Reason magazine: on Drugs
Bob Barr:
In Congress, a strong supporter of the War on Drugs
After entering the House of Representatives in 1995, Georgia Republican Bob Barr acquired a reputation as one of the most conservative members of Congress. It was Barr who in 1996 wrote the Defense of Marriage Act; it was
Barr who protested when he learned the military allowed soldiers to practice Wicca. A former federal prosecutor, a firm social conservative, and a strong supporter of the War on Drugs, Barr doesn’t fit most people’s image of a civil libertarian.
Source: Jesse Walker, in Reason Magazine, “right wing of the ACLU”
Dec 1, 2003
Chuck Grassley:
End mandatory life sentence for three drug convictions
Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate reportedly have reached agreement on a package of criminal justice reforms that they plan to unveil today, including shorter sentences for some drug offenders and a greater emphasis on rehabilitation.
Since the proposed legislation is supported by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), an unreconstructed drug warrior and fan of mandatory minimum sentences, you can be sure it does not go as far as it should and includes elements
that are hard to swallow. But on balance it sounds like a step in the right direction.According to MSNBC, the proposal would "end the federal 'three strikes' rule." Presumably that refers to the mandatory life sentence for people convicted of three
drug offenses, as opposed to the mandatory life sentence for people convicted of two "serious violent felonies" plus a "serious drug offense." The Smarter Sentencing Act, introduced last February, would change the former sentence to a 25-year term.
Source: Reason Magazine on 2016 Iowa Senate race
Oct 1, 2015
Jerry Brown:
Vetoed prosecutor discretion on drugs; keep it a felony
Gov. Brown vetoed SB649, which would have given prosecutors discretion in charging suspects arrested of drug possession with a misdemeanor rather than a felony. In vetoing the modest reform, Brown rejected an opportunity to alleviate overcrowded prisons
and jails.Presently, prosecutors must charge individuals arrested for possession of certain drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, with felonies. Under current California law, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is an infraction and possession
of methamphetamine is currently eligible for a misdemeanor charge. Senate Bill 649, then, would have merely extended the option to possession of other substances, such as heroin and cocaine, and would not have gone so far as California has with
marijuana.
The veto comes as California scrambles to figure out how to meet a Jan. 2014 deadline to reduce overcrowding in the state prison system. In 2010, California was ordered to reduce the prison population from 150,000 to 110,000.
Source: Reason Magazine on 2014 California governor's race
Oct 16, 2013
Joe Dorman:
No stance on marijuana legalization nor medical marijuana
Dorman doesn't mention marijuana on his website,
and a call to his office confirmed that he would not be taking a stance on either the legalization of marijuana or medical marijuana in Oklahoma and does not expect to do so between now and election day.
Source: Reason Magazine on 2014 Oklahoma gubernatorial race
Jun 18, 2014
Joe Dorman:
Legalize marijuana, based on Genesis 1:29
State Sen. Constance Johnson is pushing for the legalization of marijuana as a religious issue. She reportedly said Genesis 1:29 would be the "basis" for her campaign to legalize marijuana
in the state. "God created this wonderful, miraculous plant and we know that is has been vilified for the last 100 years, and it's time to change that in Oklahoma," she was quoted as saying.
Source: Reason Magazine on 2014 Oklahoma gubernatorial race
Jun 18, 2014
Lincoln Chafee:
Lobbied DEA to reclassify marijuana for medical use
If you weren't told Chafee had been a Republican and just looked at all of his positions, you'd think he was a Democrat anyway (pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-minimum wage increases, and eventually pro-Barack Obama).
He has lobbied the Drug Enforcement Agency to reclassify marijuana so that doctors could legally prescribe it as medication.
Source: Reason magazine on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 23, 1999
Martin O`Malley:
Reschedule marijuana but "not there yet" on legalization
O'Malley was unenthusiastic about decriminalizing marijuana when he was governor, though he did reluctantly sign a decrim bill after the legislature passed it. His rhetoric has been more favorable on the campaign trail: He has called for making pot a
Schedule II rather than Schedule I drug, and he has held a sympathetic "marijuana legalization listening session" in Colorado. "I'm not there yet," he said afterward, "but I am watching very closely what's happening."
Source: Reason magazine on 2016 presidential hopefuls
Oct 13, 2015
Mike Gravel:
Proposed a Constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana
The former senator is proposing a constitutional amendment to remove marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, thus legalizing it recreationally on the federal level. It's an unconventional approach to drug reform befitting of an unconventional presidential
candidate, but Gravel argues that it would be the easiest way given the current congressional gridlock.
Source: Reason magazine, articles on 2020 candidates
Jul 12, 2019
Page last updated: Dec 24, 2023