THERE ARE SO MANY issues to keep track of this election, but I’m wondering about one in particular. How do the presidential candidates rate when it comes to pot?
GOOD QUESTION. Chris Christie and Jeb Bush were the worst of the bunch, but both are goners. Of the remaining candidates, I doubt anyone would try to un-ring the bell of state-level progress, although some are far better than others. Here is a rundown, from worst to best:
John Kasich—Kasich seems like the candidate most likely to be gone by the time you read this. Kasich gave Stephen Colbert a disappointing take on pot when he said, “We don’t want to tell our kids, ‘Don’t do drugs, but by the way, this one is okay.'” When Colbert responded, “Isn’t that what alcohol is?” Kasich didn’t answer, but referenced a 21-year-old Mississippi man who killed himself due to drug addiction. Kasich gets an F.
Marco Rubio—Rubio should make pot boosters nervous. He’s expressed tolerance for state decriminalization of weed possession, but consistently supported federal enforcement against cannabis businesses. In April 2015, Rubio told ABC News, “Marijuana is illegal under federal law. That should be enforced.” Then in August, when pressed on whether he would pursue Washington state and Colorado: “Well, the federal government needs to enforce federal law.” I give Rubio a D-.
Click through to find out where Trump, Clinton, Cruz, and Sanders rank!