In a sign of how the debate over marijuana legalization is emerging as one of the most pressing issues at the forefront of American politics, several governors have recently addressed the issue.
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin (D), a day after beginning his third term in office, said in a radio interview that his “bias is towards legalization” and that he thinks his state will end prohibition sooner or later. In 2013, he signed a bill into law that decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. Last year, the legislature passed a bill mandating that the state study the potential impact of legalization. That report, put together by the RAND Corporation, was released Friday.
In Rhode Island, newly elected Gov. Gina Raimondo (D), told the local NBC affiliate last week that she thinks legalization is going to happen and the state should figure out how to do it right. Legalization “is absolutely something that we should evaluate,” she said, “because if we think it’s inevitable, and if there’s a way to do it that is properly regulated so people don’t get hurt, it’s something that we should look at.”
