Donald Trump Shifts Stance on Marijuana Legalization


Ryan Allway

November 3rd, 2015

Policy, Top News


Donald Trump – the front-running Republican presidential candidate – indicated that he fully supports medical marijuana and also supports states making their own decisions about whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana during a Nevada campaign stop.

“The marijuana thing is such a big deal,” said Trump during the speech. “I think medical should happen – don’t we agree? And then, I really believe we should leave it up to the states.”

Shifting Rhetoric

The move marks an ongoing shift in Republican rhetoric from strict federal prohibition toward a states’ rights argument. With growing support for marijuana legalization across the U.S., the change in stance may be a necessary one in order to have a shot at the presidency, especially with many younger voters strongly in favor of legalizing the drug. The conservative approach shuts the doors on these voters, but the states’ rights approach may leave it open.

Earlier this year, Republican candidate Rand Paul became the first candidate to accept money from the cannabis industry during a Denver campaign stop. Paul has been one of the most outspoken critics of the War on Drugs and an avid supporter of states’ rights when it comes to the legalization of marijuana. In the Senate, he even joined with Democrats to support a bill that would loosen federal restrictions on medical marijuana in states where it’s legal.

Divided Parties

Donald Trump joins Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Carly Fiorina in endorsing states’ rights to marijuana legalization, while Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal, Chris Christie, and Rick Santorum have all vowed to crack down on the drug if elected. Chris Christie has made it abundantly clear that he would crack down on legalization by saying, “if you’re getting high in Colorado today, enjoy it … as of January 2017, I will enforce the federal laws”.

While Democrats are traditionally more liberal, the party has remained equally divided on the issue of marijuana legalization. Bernie Sanders indicated that he would remove marijuana was the federal government’s list of outlawed drugs, but front-runner Hillary Clinton has remain tight-lipped on the issue. There may be little concern she would reinstitute prohibition, but she may be unwilling to make much-needed changes to the federal laws to ease restrictions.

Making Progress

Donald Trumps move to soften his stance on marijuana legalization represents a step in the right direction for the Republican party in terms of aligning their views with the broader American public. By taking a states’ rights approach and supporting medical marijuana, Trump could expand his reach to a greater number of Americans and perhaps have a better shot at becoming the next President by reaching younger generations.

Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore and used under Creative Commons.

This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.

About Ryan Allway

Mr. Allway has over a decade of experience in the financial markets as both a private investor and financial journalist. He has been actively involved in the cannabis industry since its inception, covering public and private companies.


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