Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a candidate for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, sat down with leading marijuana law reform activists and cannabis industry insiders in Denver on Thursday.

O’Malley, who currently trails far behind former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in polls, is increasingly making criminal justice and marijuana law reform a centerpiece of his campaign.

At the meeting, billed as a “Marijuana Legalization Listening Session,” the candidate heard from military veterans who use medical cannabis, a former law enforcement officer who now supports legalization, dispensary owners and lawyers who specialize in marijuana laws.

As governor, O’Malley signed bills into law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana and legalizing medical cannabis, despite having earlier been a vocal opponent of drug policy reform.

While O’Malley spent most of the hour-long meeting listening to the advocates, he did have a few things to say about his evolving views on the issue.

“If you talk to young Americans under 30 there is a growing consensus that marijuana should be treated more akin to alcohol than to other substances,” he said. “There’s definitely a difference between marijuana and many other controlled substances.”

O’Malley also suggested that some tax revenues from legal marijuana sales could be used to help address the “heroin epidemic.”

The candidate reiterated his pledge to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II if elected. While President Obama has often said that rescheduling is a job for Congress, O’Malley “would reschedule it with executive authority that the president already has” and not wait for lawmakers to act. Sometimes, he said, “the executive has to exercise leadership and then the legislature can follow.”

On the question of full legalization, O’Malley said, “I’m not there yet but I am watching very closely what’s happening in Colorado and Washington State.”

He added, “This is an evolving, …read more

Source:: Weed Feed