Editor's Note: So ... if Joe Biden thinks that focusing resources on "convicting people for smoking marijuana is a waste of our resources," doesn't that suggest he believes that marijuana consumption is not a criminal activity? And as for his pushing forward with the myth that marijuana is a gateway drug, come on politicians ... Marijuana has been proven time and again not to be a gateway drug, and by continuing to sound that false alarm, you're just demonstrating ignorance.
People have been speculating for months about whether or not Joe Biden will run for president. According to CNN, a senior Democrat reported that on Tuesday that Biden received a "blessing" for a 2016 run from his boss, President Barack Obama. Biden's been hinting at a campaign, but hasn't really offered anyone an clear answer. Among gay marriage, abortion, the economy, and gun control, marijuana legalization is a major issue right now for presidential candidates. If he does run, how would Joe Biden's stance on weed impact marijuana laws in the United States during a theoretical Biden presidency?
In an interview with TIME in 2014, Biden said that he doesn't support criminal actions against weed users:
"I think the idea of focusing significant resources on interdicting or convicting people for smoking marijuana is a waste of our resources."
But, Mary Jane lovers, don't get too excited just yet. While Biden definitely doesn't want to bring every smoker to court, he doesn't seem supportive of full-on federal legalization. He went on to say:
"That’s different than [legalization]. ..."
