The Democratic Party Says It’s Time To Legalize Marijuana

The Democratic Party's new policy agenda is moving in a more progressive direction that includes working to legalize marijuana nationally. According to The Washington Post, the Democrats have endorsed a "reasoned pathway to future legalization" of marijuana and is looking for the drug to "downgraded" in the Controlled Substances Act. Currently, marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 substance, which is the most-restrictive class. This means weed is listed alongside other drugs such as heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. Cocaine and methamphetamines are currently listed one level lower than marijuana. Democrats hope that by downgrading marijuana's classification, they will be able to move the drug toward legal status in the future. Marijuana is already legal in Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Oregon, as well as the District of Columbia. California could be the next state to legalize weed when it votes on a proposal in November. This would be the second time California has voted on the legalization of the drug after originally voting it down in 2010. This path to legalizing marijuana on a national level is considered to be a win for Bernie Sanders and his supporters. But as ABC News reported, the marijuana law is not the only Sanders win: the new Democratic platform is "exceptionally progressive." The platform also supports a $15 an hour federal minimum wage, a price on carbon, and criminal justice reform, which now states that the party "will work with police chiefs to invest in training for officers on issues such as de-escalation and the creation of national guidelines for the appropriate use of force." ABC News reported that this new platform is expected to be "formally adopted at the party’s national convention," which takes place in Philadelphia later this month.