Who Will Lead On Weed?

In the run-up to the 2016 election, with all its attendant posturing and spinning and jockeying and jostling, one key question for the candidates could be this:

What's your position on legalizing marijuana?

Much like attitudes morphed on gay marriage and LGBT rights, things are changing in the world of weed.  Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington, New York and Washington D.C. have taken steps to decriminalize or outright legalize the stuff.  More states are sure to follow.  Legalization has a majority of public support, regardless of political leanings.  There is growing consensus in law enforcement that the result of our decades-long "War on Drugs" -- at least when it comes to casual pot use -- has been to waste shitloads of money and to arrest millions of people and imprison bunches of them for not much.  Marijuana is still prohibited under federal law, but the Obama administration's Justice Dept. is actively ignoring recreational possession and use.

So, if you're a political party and you want to grab the attention of young voters, if you want to appeal to a broad spectrum, if you want to win, legalizing weed could be your issue.

And who on the political scene today is the only potential presidential candidate so far to come down clearly on the side of legalizing marijuana?  Not Hillary Clinton.  Not Elizabeth Warren.  It's Rand Paul.

Of course, wacky little Rand has too many loose screws to even get nominated, much less elected, but the Dem's ought not to let themselves get out-flanked on such a tailor-made progressive issue as legal weed.  Hillary, warm up your wordsmiths.