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| Bernie Sanders indicates support for legal marijuana | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Bernie Sanders signaled a distinct shift in the debate over drug policy in the US on Tuesday night, when he indicated he would support marijuana legalization. | Bernie Sanders signaled a distinct shift in the debate over drug policy in the US on Tuesday night, when he indicated he would support marijuana legalization. |
| Related: Bernie Sanders to Clinton: people 'are sick of hearing about your damn emails' | Related: Bernie Sanders to Clinton: people 'are sick of hearing about your damn emails' |
| When Sanders was asked during the Democratic debate in Las Vegas how he would vote in a referendum on marijuana legalization in Nevada if he had a vote, the Vermont senator said: “I suspect I would vote yes.” | When Sanders was asked during the Democratic debate in Las Vegas how he would vote in a referendum on marijuana legalization in Nevada if he had a vote, the Vermont senator said: “I suspect I would vote yes.” |
| Sanders added: “We have a criminal justice system that lets CEOs walk away and yet we are giving prison sentences to young people who smoke marijuana.” This represented a shift from past statements where Sanders said he would have to look at the success of a law legalizing the drug in Colorado in Washington. | Sanders added: “We have a criminal justice system that lets CEOs walk away and yet we are giving prison sentences to young people who smoke marijuana.” This represented a shift from past statements where Sanders said he would have to look at the success of a law legalizing the drug in Colorado in Washington. |
| This is the first time a major presidential candidate has said “he’d probably vote for legalizing marijuana if given the chance”, according to Tom Angell, a spokesman for the pro-legalization group Marijuana Majority. He added in a statement to the Guardian: “That says a lot about how far the politics on this issue have shifted in a very short amount of time.” | This is the first time a major presidential candidate has said “he’d probably vote for legalizing marijuana if given the chance”, according to Tom Angell, a spokesman for the pro-legalization group Marijuana Majority. He added in a statement to the Guardian: “That says a lot about how far the politics on this issue have shifted in a very short amount of time.” |
| In contrast, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton declined to weigh in on the topic. When asked if she was “ready to take a position on full recreational legalization tonight,” Clinton simply responded “no.” | In contrast, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton declined to weigh in on the topic. When asked if she was “ready to take a position on full recreational legalization tonight,” Clinton simply responded “no.” |
| Angell added: “Legalization is at the forefront of mainstream American politics, and politicians are starting to treat it as such.” | Angell added: “Legalization is at the forefront of mainstream American politics, and politicians are starting to treat it as such.” |