MD Republican Makes Strong Push for National Decriminalization of Marijuana

Charles Long PhD, the Republican candidate in the 2014 General Election for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, has taken Facebook by storm, passing both his competitor, Maryland 3rd District Democratic incumbent John Sarbanes, and his fellow Maryland Republican Andy Harris of Maryland’s 1st District, in “Likes”. In July, Charles Long’s first detailed platform position paper advocated the national decriminalization of Marijuana.

The Long campaign posted this on their web site this morning, “It is going to take new voters, young voters, Independents, Democrat and Republican voters to change marijuana laws so we can fight gang crime, end violent turf wars and stop locking up people over a plant they choose to consume. Marijuana can be regulated, safe and taxed. Maryland’s 3rd District spans portions of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, and Montgomery County. It is the third most gerrymandered district in the nation, in favor of the Democrat who runs for office.... Help us change these terrible federal drug laws by spreading the word about Charles Long, so we can get out the vote.”

While the Charles Long campaign covers many important issues, including national security, immigration and education, it is the current state of federal marijuana laws that has sparked a great interest in the Republican candidate. The public perception is that marijuana legalization is a favorite subject for Democrats, but that is not always the case.

The Republican group RAMP (Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition) has a list of 49 Republicans that voted for the amendment to the DOJ appropriation bill to limit DEA medical marijuana enforcement.

Congressman John Sarbanes, the incumbent Democrat for Maryland’s 3rd District, has been office for almost 8 years and has never faced a serious threat. He favors never legalizing marijuana according to ballotpedia.

The Marijuana position paper can be found on the Issues page of the Long campaign web site http://charleslongforcongress.com