What a wild, unprecedented road we’re facing with this November election. Ever since the debate two weeks ago, calls for Biden to step down have not decreased. While we haven’t yet reached a point of a rolling boil, the simmer is increasing, with donors slowing immensely for the incumbent.
So let’s look forward, and see where other potential candidates stand when it comes to marijuana. Keep in mind, this is the democratic party, and it would be not quite career suicide, but career absurdity to be against any sort of marijuana reform at this point in time.
Kamala Harris
The tidiest way for Biden to bow out is to hand over the reigns to his Vice President, Kamala Harris, so she is the most likely way forward for democrats. Her views are basically the same as the administration. She is for rescheduling, for expansive pardons for past offenders (despite her incongruous background of putting these people behind bars), and for benefits for those harmed by the war on drugs.
Gavin Newsom
Newsom is the Governor of California, so support for full marijuana legalization sort of comes with the terrain. The taxation in the state is a little insane, but Newsom would certainly take steps to remove marijuana altogether from the controlled substances.
Gretchen Whitmer
The Governor of Michigan also resides over a state that has legal marijuana, albeit not for as long and successful. That being said, she probably hews closer to Biden than Newsom on her views, having enacted tougher regulations on hemp-derived cannabinoids in 2021.
Josh Shapiro
Pennsylvania’s Governor does not have any marijuana reform under his belt, but that’s mainly because of pushback from GOP lawmakers in his state. He’s a democrat, and legal marijuana is certainly a goal of his, even if it isn’t likely during his tenure in PA. Whether or not that changes when (if not this year, certainly in 2028) he runs for the presidency is yet to be seen.
