Sanders takes campaign break to light up pro-pot legislation

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Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont may be busy on the campaign trail, but that isn’t causing him to suffer amotivational syndrome in the Senate. In fact, he’s just introduced an ambitious piece of legislation to end the federal prohibition of marijuana.

Sanders introduced Wednesday the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act which, according to pro-marijuana activists, is the first Senate bill of its kind.

Sanders recently told a crowd gathered at George Mason University: “In the United States we have 2.2 million people in jail today, more than any other country. And we’re spending about $80 billion a year to lock people up. We need major changes in our criminal justice system — including changes in drug law. Too many Americans have seen their lives destroyed because they have criminal records as a result of marijuana use. That’s wrong. That has got to change.”

Go ahead and groan. Of course Bernie, the socialist running for president, is offering up legal marijuana legislation while his campaign is especially hot among young Americans.

But if you forget for a moment his misguided economic beliefs, this legislation is actually representative of something that could make you like Sanders a little better: He understands and wishes to respect states’ rights.

At its core the Democratic presidential candidate’s marijuana legislation is a states’ rights bill that, in line with the 10th Amendment, removes barriers for state legislatures to treat recreational and medical marijuana as they see fit. In fact, it’s pretty similar to another piece of legislation supported by Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirstin Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), except that their bill would apply only to medicinal marijuana laws.

“Sen. Sanders is simply proposing that we treat marijuana similarly to how we treat alcohol at the federal level, leaving most of the details to the states,” Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, said of the Sanders’ bill.

Sounds like a good idea. But the biggest takeaway is that Sanders’ effort would embolden states’ rights. When’s the last time you saw a Democrat do that?

Personal Liberty

Sam Rolley

After covering news and politics for traditional media outlets, Sam Rolley took a position at Personal Liberty Media Group where he focuses on his true passions: national politics and liberty issues. In his daily columns and reports, Rolley works to help readers recognize lies perpetuated by the mainstream media and develop a better understanding of issues ignored by more conventional outlets. Follow him on Twitter @SamRolley