Marianne Williamson is again seeking the Democratic presidential nomination\u2014mounting a challenge against incumbent President Joe Biden for the 2024 election.<\/p>\n
The lecturer and self-help author hasn\u2019t served as an elected official before, but she has taken a clear position on drug policy: the war on drugs has failed, and it\u2019s time to legalize marijuana and explore the potential of psychedelics.<\/p>\n
Running against an incumbent president from the same party is a tall task, but Williamson has attracted headlines over the course of her two campaigns and affected the narrative around issues ranging from student debt to cannabis policy.<\/p>\n
Beyond statements on social media and in interviews, Williamson\u2019s record on the issue is thin, but the latest challenge to Biden has put her back in the spotlight, warranting a roundup of her position on drug policy matters.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s where Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson stands on marijuana:<\/strong><\/p>\n Williamson, who previously ran unsuccessful campaigns to serve in Congress and the White House, has not served in elected office. Accordingly, she does not have a legislative record on drug policy issues.<\/p>\n In an interview<\/a> with ABC News days after announcing her latest candidacy, Williamson shared her perspective on the shortcomings of the Biden administration and said that there are \u201cmany things that the president can do without working through Congress\u2026 The president declassify marijuana right now.\u201d<\/p>\n She made similar remarks to reports at a campaign event in New Hampshire.<\/p>\n (Biden has directed an administrative review into cannabis scheduling, but congressional researchers have maintained<\/a> that it is not in fact within the president\u2019s authority to unilaterally deschedule it.)<\/p>\n A look at Williamson\u2019s comments and social media posts about drug policy reveals several themes: She consider the drug war a failure, believes the president can (and should) federally legalize cannabis and supports criminal justice-centered reform that prioritizes those who\u2019ve been caught up in criminalization.<\/p>\n The candidate has also repeatedly argued those who oppose student loan debt relief because they weren\u2019t afforded that opportunity are essentially making the same argument that legalizing marijuana would be \u201cunfair\u201d to those who were criminalized over cannabis.<\/p>\n Saying we shouldn\u2019t cancel the college loan debt because it would be unfair to the people who already paid theirs, is like saying we shouldn\u2019t legalize marijuana because it would be unfair to the people who served prison time for it. It\u2019s ridiculous.<\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) October 18, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n She also weighed in on the incarceration of WNBA star Brittney Griner in a Russian prison over alleged possession of cannabis oil, stating that it was a \u201cterrible\u201d circumstance, but that people should keep in mind the U.S. also maintains punitive drug laws. Griner has since been released following international negotiations<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s terrible what has happened to Brittney Griner and I pray for her every day.<\/p>\n At the same time, anyone who thinks people don\u2019t get drug sentences just as draconian as that in this country are very na\u00efve about what happens here.<\/p>\n Free her, and free them.<\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) August 7, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Wonderful that Brittney Griner was freed. <\/p>\n No one should be in jail for weed in the United States either. https:\/\/t.co\/okx7dAvgGE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) December 8, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Williamson referenced quotes from a senior aide to President Nixon<\/a> to hammer down the point that the drug war largely originated as an excuse to criminalize perceived political adversaries\u2014namely minorities and progressives.<\/p>\n Quote from Nixon aide John Ehrlichman about the Drug War: <\/p>\n \u201cYou want to know what this was really all about? The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I\u2019m saying? 1\/3<\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) June 12, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n \u201cWe could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.\u201d 3\/3<\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) June 12, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Prior to Biden\u2019s mass marijuana pardons and directive<\/a> for an administrative scheduling review in October 2022, Williamson routinely argued that the president could unilaterally deschedule marijuana, effectively legalizing the plant, and that he should take that step.<\/p>\n .@POTUS<\/a> alone could lower healthcare costs, cancel fed student loan debt, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, raise wages by increased eligibility for overtime pay, reduce police violence thru national policing standards & decriminalize cannabis. Why are Dems so polite about this?<\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) April 19, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n 2\/ The lackluster performance of this administration is not only due to Manchin & Sinema. Biden could declare a medical emergency and expand Medicare to everyone tonight; he could cancel all college loan debt tonight; he could declassify cannabis from a Schedule 1 drug tonight.<\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) January 19, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n .@POTUS<\/a> could call a national medical emergency and expand Medicare to everyone TONIGHT. He could cancel the college loan debt TONIGHT. He could decriminalize marijuana TONIGHT. He doesn\u2019t need congressional approval to do any of those things. https:\/\/t.co\/exCxFIu6XA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) February 14, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n This would be ridiculous if it weren’t so wrong, unjust, immoral and disgusting.<\/p>\n Biden could remove cannibas from a Schedule 1 drug *tonight.* He could release non-violent drug offenders. <\/p>\n At a time when we should be giving people their lives back we just keep taking them away. https:\/\/t.co\/sBuU4uWhrI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) August 6, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The candidate also criticized the White House over penalizing employees who were honest about prior marijuana use<\/a> as part of their application process.<\/p>\n This is the most ridiculous thing I\u2019ve ever heard. People get government jobs who supported bombing hundreds of thousands of innocent people, but they get fired for having smoked marijuana. https:\/\/t.co\/aJim8fcMc0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 19, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n In 2021, Williamson joined psychedelics reform activist Rick Doblin for a podcast<\/a> where she discussed research into the therapeutic potential of entheogenic substances, including for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as how they can affect spiritual growth.<\/p>\n The surprising people funding psychedelic research for treating PTSD in veterans\u2026 hint: there’s a Koch involved. \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 12, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Williamson applauded congressional efforts to federally legalize marijuana in 2021, and she said that reform legislation should \u201cinclude releasing thousands of people from prison who have been there on marijuana convictions, as well as compensatory measures to help them rebuild their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Excellent. This should also include releasing thousands of people from prison who have been there on marijuana convictions, as well as compensatory measures to help them rebuild their lives. https:\/\/t.co\/wvOv7fFAPl<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) February 2, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n She also celebrated New York\u2019s legalization of marijuana in 2021, saying that it was cause to reflect on \u201cthe terrible suffering & injustices its criminalization caused to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n Tho celebrating the legalization of marijuana we should take a moment to remember the terrible suffering & injustices its criminalization caused to begin with. The Drug War in its entirety has done terrible damage to this country. Let\u2019s end it completely. https:\/\/t.co\/Jai2zO1Z93<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 31, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The prohibition against marijuana has been as ill-conceived and ultimately harmful as was the prohibition against alcohol. Now it\u2019s time for it to end. https:\/\/t.co\/7hwVZBvc52<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) June 12, 2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n After New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed legislation to legalize marijuana into law<\/a> in 2021 following voter approval of a ballot referendum, Williamson said that she hoped the governor would \u201crelease from prison the many people in your state who landed there on marijuana-related charges.\u201d<\/p>\n I hope you will release from prison the many people in your state who landed there on marijuana-related charges.<\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) February 22, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Legalizing cannabis is taking on added urgency now, not only because of people unjustly incarcerated but also for medicinal and environmental reasons. Time to scrap what should never have been a prohibition in the first place. @POTUS<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/wld7MzGLH1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) January 18, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n I hope he will. We need to legalize, then release everyone now in prison on marijuana-related charges. Things are moving in that direction. We have to keep pushing.<\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) April 29, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n It doesn\u2019t appear that Williamson has publicly talked about any personal experience with marijuana. But one thing she made<\/a> abundantly clear in 2020 following the presidential election is that, if she did smoke, she is \u201cnot getting stoned\u201d with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who she ran against for the Democratic nomination in that cycle.<\/p>\n I am not getting stoned with Amy Klobuchar.<\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) December 20, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n For the unofficial cannabis holiday 4\/20 last year, she also posted a video of her getting into a sanitary suit to tour a Nevada-based marijuana cultivation facility.<\/p>\n I\u2019m a day late but I couldn\u2019t find the picture. Happy 420! Let\u2019s legalize cannabis, then release from prison and expunge the records of those who have paid a heavy price for doing something that should never have been criminalized to begin with. pic.twitter.com\/9qAQ7jNdFE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) April 21, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Following that tour, Williamson said that cannabis should be legalized, with tax revenue from sales supporting universal health care, student debt relief, a higher minimum wage and more.<\/p>\n \u201cWe take better care of the marijuana plants in this facility than we take care of thousands of children in Nevada and millions of children in America,\u201d she said<\/a>.<\/p>\n If Williamson managed to pull off a political upset and get elected to the White House, her comments on drug policy issues signal she would be a proactive supporter of federal marijuana legalization with an eye toward equity\u2014and she may even be willing to pursue policy changes as they concern psychedelics.<\/p>\n Where Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley Stands On Marijuana<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Image element courtesy of Matt Johnson<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Where Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson Stands On Marijuana<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Marianne Williamson is again seeking the Democratic presidential nomination\u2014mounting a challenge against incumbent President Joe Biden for the 2024 election. The lecturer and self-help author hasn\u2019t served as an elected official before, but she has taken a clear position on drug policy: the war on drugs has failed, and it\u2019sContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63390"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63390"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63391,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63390\/revisions\/63391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Legislation And Policy Actions<\/h2>\n
On The Campaign Trail<\/h2>\n
Previous Quotes And Social Media Posts<\/h2>\n
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Listen:\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/CeDahNBXVT<\/a>
Watch:\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/zc65qbpDYb<\/a>#TheMWPodcast<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/S0XyAN801l<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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Personal Experience With Marijuana<\/h2>\n
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Marijuana Under A Williamson Presidency<\/h2>\n
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\nRead More: Where Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson Stands On Marijuana<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"