After news last week about the white house budget proposal here is a reminder of two candidates for the Democratic nomination. Two candidates have voiced against the legalization of cannabis recently or within the past few months.

Mike Bloomberg on legalization

Recently a recording resurfaced with Mike Bloomberg voicing his opposition to Colorado’s legalization program. When he is questioned by an audience member on this, Bloomberg said, “I think it is just a terrible, terrible idea.”

In 2015 Bloomberg stated, “I couldn’t feel more strongly about it, and my girlfriend says it’s no different than alcohol. It is different than alcohol. This is one of the stupider things that’s happening across our country.”

Bloomberg recently backtracked on some of his legalization remarks claiming that he was for states’ rights and decriminalization nationwide. Going as far as telling reporters it’s dumb to give prison time for it. It marks a dramatic shift in his stances since joining the Democratic nomination process. The party recently showed a 76% approval of ending cananbis prohibition. As well, Republicans have 51% support for making marijuana legal, with independents at 68%.

Biden is the only other Democratic nomination candidate still running that is having prohibitionist views.

Joe Biden

Biden has been criticized since late 2019 for his stances of cannabis legalization. The candidate has stated that “no one should be in jail for using marijuana,” but that’s pretty much where it stops. His support for changing it from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 is to end the criminality and allow research in the states.

At a November town hall, Biden was recorded saying that marijuana is “a gateway drug” and that legalization was a mistake.

He has tried to clarify his remarks surrounding legalization. This really didn’t do any justice and didn’t resolve any confusion. Then in February of this year, Biden tried to make another pivotal shift. Biden told Don Murphy of the Marijuana Policy Project his plan was to decriminalize cannabis, expunge some cannabis-related records, make medical marijuana legal and create opportunities for more research. Adding twice that he does not believe cannabis is “a gateway drug”. He concluded with “I think it is at the point where it has to be, basically, legalized,” 

Biden has been criticized on the campaign trail for his approach to marijuana policy. This is including his lengthy support for stiff criminal penalties as a senator.  Corey Booker consistently pointed out during debates that Biden was the cause for all the legalization with expungement necessity that Biden claims to support now.