According to the recently released “Podesta Emails” by Wikileaks, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she does not support the legalization of cannabis. The emails, published after a hack of the Democratic National Committee, contain excerpts from some of her paid speeches for high-profile corporate clients. The emails were taken from Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta.
During her remarks at a March 18, 2014 Xerox event, the company’s CEO Ursula Burns asks the former Secretary of State about her cannabis stance. Specifically, she asks Clinton to indicate her support or opposition for policies by indicating “long” or “short.”
From the email:
“URSULA BURNS: So long means thumbs up, short means thumbs down; or long means I support, short means I don’t. I’m going to start with — I’m going to give you about ten long-shorts.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Even if you could make money on a short, you can’t answer short.
URSULA BURNS: You can answer short, but you got to be careful about letting anybody else know that. They will bet against you. So legalization of pot?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Short in all senses of the word.”
Her response is in line with her public statements on potential legalization, and she has indicated that she supports allowing states determine their own cannabis policies free from federal intervention. Additionally, Clinton has said, if elected, she would reschedule cannabis from its Schedule I federal status under the Controlled Substances Act.
However, her response also indicates a hardline position against legalization — especially compared to third-party candidates Jill Stein (Green Party) and Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party), who have thrown their support behind ending the federal war on drugs, including legalizing cannabis for adult-use on a federal level.
Republican nominee Donald Trump has historically supported ending the war on drugs but has since dramatically toned back his stance. He now says that he does not support legalization, but does support states’ rights to choose their own marijuana laws — a significant step back from calling for the legalization of all drugs.
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