Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders filed a Senate bill Wednesday that would allow states to decide whether to legalize recreational use of marijuana and decriminalize the drug at the federal level. It's a sign the Democratic presidential candidate is willing to stake out a clear contrast on the issue with front-runner Hillary Clinton. This doesn't come as much of a surprise to be quite honest, Senator Sanders has always been adamant on legalizing marijuana.
Some background on the pot issue is while some states have legalized pot, it remains illegal on the federal level. This bill is a long-shot in the Senate and Sanders declined to say whether he had any co-sponsors for the measure. However most likely he did have co-sponsors urging him to submit the bill. Sanders and others say it would allow growers and dispensers in states where marijuana is already legal to use the banks. A question I have is did Bernie Sanders introduce this bill for more funding for his own campaign? It surely is possible because the common rule for campaigning is the more money you have for your campaign, the more likely you are to win presidency. Not only that, but is this recent bill by Sanders an act to win more young voters? Seeing that Sanders is relatively old, he might be trying to win over a lot of the younger voters which is an applaudable strategy on Sanders part.
Some questions after reading the article are:
Is Senator Sanders actually serious about legalizing marijuana on a national level? Will this help or hurt his campaign?
If this bill is passed, how might it effect future policy decision-making on whether or not to legalize marijuana in all states?
In terms of submitting the bill somewhat unexpectedly, do you think that Sanders was motivated to gain potential funding for his campaign, in an effort to maybe boost his rankings in the polls?
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/04/politics/bernie-sanders-legal-marijuana/index.html
12 comments:
Democrats as a whole have grown to support the legalization of marijuana for the last decade. I believe regardless of any campaign intentions, it was an inevitability that there would be a bill posed. According to a survey conducted by Gallup, 58% of all Americans believe that full marijuana legalization should be implemented. I feel that Bernie and the Democratic Platform is 100% serious about using this issue as a tool to rally further the moderate and leaning left. It will definitely help him between liberal voters, considering he is the only one that is actively taking action for the bill to be passed. If the bill is passed, I think the 58% will only increase because there will be less fear of Marijuana as an illegal narcotic and instill and attitude of a vice like alcohol. As for the funding, it is true that Bernie is at an incredible disadvantage with his finances, and since Biden formally dropped out Bernie's presence has weakened substantially. This is definitely a step in the right direction, appear less indecisive than Clinton to create trust in voters and further increase financing. I personally don't think it'll help him however, he'll never have as much money as Clinton without a Super PAC.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/186260/back-legal-marijuana.aspx
I feel that Bernie Sanders really is serious about legalizing marijuana on a national level. As 2CHAINZ said most Democrats already support its legalization to begin with. Furthermore by taking this stance Bernie is able to demonstrate his willingness to make a clear contrast on the issue between himself and Hillary Clinton. And as Jeff mentioned in his article he is very likely doing this to win over younger and more liberal voters, voters who helped to build his campaign to what it is today. Although that momentum has seen to be slipping recently, with a recent poll finding that Clinton is once again taking the lead in New Hampshire. Therefore I feel his decision to propose this legislation now is three pronged, the first being that he does strongly support this bill and would like to see it passed, the second being an attempt to draw attention back to himself and regain the support that has been slipping away. The third is very likely about raising money to help finance his campaign (even though it is unclear if he has co-sponsors for proposing this bill, it's probable he does), which he definitely needs if he hopes to combat Clinton, but like 2CHAINZ said, it ultimately won't be enough to go against her massive financial support.
If the bill is passed Sanders has said if, "Colorado wants to legalize marijuana, it's their decision. If Alabama does not want to legalize marijuana, that's their decision. But if a state wants to go forward, it should be able to do so without impediments from the federal government, which now prevent stores that sell marijuana from using banks, because that's in violation of federal law." Sanders intention is to remove the criminalization of marijuana so that it can be left up to the states to handle, and whatever their decision not have to face obstacles from the federal government.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/04/politics/bernie-sanders-legal-marijuana/
As Amanda said, I think that Sanders is making this move in the senate to distinguish himself from Hillary Clinton who does not believe in the federal legalization of marijuana. By proposing this bill to the senate, he is becoming one of the most outspoken presidential candidates concerning drug use. Furthermore, as Jeff mentioned, the legalization of marijuana is a major issue that young voters are concerned about; this move would make him more popular among younger people.
With this new bill in place, industries may be established in states without interference of the federal government; however, trafficking between states would still remain illegal. His model is similar to Representative Jared Polis of Colorado’s “Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol Act”. Polis has previously said that just like prohibition of alcohol failed in the 1920s, the prohibition of marijuana is failing now. This new bill will probably improve the economy as well, which is another positive of the legalization of marijuana. If and when this bill is in place, it may come up to completely legalize marijuana. With that said, I disagree with what the representative of Colorado had said in regards to the legalization of marijuana in his own state.
In my opinion, marijuana cannot be compared to prohibition of alcohol because there was no legalized marijuana to begin with. Furthermore, just because alcohol is legal does not mean that we should make marijuana legal. Alcohol has had an increasingly dangerous effect on the public due to drunk driving and legalizing marijuana will increase that danger.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/11/04/bernie-sanders-proposes-ending-federal-marijuana-ban/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-marijuana-ban_563a3e21e4b0b24aee4858ae
Like Amanda said, Sanders is definitely serious about nationwide marijuana legalization. Although his Ending Federal Prohibition Act of 2015 would only remove cannabis from federal law and allow the states to decide, he personally supports legalization of marijuana nationwide. In my opinion, there are two main reasons behind his decision.
First, as the original post said, he is trying to appeal to more voters. However, his main goal isn't to woo young voters. Most pro-legalization young people already support Sanders. In fact, many of his most vocal supporters come from this group. Instead, I think he is really trying to appeal to older Democrats who support legalization yet are hesitant to vote for a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist.
The second reason has to do with his personal economic theory. Supporters of legalizing marijuana believe that it will result in increased revenue for individuals and, especially, state governments. Colorado's economic recovery is partly due to marijuana. Sanders' economic model of high government spending to support income redistribution would certainly require more government revenue, making legalization a viable economic choice.
Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/05/bernie-sanders-files-bill-to-legalize-marijuana.html
I believe that Sanders 100% supports the legalization of marijuana on a federal level. With his extreme stances on many other issues this bill comes as no surprise. I think the timing of this bill is also key here. Right now is a critical time for the election and Bernie is still dangerously behind Hillary in the polls. By passing this bill he is distancing himself further from Hillary which will not only draw him more attention, but possibly more votes from a wide ranging pool of democrats who many not necessarily agree with all of his policies, but agree with his stance on legalization.
As willyb said, another reason for this has to do with Sanders economic theory. His theory of democratic socialism required high amounts of government spending and in order to do this, taxes must be collected. As we have seen in Colorado and Washington, the legalization of marijuana has so far been a success and brought millions in tax revenue to the states, something that would greatly benefit Sanders and his policies if he were in office.
I believe that Senator Sanders is serious about legalizing marijuana due to his vocal support for changing drug offense laws in the United States, and that this is not just a publicity stunt to garner more votes. One of the cornerstones of his campaign is to reform the American prison system, which would involve changing laws and sentences for non-violent drug offenses. He as a person is legitimately disturbed by the fact that the United States has such a high prison population, and so he wants to take the first steps towards reducing the number of incarcerated people in this country. This bill will likely help his campaign, as he will gain the attention of those who are in favor of legalizing marijuana for personal purposes or for economic purposes (if marijuana were legal, an excise tax on the drug could be a reliable source of federal revenue).
In the long-run, if this bill is passed, it could very well lead many states to legalize marijuana. If marijuana were to be decriminalized on the federal level, the offenses associated with marijuana possession would be minimized, and eventually states would be inclined to simply legalize the drug.
I agree with the other commenters who all say that Sanders is genuine in the intentions behind the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2015 that he recently proposed. I think that this act will have a significant impact on the youth of his coalition who support legalization, since Sanders has recently been losing momentum with the demographic and supporters in general. This concrete declaration of his views clarifies his stance on the issue of the legalization of marijuana and makes him distinct from the other candidates. Recently in a New Hampshire poll, Clinton retook the lead. This act will appeal to those youth voters and likely regain their support. I do think that the while Sanders is genuine in his proposal, its timing is not a coincidence. As the primaries near, and Sanders remains behind, he has been in need of something drastic to regain attention in order to catch up with Clinton. The bill will help to distinguish him from Hillary, regain youth and liberal voters, and propel him into the media without any paid campaigning. Will had an interesting idea that the act would distract from Sanders' controversial and not widely appealing economic policy: democratic socialism. After legalization in Colorado, the sales totaled $700 million, contributing greatly to Colorado's economic recovery. This example of success may appeal to proponents of the free market and skeptics of Sanders' economic stance.
Sources:
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/05/bernie-sanders-files-bill-to-legalize-marijuana.html
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/04/politics/bernie-sanders-legal-marijuana/
Bernie Sanders, along with most of the Democratic party, has been pushing for the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana for years now. For this reason, I believe that Sanders is going after an issue that he genuinely feels very strongly about. With that being said, it is also a very good move for his campaign because it not only distinguishes him from Hillary Clinton, but also makes him more appealing to a new group of voters. Clinton has been against the legalization of marijuana throughout her campaign. So, Sanders's support of it and activism toward the bill has separated him from the front runner in the eyes of many voters. This is a very good move on his part because being distinguished from Clinton is essential for the success of his campaign. In addition to making him more unique in the eyes of voters, his decision to pursue this bill makes him more appealing to a new group of voters, especially the younger portion of the voting population. Overall, Sanders's decision to try for a bill to legalize marijuana could be very beneficial to his campaign. However, I believe that he is genuinely doing it because he cares about the issue and has felt very strongly about it for a long time.
The general consensus among the people who have commented is that Sanders is serious about this bill, and I agree with them about that. He seems to be trying to appeal to younger voters who would want the legalization, and it is something only he has addressed. That way more attention is brought his way, separating him from Clinton. I believe this move will help, as he is talking about a major subject that will affect a large demographic, and none of the other candidates have endorsed it yet, meaning his has first "dibs" on the voters. And I think if the barriers from the Federal government are removed, it might start a domino effect, where states begin voting for legalization one by one until it is legal to smoke pot in a majority of the states.
http://thehill.com/regulation/259161-sanders-pushing-bill-to-legalize-marijuana
Numerous times, Bernie has referenced before that he believes the legal processing and incarceration of those charged with marijuana-related crimes adds an unnecessary burden to the states, and to the taxpayers. With that being said, the outspoken Sanders is trying to win votes, and expand his popularity amongst voters age 18-30. It's not going to be easy to overcome the Clinton machine, but by appealing to the socially-left, he's opening the door for undecided votes who might be more invested in the legality of marijuana than the politics of the election. It's not a bad strategy, and I do think in an ideal world he would attempt to push legalization legislation through congress, but with the lack of partisanship, and strong opposition from the right, its not likely for the next decade or so. I agree with athenaz, who noted that this is a power-play by Sanders, since he is taken a strong view on legalization (and other social issues) that other candidates (Hillary) have not. Will it pay off? Maybe. Will Sanders be the 45th president of the United States? Probably not. By taking a stance on a hot-button topic like marijuana, he is buying young votes, but is furthering himself more and more from the majority of American voters. He's true to himself, and you have to respect it, but it won't get him the W in a general election.
Over the past few decades, the argument for legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana use has stirred great debate. This topic particularly relates to the idea of political parties trying to distance themselves with the Democrats and Republicans being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Bernie Sanders has always been a strong supporter for the legalization of marijuana but I think that this initiative is based on both his personal beliefs and the pure confusion that people in some states face. For instance, recreational marijuana is legal in California yet it is still a federal crime. I think Sanders’ main aim is to just let the states decide especially because at some point all 50 states will be pressured into legalizing. I think this plan will only help his campaign as the legalization of marijuana is one of his differences with Hillary Clinton. I do think his plan was to unexpectedly try to pass this bill in order to help his funding but as Amanda G and 2Chainz said it won't help him have more funding than Hillary. But, with that being said more funding does not guarantee victory by any means and it certainly can't hurt so even if Bernie just increases the amount of funding he does have it can only help his chances.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/04/politics/bernie-sanders-legal-marijuana/
I agree with Matt and his point that Bernie is serious about legalizing marijuana on a national level. If Trump made this statement, I may have had a different opinion. Athena made a strong point that by supporting the legalization of marijuana, Sanders is trying to distinguish himself against Hillary Clinton who does not believe in the legalization of marijuana. Sanders is behind Clinton in the polls. This will help boost Sanders position, however Clinton will still be above Bernie. I think this will help Sanders campaign as the debate on marijuana is an issue that many young voters are focused on. Sanders is an old man and therefore I think it is a smart move for him to support legalization as he will gain support of young voters. In addition, Sanders model of high government spending requires more revenue, which the states could provide if the legalization was passed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-marijuana-ban_563a3e21e4b0b24aee4858ae
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