Marijuana On The 2020 Ballot: These States Could Vote

One day after a Florida college student claimed he was denied a job on Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) presidential campaign over a non-violent marijuana conviction—an assertion that went viral on Twitter—a top staffer denied the allegation in an email to Marijuana Moment.

Nicholas Dore, who volunteered for the campaign for months prior to applying for a paid field organizer position, claimed that he received a call from a human resources employee on Saturday informing him that he was disqualified because of a cannabis/DUI conviction.

A marijuana conviction disqualified me from working on the @ewarren campaign. A candidate is not progressive if they don’t believe in second chances. @BernieSanders is the only candidate fighting for criminal justice reform, and that’s why I’m joining him in this fight #NotMeUs https://t.co/IGtHneZLSV

— Nicholas Dore (@Nicholas_A_Dore) December 23, 2019

Dore maintained on Monday that he was not driving when he was arrested in Georgia but was idle on the side of a road, and he noted that laws in certain counties in the state make it so an individual can be found guilty of driving under the influence if they have THC metabolites in their system, which can be the case for weeks after consuming marijuana.

* I was denied because of a DUI/Marijuana possession. I was not driving nor was I drunk. Would love to go public @ewarren sad to see your supporters running a negative campaign after your committed not to. I have never been arrested for a violent crime in my life. @CNN @MSNBC

— Nicholas Dore (@Nicholas_A_Dore) December 24, 2019

The original tweet racked up more than 2,000 retweets and almost 10,000 likes as of Wednesday afternoon. Some sided with Dore and called Warren’s campaign hypocritical given the candidate’s support for cannabis legalization and restorative justice; others argued that he was mischaracterizing or fabricating the situation.

Kristen Orthman, communications director on Warren’s campaign, told Marijuana Moment that Dore’s account was simply untrue.

“The campaign had no knowledge of Nicholas Dore’s marijuana-related infraction and, as we informed him, it is completely inaccurate to state that we did not hire him for that reason,” she said.

What does appear to be the case is that Dole volunteered for Warren before this controversy unfolded. On Twitter, he shared what he said were photos of him volunteering for the candidate that appeared to have been shared by a Warren campaign Facebook page—pictures that he’s since deleted. He also posted what appears to be a screenshot of an internal email for regional volunteers showing that he knocked on a significant number of doors for the senator.

These are a few of the shoutouts from the campaign for all the work I had done in South Florida. I can’t wait to start hosting events for @BernieSanders He’s the only candidate fighting to reform our criminal justice system. #NotMeUs pic.twitter.com/suaJRhm3UD

— Nicholas Dore (@Nicholas_A_Dore) December 23, 2019

Two Democratic congressional candidates weighed in on the controversy, voicing frustration with Warren’s campaign.

This should be trending news. https://t.co/EXS9sr1SE8

— Eva Putzova 🏜️ (@EvaPutzova) December 24, 2019

I want to preface this by saying if this was any other campaign, I would be just as critical of them.

This isn’t Warren v. Sanders. This is upholding our values as a movement.

Campaigns are run on values. An important one this year of most candidates is criminal justice reform.

— Eva Putzova 🏜️ (@EvaPutzova) December 24, 2019

Seriously? The Warren campaign actually refused you because you got busted for pot?? That’s insane.

— Jason Kishineff for Congress in CA-5 (@kishineff) December 24, 2019

After the tweet thread gained traction, Dole alleged that he received another call from a campaign staffer and was told that he was disqualified from the position for “a different reason.” As several people pointed out, records show that Dole was separately charged with a felony burglary offense but not convicted.

“After that tweet went viral, they tried to point that it was to an arrest that some Warren supporters had dug up that resulted in the case being dismissed. I wasn’t even convicted,” he told Marijuana Moment in a phone interview on Tuesday. “They told me it was because the case was still pending investigation, which is just false.”

In a separate interview with The Boston Globe, Dore clarified that a friend had stored computers stolen from a previous employer at his house without disclosing it. He notified the police when he found out, and records show that the friend was arrested and convicted.

In a screenshot of an email sent to the human resources director on Warren’s team, Dole reiterated that the case was dismissed.

It’s time to get your story straight? Warren campaign calls me after I tweeted saying it was for a different reason. This may be a legal issue! @ewarren pic.twitter.com/KVELn6MEDV

— Nicholas Dore (@Nicholas_A_Dore) December 24, 2019

“I find it very strange that I received a call on Saturday saying that it was my marijuana conviction which is on my record,” he wrote. “This person said they were from the campaign. I would no longer like to move forward with the application as I am switching candidates.”

His new candidate of choice is Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who shares a similar platform to Warren but whose campaign Dore feels would have treated the situation differently.

Dore told Marijuana Moment that he doesn’t fault Warren herself for what happened, but he questions the hiring process within the campaign and what that means for the progressive movement she champions.

“I think honestly if she was to find out what had happened, especially knowing how much I put in towards her campaign, and because I’ve been very open about my arrests—it’s part of the reason why I’m in this fight with her—I think she would be horrified, honestly,” he said. “I don’t blame her at all. It’s not like she personally made the decision.”

Asked why he felt the need to switch candidates and embrace Sanders instead, Dore said, “I feel like if on your campaign, if you really want to make big, structural change as she says, you have ensure that you practice what you preach.”

But even if it’s not about a cannabis-specific conviction, he said he felt the campaign should take a more comprehensive look at job applicants, regardless of their criminal record.

“It’s not just about DUI/marijuana, it’s about everyone with a record, even felons, who have a harder time getting a job even for something that is still not violent. I know, I’ve been there,” he said, adding that a Sanders staffer had admitted to a felony and his campaign “pretty much just said that’s in your past—when are you going to stop paying for it?”

“I’ve been out there canvassing on hot Miami days, I’ve baked cookies for Warren… results also speak, and I think that’s how you show the people that you’ve done your penance for your mistakes, you’ve learned and you’re ready to make real big structural change, to quote her,” Dore said.

In any case, the tweet’s virality seems to be a reflection of a growing sentiment that non-violent marijuana convictions should not be grounds for denying an individual a job or firing them—a position that is widely shared among Democratic presidential candidates.

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