Speech at 2015 CPAC conference: on Drugs


Ted Cruz: 2014: federal enforcement; 2015: let states experiment

At CPAC last week, Ted Cruz responded to a question about marijuana legalization in Colorado by endorsing a federalist approach: "This is a great embodiment of what Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis called 'the laboratories of democracy,'" Cruz said. "If the citizens of Colorado decide they want to go down that road, that's their prerogative. I personally don't agree with it, but that's their right."

Those remarks contradict Cruz's previous position, when he criticized the Obama administration for failing to aggressively enforce the federal ban on marijuana in states that have legalized the drug. In January 2014, he described the Justice Department's prosecutorial restraint, which is designed to respect state policy choices, as an abuse of executive power.

Cruz's apparent turnaround reflects a political reality: Cruz's calibration is the easiest way to strike the balance between younger, more tolerant GOP voters and social conservatives.

Source: Forbes Magazine on 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf. Mar 5, 2015

Ted Cruz: I disagree with states legalizing pot, but it's their right

Just a year ago, Ted Cruz criticized Pres. Obama for allowing Colorado and Washington to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. Now, he's basically in favor of the same approach: "If the citizens of Colorado decide they want to go down that road, that's their prerogative," he said a the CPAC Conference. "I personally don't agree with it, but that's their right."

The conference is a chance for potential presidential candidates to stake out ground for 2016 and marijuana could be prime turf. Cruz has expressed openness to changing marijuana laws in the past. At a January 2014 event in Texas, he said there are "some reasonable arguments on that issue." But he also blasted the president for ignoring federal drug laws and allowing residents in Colorado and Washington to carry out their marijuana policies. "Mind you these are criminal laws," Cruz said. "These are laws that say if you do 'X, Y, and Z' you will go to prison. The president announced, 'No, you won't.'"

Source: Fusion.net on 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf. Feb 27, 2015

Rand Paul: End hypocrisy and over-criminalization of marijuana

[In a CPAC interview] Rand Paul offered backhanded advice to Jeb Bush: "Younger voters in particular don't like hypocrisy. Him saying recently down in Florida that he would still incarcerate people even for medical marijuana, and then it turns out--him basically acknowledging that he'd been using recreational marijuana as a kid. I don't think anybody faults him for youthful indiscretions. But if you look at the people who end up getting caught up in the war on drugs, they're often not elite kids at prep schools. They're poor kids with no school."

Paul said conservatives need to reach beyond traditional audiences like gun-rights defenders to anyone who has been mistreated by Big Government, including "businesses mistreated by Big Government regulations" and "poor people mistreated by Big Government and over-criminalization."

Source: Poltiico.com on 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf. Feb 26, 2015

Scott Walker: Opposes Colorado's legalization of marijuana

Walker expressed his opposition to Colorado's legalization of marijuana and his opposition to same-sex marriage. He further said he supported "the legal right for legal citizens to be able to carry and arm themselves"
Source: Breitbart.com on 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf. Feb 26, 2015

Ted Cruz: Let states be laboratories of democracy on marijuana

At the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference, Sen. Cruz said he is opposed to the legalization of marijuana for adult use, but he believes states should have the right to establish their own marijuana policies: "I actually think this is a great embodiment of what Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis called the laboratories of democracy. If the citizens of Colorado decide they want to go down that road, that's their prerogative. I don't agree with it, but that's their right."
Source: MPP.org on 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf. Feb 26, 2015

  • The above quotations are from Speeches to Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 26-27, 2015.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Drugs.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Ben Carson on Drugs.
  • Click here for more quotes by Donald Trump on Drugs.
2020 Presidential contenders on Drugs:
  Republicans:
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Bill Weld(MA) 		Democrats:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Larry Hogan (D-MD)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
V.P.Mike Pence (R-IN)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
V.C.Arvin Vohra (L-MD)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Jul 18, 2019