Bernie Sanders and Marijuana: Everything You Need to Know

Cannabis

According to The Motely Fool, In case you haven't noticed, election season is upon us. We're a little more than a week away from Super Tuesday, which is when the greatest number of states hold their primary elections or caucuses for president of the United States. In other words, things are about to shake out on the political front, and a few front-runners are emerging.

Among the highly contentious Democratic ticket, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has emerged as the current front-runner after strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. This means Sanders' policies are being pushed to the forefront for examination and debate.

Among the many issues the presidential candidates will be tasked with tackling in 2020 is marijuana. Although it remains an illicit drug at the federal level, it's been medically legalized by 33 states, with 11 of those states also allowing for adult-use consumption. It's also a substance that two-thirds of Americans would like to see legalized, according to Gallup.

If president, Bernie Sanders has pledged to end this bifurcation by legalizing marijuana. How would he do that and what challenges might he face? Let's take a closer look at the ins and outs of Sanders' marijuana legalization plan. 

Sanders has a four-pronged approach to legalize cannabis

Unveiled this past October, Sanders laid out a plan to quickly legalize marijuana at the federal level. His plan has four key components.

First, Sanders would utilize his power as president to legalize cannabis via executive order. This would appear to be a popular path to take, given that 66% of Americans favor legalization, and more than 90% support the idea of physicians being able to prescribe medical cannabis to a patient, according to an April 2018 poll from the independent Quinnipiac University.

Second, Sanders has touted that social injustices regarding cannabis convictions would be righted. This would be done by reviewing all current marijuana convictions at the federal and state level for expungement or resentencing, as well as expunging all previous convictions. Sanders' plan notes that "federal funding will be provided to states and cities to partner with organizations that can help develop and operate the expungement determination process."

Third, Sanders wants to take $50 billion in tax revenue generated from the sale of legal marijuana and reinvest it into the communities hit hardest by the War on Drugs. When broken down, $20 billion would be used to "provide grants to entrepreneurs of color who continue to face discrimination in access to capital." Three additional $10 billion sums would be apportioned to funds or grants that aid businesses or communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs.

Fourth and finally, Sanders laid out plans to keep Big Tobacco out of the pot industry. He plans to give cannabis businesses incentive to be structured like nonprofits, with tobacco companies and businesses that are accused of creating cancer-causing products being banned from participating.

Read More at source: The Motely Fool