2014 California Governor's race: on Drugs


Jerry Brown: How many people can get stoned and still have a great state?

The host of NBC's "Meet the Press" asked Brown about the possibility of legalized recreational marijuana use in California. Brown responded that he was watching Colorado and Washington--the two states currently have legalized recreational marijuana use-- and that California's medical marijuana policies were "very close" to what these states are doing. "I'd really like those two states to show us how it's going to work," he said.

He also expressed worry about the "tendency to go to extremes." After legalization, he said, "if there's advertising and legitimacy, how many people can get stoned and still have a great state or a great nation? The world's pretty dangerous, very competitive. I think we need to stay alert, if not 24 hours a day, more than some of the potheads might be able to put together."

California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana use in 1996, when 56 percent of voters approved Proposition 215.

Source: Washington Post on 2014 California governor race Mar 2, 2014

Rob Astorino: War on drugs has disproportionately hurt minorities

He's "not comfortable with legalizing marijuana. I've never smoked pot in my life," he said. "But I also don't think it makes sense to lock people up, to ruin their lives, to waste millions of dollars for a small amount of drugs," he added, noting there must be a better approach than the "war on drugs" that has disproportionately hurt minorities.
Source: Inside Bay Area Buzz on 2014 California governor race Feb 21, 2014

Neel Kashkari: When you legalize something, you send a signal you approve

On the legalization of pot: "I've never tried drugs of any kind, so I'm uncomfortable with the idea of the government legalizing it. When you legalize something, you're sending a signal you approve."
Source: San Francisco Chronicle on 2014 California governor race Nov 14, 2013

Jerry Brown: Vetoed prosecutor discretion on drugs; keep it a felony

Gov. Brown vetoed SB649, which would have given prosecutors discretion in charging suspects arrested of drug possession with a misdemeanor rather than a felony. In vetoing the modest reform, Brown rejected an opportunity to alleviate overcrowded prisons and jails.

Presently, prosecutors must charge individuals arrested for possession of certain drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, with felonies. Under current California law, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is an infraction and possession of methamphetamine is currently eligible for a misdemeanor charge. Senate Bill 649, then, would have merely extended the option to possession of other substances, such as heroin and cocaine, and would not have gone so far as California has with marijuana.

The veto comes as California scrambles to figure out how to meet a Jan. 2014 deadline to reduce overcrowding in the state prison system. In 2010, California was ordered to reduce the prison population from 150,000 to 110,000.

Source: Reason Magazine on 2014 California governor's race Oct 16, 2013

  • The above quotations are from 2014 California Gubernatorial debates and race coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Drugs.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Jerry Brown on Drugs.
  • Click here for more quotes by Antonio Villaraigosa on Drugs.
Candidates and political leaders on Drugs:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 05, 2018