Where Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson Stands On Marijuana

Marianne Williamson is again seeking the Democratic presidential nomination—mounting a challenge against incumbent President Joe Biden for the 2024 election.

The lecturer and self-help author hasn’t served as an elected official before, but she has taken a clear position on drug policy: the war on drugs has failed, and it’s time to legalize marijuana and explore the potential of psychedelics.

Running against an incumbent president from the same party is a tall task, but Williamson has attracted headlines over the course of her two campaigns and affected the narrative around issues ranging from student debt to cannabis policy.

Beyond statements on social media and in interviews, Williamson’s record on the issue is thin, but the latest challenge to Biden has put her back in the spotlight, warranting a roundup of her position on drug policy matters.

Here’s where Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson stands on marijuana:

Legislation And Policy Actions

Williamson, who previously ran unsuccessful campaigns to serve in Congress and the White House, has not served in elected office. Accordingly, she does not have a legislative record on drug policy issues.

On The Campaign Trail

In an interview with ABC News days after announcing her latest candidacy, Williamson shared her perspective on the shortcomings of the Biden administration and said that there are “many things that the president can do without working through Congress… The president declassify marijuana right now.”

She made similar remarks to reports at a campaign event in New Hampshire.

(Biden has directed an administrative review into cannabis scheduling, but congressional researchers have maintained that it is not in fact within the president’s authority to unilaterally deschedule it.)

Previous Quotes And Social Media Posts

A look at Williamson’s comments and social media posts about drug policy reveals several themes: She consider the drug war a failure, believes the president can (and should) federally legalize cannabis and supports criminal justice-centered reform that prioritizes those who’ve been caught up in criminalization.

The candidate has also repeatedly argued those who oppose student loan debt relief because they weren’t afforded that opportunity are essentially making the same argument that legalizing marijuana would be “unfair” to those who were criminalized over cannabis.

She also weighed in on the incarceration of WNBA star Brittney Griner in a Russian prison over alleged possession of cannabis oil, stating that it was a “terrible” circumstance, but that people should keep in mind the U.S. also maintains punitive drug laws. Griner has since been released following international negotiations.

Williamson referenced quotes from a senior aide to President Nixon to hammer down the point that the drug war largely originated as an excuse to criminalize perceived political adversaries—namely minorities and progressives.

Prior to Biden’s mass marijuana pardons and directive for an administrative scheduling review in October 2022, Williamson routinely argued that the president could unilaterally deschedule marijuana, effectively legalizing the plant, and that he should take that step.

The candidate also criticized the White House over penalizing employees who were honest about prior marijuana use as part of their application process.

In 2021, Williamson joined psychedelics reform activist Rick Doblin for a podcast where she discussed research into the therapeutic potential of entheogenic substances, including for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as how they can affect spiritual growth.

Williamson applauded congressional efforts to federally legalize marijuana in 2021, and she said that reform legislation should “include releasing thousands of people from prison who have been there on marijuana convictions, as well as compensatory measures to help them rebuild their lives.”

She also celebrated New York’s legalization of marijuana in 2021, saying that it was cause to reflect on “the terrible suffering & injustices its criminalization caused to begin with.”

After New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed legislation to legalize marijuana into law in 2021 following voter approval of a ballot referendum, Williamson said that she hoped the governor would “release from prison the many people in your state who landed there on marijuana-related charges.”

Personal Experience With Marijuana

It doesn’t appear that Williamson has publicly talked about any personal experience with marijuana. But one thing she made abundantly clear in 2020 following the presidential election is that, if she did smoke, she is “not getting stoned” with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who she ran against for the Democratic nomination in that cycle.

For the unofficial cannabis holiday 4/20 last year, she also posted a video of her getting into a sanitary suit to tour a Nevada-based marijuana cultivation facility.

Following that tour, Williamson said that cannabis should be legalized, with tax revenue from sales supporting universal health care, student debt relief, a higher minimum wage and more.

“We take better care of the marijuana plants in this facility than we take care of thousands of children in Nevada and millions of children in America,” she said.

Marijuana Under A Williamson Presidency

If Williamson managed to pull off a political upset and get elected to the White House, her comments on drug policy issues signal she would be a proactive supporter of federal marijuana legalization with an eye toward equity—and she may even be willing to pursue policy changes as they concern psychedelics.

Image element courtesy of Matt Johnson.