Amy Klobuchar on Drugs DFL Sr Senator (MN); Democratic presidential contender

Rated B by NORML: legalize marijuana, but leave it to states

NORML Politician Info: rated B
• Candidate: Amy Klobuchar (D - MN)
• Summary: LEGALIZE, TAX, & REGULATE DECRIMINALIZE
• Biography: In the 10th Democratic Debate, Senator Klobuchar said, "It is realistic to want to legalize marijuana. I want to do that too. I also think you need to look back at people's records. You maybe can't do that on day one, as he said. I think you want a process that you go through because there are too many people that have things on their records that stopped them from getting jobs." The senator went on to say that legalization should be coupled with investments in substance misuse treatment. However, as a Senator, she has not cosponsored any of the bills pending to end federal prohibition.
• Comments: "I support the legalization of marijuana and believe that states should have the right to determine the best approach to marijuana within their borders," (February 22, 2019).

Legal marijuana: consider pardon, expunging criminal records

KLOBUCHAR: Yes, I would. I think it's really important to look at it as a way of making changes to our drug policy and doing the right thing.

I sent drug users to jail, but the only answer is treatment

Two-cent per milligram tax on opioids to fund treatment

Legalize marijuana, but no expungement

18 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Bill de Blasio; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Kamala Harris; John Hickenlooper; Jay Inslee; Amy Klobuchar; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren; Marianne Williamson; Andrew Yang.

Candidates supporting legalization argue that criminal penalties for marijuana possession have created far more harm than would come from treating it more like alcohol or tobacco.

Many candidates--including Sens. Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris--would go even further, calling for past criminal convictions for marijuana possession to be expunged.

Both former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee opposed their states successful 2012 referendums allowing recreational marijuana sales, but have since become champions of legalization.

Fund treatment & mental health with opioid tax

Opioid manufacturers should help fund treatment

Use drug courts; diversity in law enforcement

A: I have been a big believer in drug courts at the state and federal levels. I've led that effort on the federal level. The second thing is I think that our offices, both police offices, county attorney's offices need to reflect the population we serve. And I worked very hard to bring people of color into our office and we were a lot better for it. The other thing is the way we handle cases when they come in. The other thing we need to do is not just pass the first step back and I was proud to be a co-sponsor of that legislation. But we have to create incentives to bring those sentences down as well on the state and local level.

Reduce sentences for non-violent drug offenders

Opioid companies should fund addiction treatment

Why don't we pay for it by getting money from the very drug companies that got people addicted in the first place? We have a bill right now, the LifeBOAT Act, where we put a fee on those companies that are selling the opioids to help pay for treatment. I'd like to see the Trump administration get behind that.

More resources to fight the meth epidemic

• I will fight to preserve the federal programs that have made a difference for our police departments.
• I will work to ensure that Minnesota’s law enforcement professionals have adequate funds for community policing by protecting and securing COPS funds for the state.
• I will fight to make sure that police officers have the support they need to prevent violent and drug-related crime.
• I will fight to make sure our government does its best to prevent crime from occurring, to enforce the laws, and to support victims.

Rated D by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance.

OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2016 NORML scores as follows:

• C-/D/F: `hard-on-drugs` stance (approx. 243 members)
• C: mixed record on drug reform (approx. 45 members)
• A/B: pro-drug-reform stance (approx. 293 members)

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law`s mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.

NORML is a nonprofit, public-interest lobby that for more than 30 years has provided a voice for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition. We represent the interests of the tens of millions of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly and believe the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana should no longer be a crime.

NORML supports the removal of all criminal penalties for the private possession & responsible use of marijuana by adults, including the cultivation for personal use, and the casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts. This model is called `decriminalization.`

NORML additionally supports the development of a legally controlled market for marijuana, where consumers could purchase it from a safe, legal and regulated source. This model is referred to as `legalization.`

NORML believes that marijuana smoking is not for kids and should only be used responsibly by adults. As with alcohol consumption, it must never be an excuse for misconduct or other bad behavior. Driving or operating heavy equipment while impaired from marijuana should be prohibited.

NORML strongly supports the right of patients to use marijuana as a medicine when their physician recommends it to relieve pain and suffering.

Lastly, NORML supports the right of farmers to commercially cultivate hemp for industrial purposes, such as food and fiber production.

Criminalize imports of opioid precursors.

Excerpts from Letter from 17 Senators to the President of the European Commission We write to request designating NPP and ANPP, which are precursor chemicals of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, as Table I substances under the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. NPP and ANPP are [legal under EU law but] already controlled in the U.S. under the Controlled Substances Act. However, without collective international action it will be difficult to control NPP and ANPP, and will frustrate efforts to curb manufacturing and trafficking of illicit fentanyl.

Opposing argument: (ACLU, `Against Drug Prohibition`): People in almost all cultures, in every era, have used psychoactive drugs. A `drug free America` is not a realistic goal, and by criminally banning psychoactive drugs the government has ceded control of potentially dangerous substances to criminals. Instead of trying to stamp out drug use, our government should focus on reducing drug abuse and prohibition-generated crime. This requires a fundamental change in public policy: repeal of criminal prohibition and the creation of a reasonable regulatory system.

Opposing argument: (Cato Institute, `Do Restrictions Reduce Opioid Poisonings?`, by Jeffrey Miron): Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs), which record a patient`s opioid prescribing history, when required as `must access,` PDMPs significantly reduce misuse in Medicare Part D. But there is no statistically significant effect on opioid poisoning incidents. How is this possible? The simplest explanation is that, despite all the hype, prescription opioids are not that dangerous, even in heavy doses, when used under medical supervision. Instead, most poisonings reflect use of diverted prescription opioids, or black market opioids, which may be adulterated. Under this interpretation, restrictions on opioid prescribing might even increase opioid poisonings.