Bernie Sanders’ proposal to deschedule cannabis by removing marijuana from the list of scheduled drugs shook the cannabis law reform movement in the best way possible. For the most part, the cannabis community has celebrated victory after victory in recent years and Sanders’ announcement that marijuana should be descheduled falls upon the heels of not just historic political victories in 2014 and a Gallup poll showing 58% support for legalization, but also the Liberal Party’s majority victory in Canada’s recent parliamentary elections. The Liberal Party named cannabis legalization as part of its platform and its leader, Justin Trudeau, has admitted using cannabis and stated that he would work on ending prohibition right away.

While the Democratic Party here in the states hasn’t added marijuana legalization to its platform yet, state Democratic parties have wisely endorsed state efforts. Bernie Sanders is now the first mainstream presidential candidate to effectively call for an end to federal marijuana prohibition and it is a big freaking deal. Vice-president Joe Biden may even use a different expletive that starts with “F” but I try to keep my blog posts relatively “clean”, but I think that it is indisputable that this is definitely a “BFD” for the cannabis law reform movement.

The call to remove marijuana from the list of federally scheduled drugs doesn’t end cannabis prohibition overnight across the nation as states will be free to maintain their own prohibitionist policies, but it will allow states to choose their own policies, just as states do with alcohol today. The alcohol laws in Portland, Oregon, are different than the laws in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it is suitable that cannabis laws follow in the same path. Over time, without obstacles put into place by federal law, more states will move to legalize cannabis so they can better prioritize resources, create jobs and generate revenue.

Culturally, Sanders’ call to deschedule marijuana federally will have massive implications as even more elected officials, candidates, policy makers and everyday Americans will be more open and honest about their support of marijuana legalization. One of the biggest reasons that cannabis prohibition has had such great success recently is the fact that many ordinary people aren’t afraid to come out of the cannabis closet, either as someone that utilizes cannabis or just supports legalization.

Amber Phillips, writing in The Washington Post agrees that Bernie Sanders’ call to end marijuana prohibition is a big freaking deal:

There are a few reasons his announcement was a big moment for pot politically. First, the medical community at large would agree with Sanders that pot is not as dangerous as, say, crack cocaine and heroin and the other highly addictive drugs it is currently classified with. Respected organizations like the American Medical Association have also said keeping marijuana on a legally unreachable shelf stymies research for its healing potentials. In that way, Sanders is bringing already-existent medical views of pot to the forefront of a political debate that hasn’t yet embraced them.

Second, Sanders is not a fringe candidate — although you could argue some of the democratic socialist’s policies aren’t exactly mainstream. He regularly draws crowds in the thousands, if not tens of thousands, and is giving Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton a run for her money. And if there’s anything this campaign has taught us, it’s that Sanders has the ability to draw Clinton to the left politically. That doesn’t mean Clinton will take the same stance, but it does mean there could be pressure to move in that direction.

Third, this just feels like something of a turning point in our nation’s approach to marijuana. Like it or not, the signs would indicate we’re on a national trajectory toward decriminalization, perhaps even legalization. And it’s happening remarkably fast, relative to other social issues.

While marijuana prohibition won’t end immediately if Sanders’ proposal is successful, it will be a tremendous blow to the failed and harmful policy of prohibition and prohibitions days will surely be numbered. Despite the fact that polls and electoral victories demonstrate great support for cannabis legalization, actual voting results for marijuana measures tend to outperform the polls, showing that many people are still afraid to admit their support to anonymous strangers asking them their opinion on marijuana.

A major candidate like Bernie Sanders will provide political and cultural “cover” for more people to be honest about their practical position that marijuana prohibition, like alcohol prohibition before it, is a failed policy that needs to end. It will be interesting to see how the polls react to Sanders’ announcement, but I predict that this will only add to the momentum of his candidacy and we will see even more people state that they #FeelTheBern.

Video of Bernie Sanders’ historic announcement:

Fresh off the heels of the announcement that Bernie Sanders would call for the removal of marijuana from the controlled substances list, his campaign has started a petition demanding that states be able to legalize cannabis without restrictions. De-scheduling cannabis has long been desired by the cannabis community, but that goal seemed unlikely as most of the debate surrounding rescheduling marijuana at a lower schedule. Currently, marijuana is laughably classified as a Schedule I drug under United States Code:

(1) Schedule I.—

(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.

(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

Bernie Sanders, according to The Washington Post, is going to propose that marijuana be removed from the schedule of drugs listed under the Controlled Substances Act. Needless to say, this would be HUGE news with national ramifications, if successful. Marijuana is currently a Schedule I drug, slated as being highly addictive, without any medical properties, a scheduling that goes against science and common sense. Advocates and policymakers have long debated about the proper scheduling of marijuana, with many calling for marijuana to be removed from list of scheduled drugs altogether, just as alcohol and tobacco aren’t listed. Removing cannabis from the list of scheduled drugs would be huge for the cannabis community and industry, effectively allowing states to regulate marijuana as they see fit.

Advocates have long hoped for a bold marijuana policy proposal from Senator Sanders and he has provided good signs that he was moving in such a direction. Sanders is expected to make this important policy proposal during a student town hall at George Mason University that starts at 7pm on the East Coast. (Watch the livestream of the town hall on YouTube!) It is fitting that Sanders would make this announcement to college students as young people greatly support ending cannabis prohibition and are usually the targets of law enforcement actions that can greatly hurt their educational and employment opportunities.

The Washington Post reports:

“Too many Americans have seen their lives destroyed because they have criminal records as a result of marijuana use,” Sanders says in prepared remarks for the event provided to The Washington Post. “That’s wrong. That has got to change.”

No other presidential candidate has called for marijuana to be completely removed from the schedule of controlled substances regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

***

Sanders’s plan would not automatically make marijuana legal nationwide, but states would be allowed to regulate the drug in the same way that state and local laws now govern sales of alcohol and tobacco. And people who use marijuana in states that legalize it would no longer be at risk of federal prosecution.

His plan would also allow marijuana businesses currently operating in states that have legalized it to use banking services and apply for tax deductions that are currently unavailable to them under federal law.

If The Washington Post is correct, and Sanders does indeed call for the de-scheduling of cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, marijuana law reformers will be energized to assist his candidacy even more than they already have as this will put the Vermont Senator’s cannabis policy leaps and bounds above any other serious candidate. The momentum behind the cannabis law reform movement will only increase with such a policy proposal from a leading presidential candidate. Cannabis has medicinal properties and is both less addictive and toxic than alcohol and tobacco, making de-scheduling a common-sense policy. With a majority of Americans support legalizing cannabis legalization, the policy proposal is good politics as well.

Update: This landmark court case has been postponed. Will have more once more is known.

Cannabis law reformers were understandably ecstatic when the Liberal Party, led by Justin Trudeau, secured a majority of the seats in the Canadian Parliament, as the winning political party included marijuana legalization in its campaign platform. Reform advocates may just have another reason to celebrate if Mexico’s Supreme Court votes to legalize marijuana for personal use and cultivation. If the vote goes as cannabis law reform activists hope, the United States could soon be bordered by two countries that have legalized marijuana.

Throw in the fact that more than 20 states have legalized medical cannabis, four states and the nation’s capital have legalized adult use and more states are sure to amend laws to allow legalization, both recreationally and medically, it is easy to see that the momentum to end cannabis prohibition is only picking up steam in the United States. If both Mexico and Canada join Uruguay, the global momentum is only increasing as well, and will only increase if the United States doesn’t stand in the way of common sense reforms.

Mexico’s opportunity before the country’s highest court arose due to a petition filed by local activists based upon libertarian principles of personal freedom and responsibility. Even if cannabis use by citizens isn’t desired by the government, does any proven detrimental impacts give rise to government intervention that includes arrest and imprisonment? And if so, wouldn’t the same rationale allow the government to use the same police powers to prevent overeating of foods that are considered unhealthy?

Here’s hoping that Mexico will take a small step forward in ending the Drug War that is devastating the nation. Just as ending alcohol prohibition took money and power away from gangsters like Al Capone, ending prohibition in Mexico (and the United States) will do the same for the cartels that have destabilized the country. Legalizing the personal use and cultivation of cannabis won’t end Mexico’s Drug War by any means, but it will demonstrate positive movement that will benefit the Mexican people and will reverberate across the globe.

Below is a press release from the Drug Policy Alliance regarding this important court case:

Mexico’s Supreme Court to Decide on Right to Consume and Cultivate Marijuana

As reported and covered earlier today, two competing Maine marijuana legalizations campaigns have united around the singular goal of ending cannabis prohibition in the Pine State. This is tremendous news that greatly enhances the chances that Maine will legalize marijuana in 2016. So much talk among advocates lately has been dominated by the fractured movements in Ohio and California, that this move towards unity is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Legalizing marijuana statewide is very hard work. Drafting the text of a measure that can win at the ballot box, secure the funding necessary and keep cannabis law reform advocates satisfied is a monumental task. Collecting tens of thousands of valid signatures takes a ton of work, carried out by both paid signature gatherers and volunteers that must withstand various weather conditions and oftentimes insults hurled by prohibitionists.

In some states, there may be even mechanisms for outside parties to challenge the initiative petition or otherwise stall the campaign. Having competing campaigns throws even more challenges upon legalization efforts as the different efforts compete for funding, volunteers and support. Thus, it is great news for the Maine legalization effort that two competing legalization measures have joined forces to end cannabis prohibition in the Pine Tree State.

The Portland Press Herald reports:

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, a Marijuana Policy Project-backed campaign, will stop collecting signatures to support the initiative it filed in March that would set up a system to regulate the sale of marijuana to adults. That group will now spearhead the campaign in support of a similar initiative filed in February by Legalize Maine, which billed itself as a homegrown group supported by people in the agriculture and medical marijuana industries.

Each campaign had collected about 40,000 signatures. The groups will now work together to collect the remaining signatures needed to qualify for the November 2016 ballot. They have until January to collect 61,000 valid signatures of registered Maine voters.

“Joining forces is the best step forward, not only for our respective campaigns, but for Maine as a whole,” said David Boyer, campaign manager for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. “We all agree marijuana prohibition has been a colossal failure and that it must be replaced with a system in which marijuana is legal for adults and regulated like alcohol. We can more effectively accomplish our shared goal by combining resources and working together instead of on parallel tracks.”

The Pine State is certainly on the short list of states most likely to end cannabis prohibition in the near future. Personal possession is already decriminalized in Maine. Medical marijuana was first passed with more than 61% of the vote in in 1999 and over 58% of voters cast ballots to add more medical conditions and establish a dispensary system a decade later. Prohibitionists very publicly cheered the defeat of legislative attempts to legalize cannabis, so the issue must be taken to the voters, who are usually years ahead of politicians on the issue.

As we look to end cannabis prohibition federally and finally end such a failed and harmful policy, statewide efforts are extremely important. Many more elected officials, policy makers and everyday folks who may be on the fence will start to come around when they see that the sky doesn’t fall when marijuana is legalized and that common-sense changes are needed federally, such as allowing marijuana businesses to utilize banks and deduct taxes as any other state-regulated business can.

Cannabis law reform activists uniting around measures that can win at the ballot box make it much more likely that statewide efforts will succeed and, thus, that much closer to ending prohibition federally. I sincerely thank Maine activists for uniting around one cannabis legalization measure, this should be an example for many advocates across the country.

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have ran, for the most part, very issue-driven campaigns, rarely taking the bait to really engage each other or mention each other on the campaign trail. While Republican candidates and the media have not, and likely are not, going to drop Clinton’s private email and server scandal, Sanders famously stated at the first Democratic debate that, “The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!”

Despite the opinions of focus groups and internet poll voters, Clinton was praised by political pundits and has been viewed by many as the winner of the first Democratic debate. Sanders gained on Clinton on debate host CNN’s poll, but Clinton’s position has been strengthened, according to several other polls. Sensing that now was the time to very publicly launch a scathing critique of Clinton’s political legacy, the insurgent candidate took on the Democratic front-runner with a fiery and passionate speech at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on Saturday.

From Time:

During his 25-minute remarks, Sanders ticked off a long list of areas where he has a more progressive record than Clinton, mentioning his opposition to the Iraq War, the Keystone Pipeline and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive 12-nation trade deal. In cases where their positions are not far apart, Sanders contrasted his long-held views with Clinton’s more recent pronouncements. On the Trans-Pacific Partnership, he quoted a 2012 speech in which she called it the “gold standard” of trade agreements.

“That agreement is not now, nor has it ever been, the ‘gold standard’ of trade agreements,” Sanders said. “I did not support it yesterday. I do not support it today, and I will not support it tomorrow!”

Sanders then brought up Defense of Marriage Act, passed under president Clinton, which defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. Hillary defended her support of it in an interview with MSNBC on Friday, calling it a defensive line against Republicans who wanted to amend the constitution and outlaw same sex marriage.

Clinton, moved to attack Sanders for stating that both sides of the gun debate were “shouting” at each other, implying that Sanders (and others) have a problem with women speaking out on issues. “I’m not shouting. It’s just that when women talk, some people think we’re shouting,” the former First Lady responded. Sanders took issue with any implication that he is sexist or believes that women are “shouting” about issues. CNN reports:

Sanders on Sunday laughed at her suggestion that his remarks were about gender.

While cannabis law reform advocates and Drug War reformers on the progressive side of the political spectrum have largely flocked to support Bernie Sanders, many conservatives and libertarians have stood by the candidacy of Rand Paul. Senator Paul started off the race for the Republican nomination as one of the front-runners, but his polling numbers declined dramatically, although his campaign has been touting a bit of an uptick as of late.

Donald Trump has soared to the top of the polls and has rather amazingly shown an ability to maintain his front-runner status, despite many controversial statements that would normally sink any presidential candidate. Thus far, a large percentage of 2016 presidential primary voters have shown a desire to support outsider, anti-establishment candidates, helping fuel the candidacies of Trump and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson over the likes of Jeb Bush.

Since the 2016 presidential election has favored outsiders, Senator Paul made a grave mistake, in my opinion, challenging Trump about his status as a “true” Republican during the first GOP debate after the real estate developer wouldn’t pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee. The party outsider has been a great place to be for candidates on the Republican side and Paul aligned himself too closely with the establishment by going after Trump. Additionally, Paul’s attack put him in the crosshairs of Trump and it has proven very difficult to be in a war of words with someone who seemingly doesn’t have to worry about sounding “presidential”.

Apparently, Senator Paul has had enough and he has decided to forcefully take on Donald’s Trump candidacy. In an interview with Newsmax, he states that nominating Trump would be a “disaster for our party and the country” and that he would “probably be the largest loser of any candidate in the history of our country.” When speaking about the Democrats, Paul goes after Bernie Sanders democratic socialist ideas, declaring that the use of force could be utilized, invoking Communist dictators like Mao Tse Tung and Joseph Stalin.

I certainly don’t agree with Senator Paul lumping the policy proposals of Bernie Sanders with Mao and Stalin. Paul claims that socialist countries utilize violence to achieve its goals, but Sanders’ policies are intended to put fewer people in jail as reforming the Drug War and our criminal justice system have become top priorities of Sanders’ campaign. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal policies and the government programs in Denmark, Sweden and Norway didn’t require violence by the state. Despite my political disagreements regarding democratic socialism, I do appreciate that Senator Paul has challenged the Republican status quo on the War on Drugs.

We are seeing a significant shift in our political discussions around ending cannabis prohibition and the greater Drug War. Rand Paul (and his father Ron) deserve a great deal of credit for criticizing the War on Drugs within the GOP. With Bernie Sanders strongly advocating for reform on the Democratic side and Justin Trudeau and the Canadian Liberal Party calling for marijuana legalization as well, we are seeing unprecedented momentum for sensible drug law reforms.

To his credit, Donald Trump is relatively sensible on marijuana policy, supporting medical marijuana and seemingly sticking to a states’ rights position on adult use. Actually, only a few major Republican candidates are adhering to Reefer Madness propaganda and policies. On drug policy, I don’t think that Trump would be a disaster, but on other policies facing our nation, Rand Paul may be right.

(Featured photo credit: Getty Images)

Bernie Sanders has gotten rave reviews from marijuana law reform advocates and Drug War reformers with his policy proposals and comments. The Marijuana Policy Project gives Bernie Sanders an “A” rating, while we here at Marijuana Politics give the Vermont Senator an “A-” on his cannabis policy. Once Sanders gives his full endorsement for ending federal cannabis prohibition, he’ll get a full “A” from us, but in the meantime, we can’t help but be extremely pleased by a serious presidential candidate that has stated that he would be inclined to vote for marijuana legalization at the state level and that states should be able to legalize marijuana without restrictions from the federal government.

In addition to being open to positive marijuana law reforms, Sanders has been open about how the Drug War has failed and he has introduced important legislation to end the private prison racket. It shouldn’t be surprising that Sanders is on the right side of history when it comes to the Drug War, since he stated his opposition to the harmful war about four decades ago (in addition to being on the right side of marriage equality and many other issues.)

Sanders has never shied away from staying true to himself, regardless of the political consequences. Still, it was so refreshing to hear a serious presidential candidate unequivocally state that, “We have got to end the War on Drugs,” on a network talk show. While laughing at first when asked by Jimmy Kimmel about his stance on marijuana, the Vermont Senator talks about how marijuana legalization and the Drug War are serious issues because of our mass incarceration problem and the many lives unnecessarily ruined. Here’s the video:

Win or lose, Bernie Sanders has done amazing work for cannabis legalization and Drug War reform. He has demonstrated that being sensible on drug policy and marijuana law can be good politics. Hopefully, the next United States administration, whether it is a Sanders administration or not, will work will work with the newly-elected Liberal Party in Canada to help improve drug laws globally, starting with marijuana legalization.

I have great friends and colleagues on both sides of Ohio’s Issue 3 marijuana legalization measure, sponsored by ResponsibleOhio. Everyone in the cannabis movement that I have talked to doesn’t support placing a limit of 10 marijuana grow sites in the Ohio Constitution. Limiting the ability for most cannabis growers to enter the regulated system defeats some of the major reasons for legalizing marijuana and lining the pockets of a handful of rich businesses who get to largely control the marijuana market doesn’t really sit well with anyone.

However, I, and most vocally, fellow Marijuana Politics’ blogger, Russ Belville, have stuck to the proposition that any measure better than prohibition should be supported. If a measure has flaws, advocates can work to correct those flaws, but you never know for certain when you can get a chance to vote on legalization again. Russ and I are from conservative states and have lived under regimes where any amount of marijuana could lead to an arrest and some time in jail, in addition to place you on probation and ruin your educational and employment opportunities. Russ has spent a great amount of time and energy taking to task national organizations for their silence on Issue 3 and he has been willing to debate many opponents of the measure.

I must admit that I don’t have the patience to debate people on the interwebs and the oligopoly of growers created by Issue 3 have left me as someone who has been willing to state that I would vote for the measure if I lived in Ohio, but unwilling to put much effort into promoting the measure. The unseemly oligopoly provision may be countered by Ohio Issue 2. My sincere hope is that both measures pass and the courts rule that legalization shall prevail, but that Ohio must allow for more than just 10 grow sites.

Russ Belville, one of the hardest working cannabis activists in the world, has swayed some Ohio voters to change their vote (according to their online comments) and has gotten NORML‘s founder and current Legal Counsel, Keith Stroup, to post a blog noting the fact that Issue 3 is worth supporting. From NORML:

Issue 3 in Ohio should be endorsed by all who favor legalization, even with its imperfections. As the NORML board of directors concluded when we endorsed the Ohio proposal, unless the current proposal in Ohio is approved, it will likely be five years or more (perhaps far longer) before marijuana will be legalized in Ohio. Under their current laws, roughly 12,000 Ohioans are arrested on marijuana charges each year. Does anyone really believe we should sit by waiting for a more acceptable version of legalization to magically appear, while another 60,000 to 100,000 smokers are arrested in Ohio?

In addition, just as the victories in Washington and Colorado were especially significant because they were the first, and opened the door for serious consideration in additional states, it would be an enormous step forward politically to adopt full legalization in Ohio — a large, conservative midwestern state. And it would suddenly put full legalization on the table for serious consideration by many other similarly situated states.

It’s time to legalize in Ohio.

Recent polls show that Issue 3 has a good chance of passage this year. One poll has Issue 3 at 56%, while another shows support at 53%. The good polling numbers are surprising many who feared that an off-year election would be difficult for a marijuana legalization measure as young people, the biggest supporters of legalization, are more likely to sit out off-year votes. Cannabis legalization may just come to the Midwest in 2015, having a ripple effect across the nation and greatly influencing the presidential race as Ohio is such an important swing state, that just may decide who our next president is.

I respect many people on both sides of the issue, but hope that everyone maintains a cordial (as much as possible) relationship as cannabis law reformers on both sides of the issue will need each other in the years ahead in Ohio, whether Issue 3 wins or loses. Advocates should stick to the issues and not get personal. Following legalization, a whole host of issues, from employment rights to custody battles, must be dealt with and we need to understand that prohibitionists will seek to exploit any divisions to perpetuate the failed War on Marijuana in Ohio and beyond.

Oregon’s Measure 91 legalization initiative called for the Oregon Liquor Commission to regulate the burgeoning cannabis industry in Oregon and the draft rules have released and the initial rules will be finalized the first week of November. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) has held public listening tours across the state as well as several advisory committee meetings comprised of industry representatives and government officials. The Oregon Legislature has tinkered with Measure 91 and various rules as well.

It will be interesting to see how the OLCC Board of Commissioners ultimately settle upon some of these issues. Shameless plug: the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference in Ashland on November 21st will be a great place to hear about the initial rules from the perspective of those in the industry as well as legal experts. Nothing is written in stone yet, but here are some highlights of the rules along with some initial commentary.

• Fees. Processors, wholesalers, retailers, laboratories and researchers will all have to pay an annual fee of $4,750. Growers will pay either $3,750 or $5,750 depending upon the size of the garden. Measure 91 called for fees of $1,250 per year, but legislative changes made to the tax collection and funding of the marijuana system has forced the OLCC to institute these fees. Combined with some cities asking for additional fees, costs this high will price out small Oregon business owners, especially with some cities asking for similar business license fees as well. Hopefully, legislators will make some changes next session, allowing the OLCC to lower fees and bring more people into the regulated system.
• Out-of-state investment rights. The OLCC is mandating that the primary applicant be an Oregon resident with 51% ownership. While the residency requirement and prohibition of out-of-state investment is supported by many in the Oregon industry, it has the potential to stifle the market and actually lead to some out-of-state interests to having an unfair, hidden advantage. It’s hard for marijuana businesses to get loans, so  and this requirement will likely lead to businesses hiding who their out-of-state investors are.
• Canopy size. The draft rules call for indoor grow sites capped at 10,000 square feet and outdoor grow sites at 40,000 square feet. A majority of the Rules Advisory Committee voted to support doubling these sites to avoid supply problems and allow for a price that allows the regulated market to compete with the illicit market. 
• No discounts allowed. Current draft rules don’t allow for any discounts, including those for medical marijuana patients, veterans and people of low-income.
• Delivery restrictions. Current draft rules don’t allow the delivery of marijuana into cities and states that have banned marijuana retail stores. This means illegal dealers will do it.
• Adult consumption prohibited. Draft rules don’t allow for any adult consumption on licensee property or places with a liquor license to allow marijuana use. Tourists need a place to safely use marijuana legally; state-registered Oregon medical marijuana patients must be able to use their medicine as needed; adults should be able to use marijuana in safe places, out of public view, with other adults.

In addition to the state rules and fees, marijuana businesses will have to satisfy local fees, rules and regulations as well. Some localities have enacted reasonable time, place and manner regulations; some have extensive regulations that are anything but reasonable; others have banned marijuana businesses altogether; and some cities and counties will be leaving the issue to the voters. The OMBC will have a presentation devoted to local regulation on the 21st.

While some changes will need to be made and I’ll have more on the rules once they are finalized, I must commend the OLCC for the work that they have done thus far. The OLCC has listened to a lot of voices and many choices have been forced upon them by the Oregon Legislature. Despite the contention of many that the OLCC doesn’t want marijuana regulations to work, I will have to strongly disagree. The OLCC wants to see the marijuana industry thrive, create jobs and generate new revenue for the state. There will be some growing pains as the industry gets off of the ground, but if we remain vigilant, we will see an industry develop that Oregonians can be proud of.

After nearly a decade in power, Stephen Harper has resigned as leader of the Conservative Party after Canadians voted for change and swept the Liberal Party into power. Exceeding expectations, the Liberal Party secured a clear majority outright, without the need to form a coalition government. Voters in our neighbor to the north voted for a clear progressive agenda that includes ending cannabis prohibition. Marijuana legalization advocates rejoiced across North America, looking forward to a sensible cannabis policy in Canada.

Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau has called for implementing legalization quickly, but it will be very interesting exactly how cannabis commerce will be regulated. Trudeau has pledged to move on legalization right away, but noted that it could take a year or two to implement. Trudeau’s director of communications, Kate Purchase, did state that Colorado was a model that the party was considering. As Canada develops the rules and regulations for cannabis commerce, hopefully the country will move forward with ending criminal penalties for personal possession, cultivation and sharing of cannabis.

The new prime minister provided a stark contrast with his predecessor on many issues, including cannabis legalization. While Trudeau admitted to using marijuana in the past and the Liberal Party made legalization a part of its platform. Trudeau was clearly more in line with the people of Canada as a recent poll found that over 56% support legalization; about 30% favor decriminalization; and less than 15% want to keep marijuana illegal. Harper, who declared marijuana “infinitely worse than tobacco” and supported prohibition, was clearly out of step with the Canadian people. While many people try to downplay the importance of cannabis policy in national politics, a candidate’s marijuana policy says a lot about his or her priorities and understanding of science.

With the Liberal Party securing 184 seats, more than the 170 needed to control a majority and the New Democratic Party, which supports decriminalization, marijuana legalization should be implemented without much political resistance. In the past, the Liberals have backed down from implementing national decriminalization under pressure from the Bush Administration. The Canadian government is unlikely to get any pressure from the Obama Administration since the United States federal government is currently letting states proceed with their own marijuana policies.

Legalization in Canada will likely speed up marijuana law reform in the United States and across the globe. When the sky doesn’t fall in Canada and the nation generates new revenue and creates more jobs, more states will have evidence to pass legalization measures, putting more pressure on Congress to allow states to legalize without restrictions. Uruguay has chosen to end cannabis prohibition and other countries, such as Mexico, may legalize cannabis soon as well. Just as cannabis legalization has spread state to state in the United States, we will see similar momentum around the world.

CNN’s coverage of the first Democratic presidential debate drew both praise and controversy across the political spectrum. Many people felt that Anderson Cooper did a great job asking tough questions of the candidates and sticking to the issues. Others criticized CNN for declaring Hillary Clinton the winner of the debate, despite online polls and focus groups (their own and other media outlets’) showing Bernie Sanders the winner. Candidate Jim Webb felt that the debate was rigged in favor of Sanders and Clinton (the two frontrunners did dominate in minutes spoken).

Political observers have been waiting for some scientific polling to gage the debate’s impact upon the Democratic electorate. CNN’s poll found that a majority of Democrats felt that Hillary Clinton won the debate, but it is Bernie Sanders who gained a boost in polling numbers. From CNN:

Clinton stands at 45% in the race for the Democratic nomination, with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders behind her at 29%. Vice President Joe Biden, who is considering a run for presidency and did not participate in last week’s debate, follows at 18%.

***

Compared with pre-debate polling, Sanders’ support is up five points since mid-September, but no other candidate showed significant change.

It is interesting that a majority of those polled by CNN felt that Clinton was the winner, but Sanders got the boost. CNN’s poll also found that voters preferred Sanders a bit more than Clinton when faced against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. The Vermont Senator leads Trump by 9% while the former Secretary of State leads Trump by 5%.

If I’m to speculate why Sanders got a boost in the polls among those polled by CNN, when a majority apparently felt that Clinton won the debate, I would guess that many Democrats weren’t very familiar with Sanders, so he got a boost from just an increase in name recognition, along with the fact that his policies are certain to appeal to many in the Democratic Party base. Additionally, polls show that many voters don’t find Clinton trustworthy, so despite her formidable debating skills and extensive knowledge of the issues, her answers still fall flat to many because she seems inauthentic, in contrast to Sanders.

One big positive for marijuana law reform advocates, Bernie Sanders didn’t hurt himself one bit by staking a strong position in support of marijuana legalization. After taking what many political pundits would consider a risky proposition, focus groups and the online community loved Sanders’ debate performance and he received a boost in the polls, demonstrating the mainstream appeal of cannabis legalization, or the fact that voters don’t consider it a big deal anymore. Sanders’ success nationally, win or lose, has greatly impacted the national debate around cannabis legalization the greater Drug War. He has increased the likelihood that candidates across the nation will understand that reforming the failed War on Drugs is not only the right thing to do, but is also very good politics.

UPDATE: The Canadian Broadcast Company projects a victory for the Liberal Party. More analysis tomorrow on what this means for cannabis legalization in Canada and its impact beyond its borders. From the CBC:

Justin Trudeau will be Canada’s next prime minister after leading the Liberal Party to a majority government win, dashing the hopes of Stephen Harper, who had been seeking his fourth consecutive mandate, CBC News has projected.

This will be the second time Canada will be led by a Trudeau, as the Liberal leader follows in the footsteps of his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau. The Tories will form the Official Opposition, moving Tom Mulcair’s NDP to third-party status.

It’s a stunning turnaround for the Liberals, who held only 36 seats at the time of Parliament’s dissolution. The Conservatives held 159 seats in the 308-seat House of Commons and the NDP had 95, with another 18 seats either vacant, held by Independents or shared between the Green Party (two seats) and the Bloc Québécois and a splinter group.

The United States has seen great progress across the country, with legalization measures passing in four states and our nation’s capital and polls showing majority support among voters. Several more states are poised to pass legalization in the coming years, and each state that legalizes cannabis adds more federal legislators with pressure to satisfy his or her constituents that demand true freedom and equality for the cannabis community and industry.

Several state Democratic parties have endorsed marijuana legalization, but neither the national Republican or Democratic parties have added legalization to their national platforms at this time. In that regard, Canada has advanced past the U.S., as the Liberal Party has added marijuana legalization to its agenda.

From Vice:

In an attempt to sweep up the green vote, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau announced this week that if elected, his party will work to legalize marijuana “right away.”

***

Trudeau has previously said pot prohibition has resulted in 475,000 people with criminal records since the Conservatives came into power in 2006, and criminalization of the drug costs the justice system $500 million a year. But until now, the Liberal leader has kept relatively quiet on the issue while on the election trail — even when his political adversaries have taken swipes at him with pot jokes.

From the Liberal Party’s website:

We will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana.

Canada’s current system of marijuana prohibition does not work. It does not prevent young people from using marijuana and too many Canadians end up with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug.

Arresting and prosecuting these offenses is expensive for our criminal justice system. It traps too many Canadians in the criminal justice system for minor, non-violent offenses. At the same time, the proceeds from the illegal drug trade support organized crime and greater threats to public safety, like human trafficking and hard drugs.

To ensure that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children, and the profits out of the hands of criminals, we will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana.

We will remove marijuana consumption and incidental possession from the Criminal Code, and create new, stronger laws to punish more severely those who provide it to minors, those who operate a motor vehicle while under its influence, and those who sell it outside of the new regulatory framework.

We will create a federal/provincial/territorial task force, and with input from experts in public health, substance abuse, and law enforcement, will design a new system of strict marijuana sales and distribution, with appropriate federal and provincial excise taxes applied.

The Conservative Party opposes legalization, providing a stark contrast with the Liberal Party. The Conservatives have held power for a decade, but polls show that Canadian voters are looking for change. The National Post reports:

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have enjoyed a surge in voter support in the closing week of the election campaign and have strong momentum as Canadians prepare to cast their ballots Monday, a new survey conducted for Postmedia suggests.

The poll by Mainstreet Research, conducted Wednesday and Thursday, found that the Liberals had a five-point lead among decided and leaning voters over their nearest rivals, Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.

***

Mainstreet president Quito Maggi said in an interview Friday that if the polling numbers carry through to election day, the Liberals could be on the “razor’s edge” of winning a majority.

The Toronto Star endorsed the Liberal Party and its progressive agenda:

Fortunately, when they go to the polls on Oct. 19 voters will be able to choose a strong, hopeful alternative to the Harper Conservatives: Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party. They have crafted an alternative vision for the country that deserves the support of those who believe Canada can be more generous, more ambitious and more successful.

Liberal Party leader, Justin Trudeau, the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, first announced his support for legalizing marijuana just over two years ago and admitted to using cannabis in 2010. Contrary to conventional wisdom, admitted to using cannabis and supporting legalization, have not been political liabilities for Trudeau and the Liberal Party. In fact, it looks like Canadian voters are ready for real change in marijuana policy and if the polls hold up, add to the the momentum for ending cannabis prohibition across the globe.

(Featured photo credit: Mark Blinch / Reuters)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had already won the hearts and minds of many cannabis law reform advocates before the first Democratic presidential debate by stating that he would personally vote “YES” on marijuana legalization and called for reforming our failed War on Drugs. Hillary Clinton provided good answers as well, agreeing on the need for criminal justice reform and supporting medical cannabis. Clinton wasn’t prepared to support legalization at the debate, but the day after the debate, she has stated that the federal government shouldn’t interfere with the marijuana laws in Colorado and other states that are leading the way.

9News.com:

In the CNN debate Tuesday, Clinton declined to take a position on the legalization of marijuana, but she was not asked how she would handle state-legalized pot as president.

In contrast with Republican candidate Chris Christie, who wants to use federal power to stop legalized sales of marijuana in states like Colorado, Clinton told 9NEWS, “I want to give you the space” to experiment with pot policy.

“I really believe it’s important that states like Colorado lead the way so we can learn what works and what doesn’t work,” Clinton told 9NEWS political reporter Brandon Rittiman. “I would certainly not want the federal government to interfere with the legal decision made by the people of Colorado.”

The position that the federal government should allow states to be able to legalize without interference is very similar to a statement by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders made during an interview with the Iowa program, Little Village back in early September. Hopefully, whether Sanders or Clinton ultimately wins the Democratic nomination, they consider the fact that federal changes are needed above and beyond just refraining from arresting and prosecuting people for marijuana. For the regulated cannabis systems to truly work in legalized states, marijuana businesses also need effective tax and banking regulations that treat state-regulated cannabis businesses the same as other businesses.

Many may scoff at Clinton’s flip-flop or evolution on the issue, as she opposed marijuana decriminalization during her previous presidential run and hasn’t been even been an outspoken supporter of medicinal cannabis until last night, but cannabis law reform advocates have to be pleased with how cannabis policy has been shaping up during the Democratic primary battle. All Democratic candidates seem to want to move forward towards a sane cannabis policy that doesn’t lock people in cages for marijuana, and that is progress, political cynicism or not.

The video of Clinton’s interview. Marijuana issue starts at 1:30:

“The third rail of a nation’s politics is a metaphor for any issue so controversial that it is “charged” and “untouchable”; any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically.”

Reforming our marijuana laws and the greater Drug War have often been declared a “third rail” in American politics, right along with cutting Social Security, something you just can’t support. However, Bernie Sanders was forceful during the first Democratic primary presidential debate (#DemDebate) about the need to rethink the War on Drugs, reform our criminal justice system and he even declared his support for marijuana legalization.

Hillary Clinton, to her credit, was also very good on criminal justice reform, but she seemed to be playing a game of catch-up with Sanders, in my opinion. On marijuana legalization, it was great to hear Clinton declare her support for medical marijuana, but the “wait-and-see” answer on legalization is a very Clintonesque political position that allows her to dodge the issue; while you can pay lip-service to keeping nonviolent people out of the criminal justice system, laws actually have the change, and that starts with ending marijuana prohibition.

The other candidates were also very good on criminal justice reform when they had the opportunity to speak, but let’s be honest, the debate was really between the establishment Clinton and the insurgent Sanders. While Martin O’Malley, to me, looks and sounds very presidential, I don’t see him gaining much traction. The former Republicans, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee, while I like both of them and they both look good on paper, aren’t likely to appeal to the Democratic base that votes in the 2016 primary.

Political pundits were quick to announce Hillary Clinton the winner of the debate as she put on a rather fantastic debate performance and looked presidential and confident on the big stage. However, the people saw something different, according to focus groups and online polls. Ordinary viewers saw Sanders as the victor and it wasn’t even close. Focus groups by CNN, Frank Luntz on Fox News and Fusion all declared Bernie Sanders the winner. While no one cited his stance on marijuana, his common-sense answer played into one of his greatest strengths–his authenticity.

Sanders’ performance certainly pleased his supporters as $1.3 million was donated following the debate. Some have seen a similar dichotomy between the pundits and the people as Dan Pfeiffer, former Senior Advisor to Barack Obama, noted on Twitter, that the media establishment supporting Clinton, while the people supporting Sanders, was very reminiscent of the Obama/Clinton nomination battle:

Clinton had a great night, but Sanders winning the focus group and online polls, but losing the pundits is reminiscent of Obama in 07-08

— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) October 14, 2015

Anderson Cooper did a great job cutting to the heart of the perceived weaknesses of the Democratic candidates. Cooper forced Bernie Sanders to defend his “democratic socialism” label and I thought that he did a good job on that. In the future, I think that Sanders should mention Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal policies as an example of democratic socialism and Clinton opened the door for that tactic in the next debate, as she stated that the United States needed a “New” New Deal.

Clinton was forced to answer whether she makes decisions based upon political expediency and her answer on marijuana legalization is the definition of political expediency in a Democratic primary. It is very easy to state your support for medical cannabis, but when as Clinton ever done anything for the cause? Anything to support putting an end to the needless suffering of sick and disabled patients that could benefit from cannabis? She still needs to wait and see on Colorado’s marijuana legalization system? How much longer does she need?

It will be interesting to see how the polls shake out following this debate. I predict a bump for Bernie Sanders just because his name recognition will increase and the Democratic base will actually support democratic socialist policies now that they’ve had an opportunity to hear from Sanders himself. I think that Clinton will remain steady; I don’t think that a large number of people will jump to her, but I don’t think that she did much to hurt herself.

I think that O’Malley will scoop up Chafee and Webb supporters and we will be in a three-way race for a bit, unless Joe Biden rounds us up to four. I’ll check back to this post as the polls come out and we’ll just see how my prognostication pans out.

Hopefully, more politicians in the future will learn from Bernie Sanders, not only on marijuana policy, but also on the fact that you can be authentic and yourself, there is no need to flip and flop and “evolve” as the political winds blow. If more politicians will follow in Sanders’ footsteps, then his political revolution, that Jim Webb dismissed, will continue beyond just one politician.

Some of the results of last night’s debate focus groups:
CNN:

Fox News:

Fusion: