Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has gone back and forth on cannabis legalization, at first speaking out in favor of ending the War on Drugs but recently criticizing legalization, saying he thinks “it’s bad” and that Colorado has got “some big problems” after the state legalized recreational cannabis. However, at a recent campaign rally, he changed his tune again and appeared more receptive to letting individual states decide whether or not to legalize.
Said Trump at a political rally in Nevada on Thursday:
“In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state.”
He also voiced his support for medical marijuana, saying, “I think medical should happen — right? Don’t we agree? I think so.”
Furthermore, The Donald appeared to somewhat backtrack his previous comments about Colorado, this time expressing his love for the state and more cautiously wording his concerns about their legal retail market:
“And of course you have Colorado. And I love Colorado and the people are great, but there’s a question as to how it’s all working out there, you know? That’s not going exactly trouble-free. So I really think that we should study Colorado, see what’s happening.”
It’s unclear what sparked Trump’s latest change of heart — perhaps he was feeling The Bern after Bernie Sanders called for an end to federal cannabis prohibition during his campaign stop at George Mason University on Wednesday. Whatever the reason, it’s becoming clear that cannabis is emerging as a hot button issue for the upcoming 2016 presidential election.
Learn more about Donald Trump’s previous cannabis remarks, as well as what the other 2016 presidential candidates think about marijuana legalization.
Image Source: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons
