Where the 2020 Democratic candidates for president stand on marijuana legalization

The Democrats running for president have thoughts on marijuana legalization. Here they are.

The Democrats seeking the 2020 presidential nomination all share a commitment to reducing the penalties for using and possessing marijuana, which remains illegal at the federal level. Many of them support full legalization — as permitted in 11 states and the District of Columbia — while others prefer to see the federal government remove it as a Schedule 1 controlled substance and proceed more carefully.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet 

Bennett, of Colorado, is one of the sponsors of the Marijuana Justice Act, an ambitious U.S. Senate proposal aimed at overhauling the War on Drugs. The plan would end federal restrictions on cannabis research and automatically expunge federal convictions for marijuana use and possession offenses. The proposal would also create a community reinvestment fund to help communities hurt by the War on Drugs, and encourage states to change their marijuana laws if they’re found to disproportionately affect low-income people or minorities.

Bennett has also pushed the Trump administration to help existing marijuana businesses gain access to the banking system, and strongly advocated for hemp as a cash crop. [Read more at USA Today]