2024 CA Senate race: on Drugs

Barbara Lee: Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus

Gail Lightfoot: Legalize marijuana and abolish the DEA

1. the "war" against many other drugs is still going full steam
2. these changes haven't led to a free market, even for marijuana, and
3. the federal government continues to interfere with marijuana, against the explicit wishes of voters in the various states.

• End the classification of marijuana and other drugs that makes them subject to federal regulation.
• Abolish the Drug Enforcement Agency and the components of all other agencies that have as their primary function the hunting down of drug users, sellers, and producers.
• Free from federal prisons anyone convicted of non-violent drug-related "crimes".

Adam Schiff: End criminalization of marijuana; expunge convictions

NORML Politician Info: rated A-
• Comments: "I just voted to end federal criminalization of marijuana, and allow expungement of many convictions. For too long, prosecution of minor marijuana offenses led to disproportionate incarceration of Black and brown communities. Decriminalization makes our justice system more fair." (12/4/20)
• "As more states, including California, legalize and regulate marijuana, both for medicinal and recreational use, turning back the clock on federal enforcement is a waste of limited resources. With a nationwide opioid epidemic and innumerable other priorities, busting legal marijuana sellers and medicinal dispensaries is wasteful and destructive. Whatever happened to their states' rights creed?" [in response to recindance of Cole Memo, 1/4/18]

Barbara Lee: Rated A+ by NORML: Legalize marijuana and tax it

NORML Politician Info: rated A+

Barbara Lee (D)

• Summary: LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE/DECRIMINALIZE
• Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a longtime friend and champion of the marijuana reform movement. [Since the 1970s, she has supported] marijuana reform as a state legislator and Congress member during the darkest days of the drug war. A strong racial justice advocate, Rep. Lee denounces cannabis laws for their disproportionate impact on minorities.
• Lee is a Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. She was a leading co-sponsor of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, the first-ever federal legalization bill to be approved (twice, in 2019 and 2021) by the House of Representatives. At age 77, Rep. Lee is the most senior major candidate in the race, but also the most likely to push cannabis as a high-priority issue in the Senate.

Katie Porter: Rated A by NORML: Legalize marijuana and tax it

NORML Politician Info: rated A
• Candidate: Katie Porter (D)
• Summary: LEGALIZE, TAX, AND REGULATE: Katie Porter is co-chair of the Democratic Progressive Caucus. She is particularly interested in economic issues, but has consistently voted well on marijuana bills. She has participated in the Congressional cannabis caucus and co-sponsored the MORE legalization act. Porter is the only single mother in Congress. She was the first Democrat to be elected to represent her district, which covers much of south-central Orange County. She was voted toughest questioner in Congress for her tough questions to corporate executives on wage and banking issues. Porter is fighting to beat out Republican Steve Garvey in the race for second place in the primary, so she can run face-to-face in the runoff against her Democratic colleague Adam Schiff, who is leading the polls.