El Kos himself has a good piece up about which VP nominee would help energize and deliver the black and youth vote Joe Biden needs to to all but guarantee victory. Both Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris could do a world of good in that regard. But there’s a not so secret weapon that Joe Biden can put on the ballot that will help with both groups and the general electorate: Cannabis.
YOUTH VOTE: A November 2019 Pew Poll found 76% support for legalization among millennials (those approximately in their 20’s and early 30’s). Millennials are expected to be within a percentage of Boomers’ leading slice of the eligible electorate in November at 27%.
BLACK & HISPANIC VOTE: While both groups actually support legalization at about the same rate as the general population (63%, 67% and 67% respectively) marijuana illegality and the War on Drugs in general is tied very closely to the most important issue of the day, over-policing and over-incarceration of persons of color. John Ehrlichman, Richard Nixon’s top advisor, admitted on record that the War on Drugs was a war on hippies and Blacks. And it worked like a charm, especially on Blacks.
This is a chance for Joe Biden to right a wrong he helped to perpetuate with his past “tough on crime” stance that ruined so many lives. Tie legalization — or at the very least descheduling cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug — and call, as he has, for the expungement of records for non-violent cannabis "crimes.”
SWING STATES: Among the battleground states only Michigan has legalized medical and recreational cannabis use. Stretching the battlefield, here’s the status of potential pick-ups from 2016:
No Medical/Recreational: WI, GA, TX, IA
Medical Only (some are very limited): PA, NC, OH
Think what a point or two could do in all those states.
PRO-BUSINESS: Cannabis businesses are booming in legal states, creating jobs and significant tax revenue with little to no increase in social ills or crime. It’s also a boon to other businesses like banking that have been shut out of this multi-billion dollar industry. And there is a big opportunity to help undo the damage to communities of color with social equity programs that ensure they get a piece of the fast-growing pie.
Look, Joe. This is a no-brainer. The War on Drugs was a complete failure other than ruining a lot of black and brown (and some white) people’s lives. Clearly there are some medical benefits to cannabis which automatically takes it out of the Schedule 1 tier. Whatever can be said against cannabis it creates significantly less social ills and deaths than alcohol or opioids. There’s a long continuum of policies you can go for from making the federal government neutral on the subject and leaving it up to the states to full legalization everywhere. Pick the strongest position you can stand behind and make it an overt campaign promise. This is just plain smart. Two-thirds (probably higher by now) support legalization, even a significant majority of Republicans. Let’s put Trump in an even deeper hole from which he will not emerge.