Former vice president and longtime senator Joe Biden entered the 2020 presidential race. Biden is among the favorites to win the Democratic nomination, but on marijuana legalization he’s “basically the worst candidate in the race,” says Rolling Stone.
Biden is among the few of the 20 Democratic candidates who has not endorsed legalization. During the race, observers expect Biden to soften his views on cannabis to catch up with public opinion. Even so, many on the left will want Biden to account for his many years as a leader of the war on drugs.
vox
Other 2020 candidates:
- California Sen. Kamala Harris said as president she’d pardon low-level drug offenders.
vox - Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper(D) defended his record creating the first legal REC industry. Hickenlooper hasn’t endorsed national legalization, saying it should be a state issue.
westword - A poll found support for legalization isn’t strong enough to change who most Americans’ vote for in 2020.
cbs
Quick Hits
- Under current Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), who has a warmer relationship with the industry than Hickenlooper, bills are advancing to allow social use and delivery, and to allow out of state residents to invest in Colorado cannabis companies.
the colorado sun, cannabis wire - Just over half of Americans think ambient pot smells are a problem.
buzzfeed - Oregon may stiffen penalties for non-compliance. Chief regulator Paul Rosenbaum said the state’s “slipshod approach could put our licensees and our state at a competitive disadvantage.”
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