Marijuana Reform 2016: Democrats On Board, But Will Clinton and Trump Puff Or Pass?

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who want more lenient marijuana laws, 2016 is a good year to make sure that you’re registered to vote.

During its meeting in Orlando last weekend, the Democratic National Committee announced that the political party will make marijuana reform part of its 2016 platform.

“Because of conflicting laws concerning marijuana, both on the federal and state levels, we encourage the federal government to remove marijuana from its list as a Class 1 Federal Controlled Substance, providing a reasoned pathway for future legalization,” DNC leaders stated at the Orlando conference.

In a draft version of the 2016 platform, DNC leaders wrote:

“We believe that the states should be laboratories of democracy on the issue of marijuana, and those states that want to decriminalize marijuana should be able to do so. We support policies that will allow more research on marijuana, as well as reforming our laws to allow legal marijuana businesses to exist without uncertainty. And we recognize our current marijuana laws have had an unacceptable disparate impact, with arrest rates for marijuana possession among African-Americans far outstripping arrest rates among whites, despite similar usage rates.”

According to the DEA, cannabis, or marijuana, is currently classified as a Schedule I drug alongside heroin, ecstasy and LSD.

These drugs have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” the DEA states, a position that a chorus of pro-marijuana groups have lambasted as inaccurate.

“Despite medical cannabis laws in 40 states, cannabis is still illegal under federal law,” Americans For Safe Access states. “The federal government regulates drugs through the Controlled Substances Act, which does not recognize the difference between medical and recreational use of cannabis.”

“Rescheduling marijuana would make it easier for scientists to research the plant,” Rolling Stone reported. “It would also vindicate the widely held belief that marijuana has important medicinal properties.”

Despite the DEA spending decades “spewing the swill of prohibitionists in an effort to keep the cannabis plant confined to its Schedule I classification,” there is more pressure than ever before for the federal government to “deliver a favorable result on the issue,” High Times writes.

CLINTON AND TRUMP: PUFF OR PASS?

Where do the two Presidential campaign frontrunners – Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump – stand on marijuana reform?

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), a nonprofit cannabis advocacy group, rated Clinton a “B+” for her reform efforts.

“Clinton has expressed support for legal access to medical marijuana and more research into the medical benefits of marijuana,” the group states on its website.

According to the MPP:

“During the October 13 Democratic presidential debate, [Clinton] was asked whether she has taken a position on state legalization laws now that a year has gone by, to which she replied, ‘No.’ Instead, she expressed support for laws that allow legal access to medical marijuana, as well as concern about U.S. incarceration rates, noting that she does not believe people should be imprisoned for marijuana use.”

“There’s some great evidence about what marijuana can do for people who are in cancer treatment, who have other kind of chronic diseases, who are suffering from intense pain,” Clinton said during a March appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." “There’s great, great anecdotal evidence, but I want us to start doing the research.”

Republican candidate Trump rated a “C+” for his marijuana reform stance, the MPP stated.

“In 1990, Trump said he favored legalizing all drugs, but more recently he has said he opposes legalizing and regulating marijuana for adult use,” the MPP wrote. “He supports legal access to medical marijuana, and he believes states should be able to set their own marijuana policies with regard to adult use.”

“In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state,” Trump told the Washington Post in 2015. “Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should happen — right?”

MARIJUANA LAWS AND POLICY CHANGES

Catch up on these recent developments in the world of cannabis culture and legislation.

• See related article: Should Menstrual Cramps Qualify For NJ Medical Marijuana?
• See related article: Marijuana Legalization Group: More than 25,000 Signatures Support Ballot Question
• See related article: Colorado Teens' Marijuana Use Has Dipped Since Legalization: Report
• See related article: Medical Marijuana Becomes Law In Pa.: 10 Common Questions And Answers
• See related article: Majority of Michigan Voters Support Legalizing, Taxing Pot: Poll

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