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Ron Paul on Medical Marijuana and Drug Policy

Marijuana became illegal at the federal level with the U.S. Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. However, currently 12 states have legalized medical marijuana for medicinal purposes. Marijuana and other drugs have been at the center of numerous controversial issues in the United States, as they widely impact domestic policy, foreign policy, and law. This topic includes information about candidate positions on: the U.S. international "War on Drugs", sentencing guidelines for drug-related offenses, federal and state drug laws, and the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

The issues

Ron Paul strongly supports making marijuana available for medical reasons

Paul sponsored the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act

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A medical doctor, Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies and is a pro-life candidate. He also supports medicinal marijuana and has argued for a repeal of America's drug war laws.

The Frontrunner: March 13, 2007

"If a question comes up, I can very easily get into the insanity of letting a cancer patient die without allowing them access to medical marijuana and into the insanity of abolishing the right to grow hemp - an industrial product!"

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Ron Paul strongly opposes federal raids on medical marijuana facilities in states which have approved its use

Tommy Thompson and Ron Paul are the only Republican candidates who agree with this stance, the majority saying they will not stop the federal raids, as other pain management options need to be researched and explored.

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"Q: What would the Paul administration do to end these federal raids on marijuana clinics? Paul: I'd stop them. I wouldn't do them because its unconstitutional."

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Ron Paul strongly opposes fighting a war on drugs internationally

Sleuth: What do you think about the issues of prostitution and marijuana. Where do you come down on that? Paul: Well, I understand prostitution has been around for a few years. And they tried to legislate it out of existence and I don't think it's worked very well. I would essentially have no restrictions, certainly on the federal level. And marijuana - I think it's tragic what's happening today in the drug war. Since the early '70s we've spent maybe $200 to $300 billion on the drug war. That's not been any good. This whole effort on the drug war doesn't make any sense at all to me.

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Voted NO on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism

Bill HR 2586 ; vote number 2001-356 on Sep 25, 2001

In the last 30 years, we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on a failed war on drugs. This war has been used as an excuse to attack our liberties and privacy. It has been an excuse to undermine our financial privacy while promoting illegal searches and seizures with many innocent people losing their lives and property. Seizure and forfeiture have harmed a great number of innocent American citizens.

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He detests the federal war on drugs

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Ron Paul supports relaxing drug laws and/or drug enforcement

Voted NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests

Amendment by Taylor, D-MS; bill by Portman, R-OH.; Bill HR 4550 ; vote number 1998-443 on Sep 16, 1998

"...when people commit violence whether they're under the influence of drugs, prescription drugs, illegal drugs or alcohol they should be punished severely. We shouldn't be putting people in prison for life with no chance of getting out... that never have committed a violent crime. At the same time we hear of cases were murderers or rapists get out after five or ten years or never even go to prison, it doesn't make any sense."

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"We treat alcoholism now as a medical problem and I, as a physician, think we should treat drug addiction as a medical problem and not as a crime."

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