bill To Punish States With Bad Marijuana Laws
Several potential rival presidential candidates are teaming up on legislation to end the federal war on marijuana. On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is signing on as a cosponsor of the Marijuana Justice Act, introduced last year by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). Many political observers expect that Booker and Sanders will compete for the […]
The Impact of the Sessions Memo on Contracts with Cannabis Businesses
By Michael H. Sampson and Gregory D. Vose A court may refuse to enforce a contract, or a contractual provision, that contravenes public policy. Accordingly, in the context of marijuana, more than one party looking to escape a contract – such as a lease or an insurance policy issued to a marijuana dispensary – and […]
Decriminalization Takes Historic Turn as Tool to Fight War on Drugs, Argument for Cannabis Legalization
In an historic first, on August 10, a major Latino group – the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) – called for the decriminalization of cannabis at both the state and federal level, affirming the importance of decriminalization as a way to fight the war on drugs that targets minorities. This announcement represents the […]
Cannabis Emerges as Highlight in 2020 Presidential Campaign
SAN FRANCISCO — Marijuana legalization just moved from the fringes of the last presidential campaign to center stage in 2020. Between a sweeping new package of legislation introduced last week by one of the top Democratic presidential prospects and, on the other end of the spectrum, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ vigorous opposition to recreational use […]
