San Francisco Chronicle: Bernie Sanders supports California marijuana legalization

[Warren DeMontague]

http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2016/05/23/bernie-sanders-supports-california-marijuana-legalization/

Bernie Sanders has voiced his approval for marijuana law reform in California.

Speaking at a campaign rally in San Jose, the Democratic presidential hopeful endorsed the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), the state’s leading initiative to legalize marijuana, the Sacramento Bee reports.

“I do not live in California,” the Vermont senator told supporters during his speech. “But if I lived in California, I would vote ‘yes’ to legalize marijuana.”

Sanders’ endorsement is consistent with statements made in other states that are currently discussing cannabis legalization, as well as his official policy to end federal prohibition and legalize both the recreational and medical use of marijuana.

More on the California Adult Use of Marijuajna Act, here:

http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2016/05/04/california-marijuana-legalization-2016-campaign-launches-with-lt-gov-newsom/

[RandySF]

1. Then why did they just hide Tommy Chong away in the basement?

[truedelphi]

4. Because he kept hearing someone

Pounding on his door, asking for "Dave," maybe?

[KingFlorez]

5. Got to keep the optics good. Can't put off potential conservadem and independent voters

[Warren DeMontague]

16. Oh, baloney. Hillary's camp is the one boasting about courting "megachurch moms"

Last edited Tue May 24, 2016, 06:55 PM - Edit history (1)

But I expect to see a whole bunch of people who have never been West of New Jersey, suddenly declaring their expertise on West Coast matters, in this thread again.

[KingFlorez]

18. I live in California, so you messed up with that silly line.

And this is not even about Clinton, so keep her name out of it. Sanders received quite a few big wins of super conservative counties and that padded his overall statewide numbers by a good amount. Look at the maps and do the math.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. So she should come out in favor of the AUMA, as Sanders has, as Newsom has, etc etc.

What's the hold up?

[Warren DeMontague]

36. Hillary "has concerns" about the AUMA.

http://sfist.com/2016/05/07/video_hillary_clinton_says_californ.php

[RandySF]

26. If you get too Far East on NJ

You're going to need a life preserver.

[Warren DeMontague]

27. You are right, of course.

must be all teh pot.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Tommy Chong was also not on stage when Newsom announced the AUMA, was he.

Neither was Snoop Dogg.

Why do you suppose that is?

Well, I can offer a guess. Tommy Chong, in addition to being an outspoken pro-cannabis activist, is a comedian. And too many people, particularly establishment conventional wisdom types, would love to keep trying to make marijuana legalization one giant fucking joke.

You know, "put your bongs down", har har har har

[Recursion]

35. Because Chong brings zero new voters to him and annoys some voters he might win?

[truedelphi]

2. If you want to know where the Clintons stand on Marijuana, even medicinal pot,

Ask their buddies at Big Pharma.

Or better yet, google "Lynnette Shaw" -- a woman whose life was put into desperate circumstances by Janet Reno and Bill Clinton.

[arcane1]

6. Ask their for-profit prison donors too. Or the head of the DNC.

They are NOT on our side.

[Warren DeMontague]

23. Yeah, I'm familiar with the Lynnette Shaw case.

another stellar example of the war on pot, in action.

[ContinentalOp]

3. Thanks for the permission Bernie, but we'll legalize it just fine without you.

Same with our $15/hr minimum wage.

[vintx]

7. Since when is 'support' synonymous with 'permission'?

[ContinentalOp]

8. I just find it funny.

We've had medical mj and decriminalization far longer than Vermont has, and it looks likely that we're going to fully legalize this year. For the candidate who supposedly takes such bold revolutionary stances, a lot of his proposals sound pretty tame to this Californian. Hell we even did free college already!

[vintx]

10. I suspect he's simply drawing a distinction between himself and Clinton.

We all remember (or most of us do, I hope) how Clinton I handled the legalization of medical mj.

Clinton II will likely not say jack shit about this issue till after the CA primary

[Warren DeMontague]

25. I personally believe that CO and WA would have been handled differently in 2012 if Hillary had been

in the White House.

You KNOW there was heavy institutional pressure- from the DEA, the DOJ, etc- for Obama to come down hard on those states for having the 'temerity' to legalize recreational pot.

I believe that he held the line- he hasn't been perfect on the drug war, far from it, but I do believe this was a post reelection profile in courage from a guy who admittedly smoked his share back in the day and knows prohibition is based on bullshit.

Now, fortunately for all of us, it is too late. Even if Hillary wants to dial back legalization, it is a much more daunting proposition.

[vintx]

28. He wants to deschedule it while she wants to change from 1 to 2

so she could still ensure that progress on this issue is considerably slowed

We need to also move toward hemp and away from other less renewable sources of fiber

[Warren DeMontague]

29. I agree. I to II is a token move, and does not resolve the conflict btw. federal and state law.

[vintx]

30. It's utter bullshit. Xanax wrecks people but it's schedule what.... 3? 4?

She just wants to ensure those for-profit prisons and big pharma coffers stay full

[Warren DeMontague]

34. legalization is happening, whether the prohibitionists like it or not.

I do believe it is just a matter of time.

Unfortunately Hillary seems to surround herself with east coast/beltway conventional wisdom types who are still running 2004's "values voter" playbook. Derp.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. MY MY.. shakes head

[Eric J in MN]

14. Sanders sometimes says in his stump speech

..."Want to hear a radical idea? We're going to invest in schools and education, not jails and incarceration."

His point is that his ideas aren't radical. He's being sarcastic when he says "radical."

[Warren DeMontague]

17. Yeah, and Oregon beat you both on decriminalization AND recreational legalization.

At least he's taking the right position on the AUMA. Maybe Hillary will follow suit.

[AgingAmerican]

19. It's been legal here for years now

California is behind the west coast curve

Oh, and Hillary is against all Marijuana legalization

[Segami]

13. Under Clinton, you'll get neither.

[Warren DeMontague]

24. HOW DARE YOU DO THE RIGHT THING, SANDERS!

YOU FIEND!

[DisgustipatedinCA]

37. It FAILED last time it was on the ballot, genius.

Go learn what permission means.

[Eric J in MN]

9. K & R (NT)

NT

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Yes, yes he does

you can hear it in one of the embedded videos

https://reportingsandiego.com/2016/05/22/sanders-rally-draws-thousands-in-national-city/

[Warren DeMontague]

31. Thank you.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. We work our assess off, we like to share the work

[Doctor_J]

15. I don't think Clinton's PHARMA or profit prison owners would be happy about such a position

I wish we had those transcripts

[B Calm]

20. K&R

[frylock]

33. I'll Bern to that!