Gavin Newsom on Drugs

	Gavin Newsom on Drugs S.F. Mayor; former Gov. cand.

Supports recreational marijuana but no black market

Directed the California National Guard to crackdown on unlicensed cannabis farms. (2019)
Quote: "We moved towards legalization to get people into the daylight and into the sunshine of a regulated environment, which means you've got to act maturely, you've got to play by the rules. You can't play in the margins. There is no more black market." (2017)
Endorsed and campaigned for the ballot initiative that legalized recreational cannabis California. (2016)
Chaired California's Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy, which endorsed cannabis legalization and made numerous suggestions for how to implement it. (2015)

Source: Cannabis Voter Project report on 2020 candidates , Jul 2, 2019

Let California legalization continue

Newsom sent a letter to President Trump urging him not to carry through with threats to launch a federal enforcement effort against recreational marijuana firms that will be legalized in California. Newsom's letter attempts to persuade the president that a regulated market for adult-use marijuana is preferable to what has existed in the past. "The war on marijuana has failed," Newsom wrote. "It did not, and will not, keep marijuana out of kids' hands." Source: Los Angeles Times on 2018 California gubernatorial race , Jul 24, 2017

Pushed Proposition 64, legalizing adult use of marijuana

This past November, Newsom proved he's a serious force to reckon with when it comes to passing groundbreaking legislation. Having started California's Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy in 2014, he campaigned for five months and got Proposition 64, legalizing adult use of marijuana in the state, passed, with 56 percent of voters in favor. Now, he's the telegenic face of a movement. "I'm happy to be associated with this change. I'm sick and tired of politics and politicians as usual," says Newsom today. "I'll be kicked out before I rust out. You can love me or hate me and disagree with me, but you sure as hell know where I stand."

"Gavin boldly stands up for social issues with unwavering commitment while relentlessly championing people who can't speak for themselves," says a longtime friend. "This issue is one of many that Gavin thinks of in a big picture way. He's an outlier and a great leader."

Source: Billboard.com on 2018 California gubernatorial race , Jan 19, 2017

I'm not pro-pot, but anti-prohibition; opposed 2010 Prop 19

Newsom grew up with a father who was "considered an activist judge in his day, particularly as it relates to drug policy. He was a very outspoken critic of the war on drugs," recalls Newsom.

Despite his progressive record, Newsom wasn't immediately pro-legalization. "I've never tried cannabis. I don't have the basis to appreciate it," he says. "I always ask for forgiveness because I really only intellectually know what I'm talking about." He emphasizes that he's "not pro-pot, but anti-prohibition," and he didn't support the previous attempt to legalize recreational marijuana in California, Proposition 19 in 2010. "I just didn't feel it was appropriately drafted," he says. "There were glaring loopholes."

Still, "the spirit of it was profound and important," and Newsom decided to start his Blue Ribbon Commission as a key first step toward a more coherent approach to legalization. That led directly to the Prop 64 campaign.