The Washington Times: on Drugs

Ralph Northam: We spend $67 million a year enforcing our marijuana laws

A: Yes. I announced a criminal-justice reform package, and one of the things at the top of the list was to decriminalize marijuana. There are far too many individuals who are being arrested and locked up for that. We spend $67 million a year enforcing our marijuana laws. African Americans are 2.8 times more likely to get picked up and arrested and put in jail for smoking marijuana. So, that's a top priority of mine.

As a doctor, that step of decriminalizing marijuana needs to take place so that we can look at using marijuana for medicinal purposes. I led the fight two years ago to use what we call cannabidiol. It's an oil that comes from marijuana, and we use it in intractable epilepsy, which are seizures. There are a lot of potential uses for marijuana medicinally. To be able to decriminalize it and then use evidence-based medicine to move forward--that's very important.

Ted Cruz: I foolishly smoked pot when young, but never since

"Teenagers are often known for their lack of judgment, and Sen. Cruz was no exception," one of Mr. Cruz's campaign spokesman told The Daily Mail. "When he was a teenager, he foolishly experimented with marijuana. It was a mistake, and he's never tried it since."

Rand Paul: Whites & blacks use drugs, but prisons are full of blacks

In February, Paul pressed Republicans in the Kentucky Senate to pass a bill that would restore voting rights to some convicted felons. It ultimately failed.

Paul plans to talk about those issues in a speech Friday at the National Urban League's annual conference in Cincinnati. He said his ideas have been well received in minority communities because "people are ready for something to happen."

Allyson Schwartz: Reduce the criminalization of simple marijuana possession

Katie McGinty: Legalize medicinal pot; decriminalize recreational pot

McGinty and Schwartz say they oppose the legalization of marijuana sales. McCord and Wolf say before deciding whether to support legalizing marijuana sales, they want to study the experience of states where it's legal.

Tom Wolf: Study states with legal marijuana sales before deciding

McGinty and Schwartz say they oppose the legalization of marijuana sales. McCord and Wolf say before deciding whether to support legalizing marijuana sales, they want to study the experience of states where it's legal.