2018 TN Governor's race: on Drugs


Bill Lee: Opposes recreational marijuana; wait on medical marijuana

Q: Do you support legalizing or decriminalizing medical or recreational marijuana?

Karl Dean (D): Legalize medical use. No legalization of recreational marijuana, but possibly decriminalize small amounts.

Bill Lee (R): Opposes legalizing recreational marijuana; says further exploration of medical use is needed.

Source: CampusElect.org Issue Guide on 2018 Tennessee Governor race Oct 9, 2018

Karl Dean: No recreational marijuana; decriminalize light medical use

Q: Do you support legalizing or decriminalizing medical or recreational marijuana?

Karl Dean (D): Legalize medical use. No legalization of recreational marijuana, but possibly decriminalize small amounts.

Bill Lee (R): Opposes legalizing recreational marijuana; says further exploration of medical use is needed.

Source: CampusElect.org Issue Guide on 2018 Tennessee Governor race Oct 9, 2018

Bill Lee: Raise penalties on drug traffickers, aid non-violent addicts

We need to attack the epidemic of opioid abuse and addiction and increase penalties for drug traffickers and put non-violent addicts on a path to wellness.
Source: The Tennesseean on 2018 Tennessee Gubernatorial race Aug 2, 2018

Karl Dean: Provide treatment for opioids while stepping up prosecution

The number of opioid-related deaths in Tennessee has skyrocketed over the last two decades. More people are now dying in Tennessee of drug overdose than motor vehicle accidents, and 72% of the state's overdose deaths are opioid-related. Karl believes the government response to opioid use should match the level of public health crisis it has become. To that end, he supports the recent work of the state legislature's opioid task force.

Karl knows that opioid addiction is a complex issue and that more must be done to provide treatment programs while also stepping up prosecution of drug dealers. He also agrees with the state's opioid task force that solutions must address the overuse of legal access to drugs. Tennessee has the second highest rate of opioid prescriptions in the country with opioid prescriptions in our state outnumbering residents 4 to 1. As governor, Karl will work in partnership with the healthcare community to identify and address the root causes of the state's opioid crisis.

Source: 2018 Tennessee Gubernatorial campaign website KarlDean.com Mar 21, 2018

Karl Dean: Medical marijuana ok, but opposes recreational use

Tennessee's gubernatorial election is still over a year away, but with a newly appointed committee on medical marijuana, [some analysts] expect cannabis to play a large role in the election.

Democratic candidate Karl Dean said he would be supportive of medical marijuana, but opposes recreational use. Dean also said he believes Tennessee should be guided medical professionals as it relates to medical marijuana.

Source: WBIR-TV on 2018 Tennessee governor race Sep 4, 2017

  • The above quotations are from 2018 Tennessee Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Drugs.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Bill Haslam on Drugs.
  • Click here for more quotes by Mark Green 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: Mar 08, 2019