2014 SC Senate debate: on Drugs


Thomas Ravenel: End the war on drugs; it's federal overreach & unsuccessful

As part of his effort to limit federal overreach, Ravenel said he wants to see an end to the war on drugs, which he argues has fueled dangerous cartels in Mexico that profit from running drugs across the border.

"I don't want to see South Carolina legalize drugs, but I want the federal government to say, 'We're getting out of this business,'" Ravenel said. "Our war on drugs is far worse than Prohibition" in the 1920s; "then it was just manufacturers; now it's mere users that get locked up."

Source: The Island Packet on 2014 South Carolina Senate race Jul 21, 2014

Thomas Ravenel: In favor of ending the war on drugs

Ravenel is in favor of ending the war on drugs. [He was elected in 2006 but] his term in office didn't last long. By June 2007 he was indicted on federal charges for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. (He wasn't selling, he tells Mother Jones, just offering to friends when he was using it a couple of times per month: "I shared it because I didn't want to be a stingy guy who used it but didn't give it back," he says, noting that he "never even bought an eight-ball.") Then-Gov. Mark Sanford (R) suspended Ravenel immediately, and he resigned from office shortly thereafter.

Facing 20 years in jail and a $1 million fine, Ravenel accepted a plea deal to serve 10 months in prison and pay a $250,000 fine (he spent the last three months of that sentence on house arrest at his mother's retirement home). He again ran afoul of the law when he faced drunk-driving charges in 2013, though that only resulted in a six-month suspension of his driver's license and a small fine.

Source: Mother Jones magazine on 2014 South Carolina Senate race May 12, 2014

Tim Scott: Marijuana is unhealthy, but states' rights are important too

Thank you for contacting me regarding HR2306, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act. This bill seeks to limit the application of federal marijuana laws. HR2306 would not legalize marijuana but would remove regulation of marijuana from the federal level and leave it to the discretion of each state. The bill seeks to strike marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances, granting each state the power to decide whether to regulate, tax, or prohibit marijuana. It would also limit the federal government's role in combating cross-border and interstate smuggling of marijuana.

There is growing scientific evidence documenting the health risks associated with marijuana use including adverse effects on the lungs, the cardiovascular system, and possibly the immune & reproductive systems. However, I also understand the great importance of preserving the rights bestowed to the States.

Thank you again for your thoughts on this important issue. Sincerely, Tim Scott, Member of Congress

Source: Tim Scott constituent email: 2014 South Carolina Senate race Jul 20, 2011

  • The above quotations are from 2014 South Carolina Senate debates.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Drugs.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Tim Scott on Drugs.
  • Click here for more quotes by Nancy Mace 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 07, 2018