While some 2020 presidential candidates (namely Sens. Corey Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders) have firmly stood behind legalizing marijuana on the federal level, former Vice President Joe Biden thinks it should be left up to states.
According to Business Insider, while speaking at a Las Vegas town hall, Biden defended his stance on the federal legalization of marijuana insisting that “there’s not nearly been enough evidence” to confirm “whether or not” marijuana is a gateway drug.
“The truth of the matter is, there’s not nearly been enough evidence that has been acquired as to whether or not it is a gateway drug,” Biden said, according to the report. “It’s a debate, and I want a lot more before I legalize it nationally. I want to make sure we know a lot more about the science behind it.”
That being said, Biden did acknowledge his support for medical marijuana and added that possession “should not be a crime” regardless.
And while he does not support federal law, he believes that “states should be able to make a judgment to legalize marijuana.”