With more and more states legalizing marijuana, whether for medical or recreational use, marijuana remains illegal as a matter of federal law. Every 2020 Democratic presidential candidate wants to change that, Yahoo News reports, although with varying degrees of legalization.
A Schedule I Controlled Substance
Officially, marijuana remains on the federal government's Schedule I list of controlled substances, which essentially means that, as far as the feds are concerned, it's no more beneficial than crack or meth, and should be treated as such.
That also means that, for all of the states that have legalized marijuana recreationally or medicinally, they haven't actually legalized it at all. The position of the federal government, since the Obama administration, has been one of not interfering with states' marijuana programs, as long as certain conditions, such as keeping it out of the hands of children, are met. However, according to the letter of the law, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) could, legally, raid every last "legal" marijuana dispensary in each of the 33 states where it's "legal," and lock up the employees and customers.
That's unlikely to happen, of course, but it's still the letter of the law.
The Extremes
Joe Biden is the least progressive of the crowded 2020 field of Democratic contenders when it comes to pot legalization. He wants to see marijuana removed from Schedule I, but he wants the states to be able to make the decisions on legalization for themselves. Effectively, Biden wants to codify into law the quasi-legal situation that's in place now when it comes to state legalization efforts.
