Cory Booker has reintroduced his U.S. Senate bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level. Beto O’Rourke called for expunging the records of those arrested for possession of the drug. Kamala Harris admitted she had smoked pot - and inhaled.
When it comes to legalizing marijuana, many of the current and potential 2020 Democratic presidential contenders are eager to show they are cool with cannabis.
Their embrace of the issue reflects a rapid shift in public opinion that has brought what was once an extreme political position into the mainstream.
A Gallup poll in October found two of every three Americans support legalization, a record high, and for the first time a slim majority of Republicans support legal marijuana. Three of every four Democrats back legalization.
Ten states and the District of Columbia now allow legal recreational use and more than 30 states have legalized it for medical use.
“The Democratic candidates are just acknowledging the practical and political reality - this is not only good policy, it’s good politics,” said Erik Altieri, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Booker has led the charge, reintroducing his Senate bill last week for federal legalization. Four fellow senators and 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are co-sponsors: Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
The other declared White House candidate in the Senate, Amy Klobuchar, has not co-sponsored Booker’s bill but said in a statement she supported legalization.
Most other contenders also have taken public stands in support of some degree of legalization, with many linking the issue to criminal justice reform and protesting that racial minorities are disproportionately arrested for possession and hit with harsh sentences.
“We should end the federal prohibition on marijuana and expunge the records of those who were locked away for possessing it, ensuring that they can get work, finish their education, contribute to the greatness of this country,” O’Rourke, the former Texas congressman who is expected to announce soon whether he will run, said in an email to supporters on Monday.
