Leaked emails show that Hillary Clinton spoke out against legalizing marijuana in a paid speech that was given more than two years ago, and in March 2014, in an email to Ursula Burns, Xerox’s chairman and CEO, Clinton used Wall Street terminology to express her opposition to ending cannabis prohibition.
BURNS: So long means thumbs up, short means thumbs down; or long means I support, short means I don’t. I’m going to start with — I’m going to give you about ten long-shorts.
CLINTON: Even if you could make money on a short, you can’t answer short.
BURNS: You can answer short, but you got to be careful about letting anybody else know that. They will bet against you. So legalization of pot?
CLINTON: Short in all senses of the word.
Other excerpts from the 80-page document published by Wikileaks (hacked from Podesta’s email account), show Clinton admitting that she is “far removed” from the typical struggles of the middle class. She says that politicians should have separate positions on issues in public and in private, a stance her critics have long suspected.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who supports legalization and has introduced legislation to end federal marijuana prohibition, seems to have shifted Hillary’s public position. Clinton has pledged to reschedule marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act if elected, and many doubt this would have happened if it weren’t for Senator Sanders.
While Clinton has made no secret that she’s not ready to endorse full marijuana legalization, she now seems to be taking a wait-and-see approach, watching the results of new legislation in states like Colorado and Washington before she makes up her mind.
These remarks were made two-and-a-half years ago, just two months after legal marijuana sales began in Colorado, so it is not unlikely that Clinton’s personal view of legalization has evolved.
The leaked emails showing such strong opposition, and recent comments from the candidate’s daughter, Chelsea, last month, have cannabis advocates and much of the public concerned.
Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Jill Stein of the Green Party both support ending cannabis prohibition.
To see what else Hillary Clinton has said about cannabis law reform, check out Marijuana.com’s comprehensive guide to the candidates.
Recommended Reading:
- Is There a Scientific Link Between Marijuana and Cognitive Abilities?
- Marijuana Laws by State
- Marijuana Facts