Clinton Sees 'Unresolved Questions' on Pot Laws

Ex-president supports states' rights—much like Hillary does
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 29, 2014 1:47 PM CDT
Clinton Sees 'Unresolved Questions' on Pot Laws
Former President Bill Clinton gestures while speaking to attendees during a televised conversation hosted by Bloomberg TV titled A New Competitive Era: America in the World, on the final day of the annual gathering of the Clinton Global Initiative America, at the Sheraton Downtown, in Denver, Wednesday,...   (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Bill Clinton still isn't inhaling, apparently—or at least he's not high on America's wave of marijuana legalization efforts, Politico reports. On Meet the Press, the ex-president sounded more like a states-rights advocate when David Gregory asked about Colorado's legalization of weed. Clinton did joke about a "Rocky Mountain high," but said legalization should be worked out state-by-state without federal intrusion:

  • "There’s a lot of evidence to argue for the medical marijuana. I think there are a lot of unresolved questions [about legalization], but I think we should leave it to the states. ... I like where it is now. If a state likes to try it, then they’ll be able to see what happens."

Similarly, President Obama has refrained from intruding on marijuana-legalization efforts in Colorado and Washington, and Hillary Clinton staked out a position much like Bill's at a CNN town hall meeting two weeks ago. "On recreational, you know, states are the laboratories of democracy," she said. She argued that more research is needed on medical marijuana, but "there should be availability (of marijuana) under appropriate circumstances." Republicans in Congress have taken a tougher stand by trying to derail decriminalization in the District of Columbia. (More Bill Clinton stories.)

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