Sanders Pledges to Legalize Cannabis on First Day as President

Vermont Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I) pledged over the weekend that, if he is elected, he would legalize cannabis nationwide on his first day as president, Forbes reports.

“We will end the destructive war on drugs. On my first day in office through executive order we will legalize marijuana in every state in this country.” — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, at a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids

Sanders also pledged to expunge cannabis possession arrest records and that the reforms would include social equity elements.

“We will make certain that the legalized marijuana industry is not controlled by a handful of corporations but that those people — the African-American community, the Latino community, the Native American community — those people who have suffered the most will get help in order to make money through a legalized marijuana industry,” he said.

It is not the first time that Sanders has promised to legalize cannabis via executive order — the candidate told podcaster Joe Rogan last August that he planned to end federal cannabis prohibition if elected. In October, the candidate outlined a more specific legalization plan.

Cannabis has emerged as an important issue in the 2020 Democratic Primaries, with most of the race’s progressive candidates having adopted some form of cannabis and/or drug policy reforms as a part of their platform.