The shift has left Democratic operatives and marijuana legalization activists across the country saying it's difficult to imagine a debate stage in the 2020 primary race where almost all of the presidential hopefuls don't publicly back removing marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act.
The latest signal came when Sen. Bernie Sanders, a 2016 Democratic candidate who is widely considered a top contender for the nomination in 2020, signed onto The Marijuana Justice Act on Thursday. The bill, proposed by Sen. Cory Booker, himself a 2020 contender, would effectively end the federal crackdown on marijuana by removing the drug from the Controlled Substances Act. It was also backed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, another possible 2020 hopeful.
Read CBT's coverage of the Marijuana Justice Act here.
