Rand: First Major Candidate To Court Pot Donors
Rand Paul is sticking to his libertarian roots when it comes to marijuana.
The Kentucky senator is holding a fundraiser Tuesday at the Cannabis Business Summit.
Paul becomes the first major-party presidential candidate to publicly court donations from the pot industry. Though legal weed business owners have been active political donors for years, presidential candidates have shied away from holding fundraisers made up entirely of marijuana-related business owners.
Paul has joined Democrats in the Senate to sponsor a bill to end the federal prohibition of marijuana for medical reasons. The senator also backs a federal drug-sentencing overhaul.
Copyright 2015 Liberaland
12 responses to Rand: First Major Candidate To Court Pot Donors
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Suzanne McFly June 30th, 2015 at 11:50
It really doesn’t matter, it will be legalized soon regardless and he is just pandering the safest way possible.
Um Cara June 30th, 2015 at 12:31
I don’t know about it being legalized soon – future Prez. Hillary certainly isn’t for it.
I appreciate a semi-sorta-‘major’ candidate speaking to it. Even though I disagree w/ most of his positions, and would never consider voting for him, I do believe he has a principled stand on this issue & deserves credit for it.
Suzanne McFly June 30th, 2015 at 12:39
She was also against same sex marriages. When there is a strong demand for something, eventually the elected officials research the issue and many adjust their stances. They evolve and there are so many studies supporting the benefits of marijuana it is hard not to consider legalization not to mention the money that will be coming in from taxes.
Um Cara June 30th, 2015 at 13:55
When there is a strong demand for something, eventually the elected officials research the issue and many adjust their stances.
Agreed, most of our ‘leaders’ are ‘followers’, even on things as fundamental as marriage rights, or the concept that it’s a bad idea to cage people for cannabis use/production/distribution. Which is why I think Randy deserves at least a polite golf clap for getting ahead of most (all?) of his fellow candidates for prez. on this important issue. (Again, even though it’s terribly important, he is so wrong on so many other terribly important issues that it won’t sway my vote away from Hillary.)
Mike June 30th, 2015 at 15:33
You’re much kinder than I would ever be…and that principled stance he’s held to has a few caveats. He’s for Marinol, nothing more than a big pharma product, not the legalization or decriminalization of pot. Like you, I feel Rand is seriously flawed on so many other issues this doesn’t even register a blip on my radar.
Jack E Raynbeau July 1st, 2015 at 01:05
“future Prez. Hillary certainly isn’t for it.”
Not right now. She’ll come around.
arc99 June 30th, 2015 at 14:52
I may send him a contribution after his campaign is over either losing in the general election or failing to secure the nomination.
But no way does he get any help from me until it is 100% certain he will not be in the White House in January 2017.
Suzanne McFly June 30th, 2015 at 19:40
I am 98% certain he won’t win the Presidency at the moment, but W stole it so I won’t feel 100% certain till after the official count is tallied.
greenfloyd July 1st, 2015 at 04:12
I do think it matters, matters a lot.
All drug markets need to be legalized and regulated by law, not criminals and corrupt cops. But it’s much more than that, these markets need to be flushed and cleaned to root out corruption at the top, especially in the international banking sector, a major player in the American economy and politics.
On the streets Legalization is the only way to effectively counter Gangsta-culture and remove it as a corrupting influence on local officials, law enforcement and cops with “agendas.”
Legalization is the only way to end New Jim Crow, because criminalization is the New Jim Crow!
tracey marie June 30th, 2015 at 15:13
He is NOT for legalizing pot, only medical marijuana, he wants to make the sentences for pot less aggresive, not get rid of them, big diffrence.
greenfloyd July 1st, 2015 at 02:06
It’s a smart move although not surprising. Sen. Rand Paul has been one of the very few politicians of either party who has consistently supported drug policy reform. I suspect pot growers and smokers are already a major source of support and cash for him. For Paul it’s a natural fit, consistent with his ideas on free market economics and personal freedom. I agree with him about freedom, yet not his economics or his national defense ideas.
It’s going to be interesting to see how much he can actually rake in from this rapidly emerging and growing legal cannabis industry. An old hippie once told me, “It’s always 420 somewhere, man…” Perhaps even more interesting will be to see the impact it may have on the D field. I’ve read Team Hilary has begun to work out her drug policy plank, although no details have yet been released, that I know of.
I consider any candidate’s drug policy an important barometer because reform of all drug laws and careful regulation of the drug markets are key to making progress on a host of social and economic issues that affect millions of Americans everyday.
As for this new industry, in about 1 hour from now here in Oregon adult cannabis will be legal and that market just added about 5 million new potential customers…
Happy Oregon Legalization Day!!!
fahvel July 1st, 2015 at 02:58
when he lights up at his next bullsh….campaign yack, then vote