No, Mitt Romney Is Not For The Legalization Of Marijuana (But Paul Ryan Might Be)
Hey, what is Mitt Romney‘s stance on the legalization of marijuana? We’re not entirely sure after he answered a question regarding the issue on Monday indicating that he might be for legalization in some circumstances.
Speaking with the Denver Post, Romney was asked about his stance on marijuana legalization, particularly regarding the state of Colorado’s highly active medical marijuana industry. He replied: “I oppose marijuana being used for recreational purposes and I believe the federal law should prohibit the recreational use of marijuana,” he said.
It’s curious that he specified recreational use.
The question posed specifically speaks to Colorado’s legalization of marijuana for non-recreational use. In a statement to the Washington Post, the Romney camp played to the standard GOP line of disallowing marijuana legalization for any purpose, even medical:
“Governor Romney has a long record of opposing the use of marijuana for any reason,” a spokesperson said. “He opposes legalizing drugs, including marijuana for medicinal purposes. He will fully enforce the nation’s drug laws, and he will oppose any attempts at legalization.”
So just in case you were hopeful that Romney might be “really cool” about marijuana legalization, his comment to the Denver Post seems more like a flub than fancy political footwork. Still, even though Romney opposes marijuana legalization in all of its forms, he’s not the only one. President Barack Obama is just as tough when it comes to marijuana enforcement.
Though the sitting-POTUS had a campaign tone of flexibility regarding marijuana reform, the administration has actually increased crackdowns on medical marijuana facilities in states that have legalized the substance. Most marijuana advocates are skeptical of President Obama’s stance on marijuana, given that his tone doesn’t seem to match policy.
The only major political player right now who might be in favor of marijuana reform is actually GOP presidential running mate Paul Ryan. He said in a recent interview that states should decide what to do about the legalization of marijuana in any form, and that such a decision shouldn’t come down from the fed. The Romney campaign backtracked on these comments for Ryan, saying that he agrees with Romney on the issue.
