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The 2016 presidential election is roughly 18 months away and we can already see that marijuana will be one of the defining issues that will help decide who will be the next president. The marijuana industry has made significant strides over the last two years and this trend is expected to continue for quite some time.
For the first time ever, the Gallup poll and the General Social Survey found that a majority of the public favors the legalization of marijuana. These results show a dramatic change in the public’s view of marijuana over the last two decades. In 1995, marijuana was illegal in every state and around 25% of the public supported legalization. Currently, some form of marijuana is legal in 36 states.
Where does Hillary Clinton stand on marijuana?
Less than one month ago, Hillary Clinton announced that she would be running for president in 2016. After making her announcement, Clinton has been asked numerous questions about marijuana, but she has not given a straight answer to any of these questions. This bring up the question, where does Hillary Clinton stand on marijuana?
Clinton had expressed her opinion on the subject at a CNN town hall meeting in June 2014. When asked about the idea of legalizing marijuana nationally, she said:
“On recreational [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.”
When Clinton was asked about medical marijuana she said, “I don’t think we’ve done enough research yet. Although I think for people who are in extreme medical conditions and have anecdotal evidence that it works, there should be availability under appropriate circumstances. But I do think we need more research, because we don’t know how it interacts with other drugs. There’s a lot we don’t know.”
A change of opinions
Polls have shown that America’s view toward marijuana has softened significantly over the last decade. Clinton’s stance has softened too. In 2007, Clinton was against decriminalizing marijuana, but did note that research should be conducted to see if it has any benefits. Clinton’s response in 2014 shows that her opinion has softened significantly.
Even though a majority of Americans want the marijuana situation to be taken care of now; Congress, President Obama, and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton all view it as an issue that can be put near the bottom of the pile in terms of issues to be dealt with. There are a lot of issues at home and abroad that need to be taken care of before marijuana. These issues include, but are not limited to: Racial injustice, turmoil in the Middle East, nuclear talks with Iran, ISIS, and a growing divide in wealth,
Polls favor legal marijuana
It’s still too early to predict what side of the aisle other presidential candidates might lean toward when it comes to marijuana, but one thing is for sure, the polls favor legal marijuana. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 53% of Americans support legal marijuana.
The Pew survey found that the millennial demographic is significantly more supportive of legal marijuana across party lines. The survey found that 63% of Republican millennials feel that marijuana should be legal. Support among Democratic millennials was even higher, at 77%. The millennial age group is the only age group of Republicans who favor legal marijuana, while every Democratic age group supports its legalization
The survey also found that 59% of Democrats and 58% of Independents support marijuana legalization. Only 39% of Republicans said that they are in favor of marijuana legalization; the highest it has ever been for the GOP.
Voters have been able to find common ground on one topic. Voters do not want the federal government to interfere with states that have legalized marijuana. That’s what 64% of Independents, 58% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans told Pew researchers.
Outlook
I expect marijuana to have a major impact on the outcome of the 2016 election. A number of critical swing states have legalized some form of marijuana and a candidate’s stance on marijuana could impact the outcome in these states. The presence of a marijuana initiative on any state ballot will also result in a significant increase in voter turnout. Currently, 36 states have legalized some form of marijuana and researchers expect recreational marijuana to be on the ballot in at least 5 states in 2016. The marijuana issue may still be in its infancy, but the 2016 election will serve as a catalyst for it legalization.
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