Jimmy Carter was an ally of the cannabis industry

His term as president secured his legacy as a great humanitarian, but as president he was an ally of cannabis.

While Jimmy Carter's legacy as president is mixed, his actions as a former president made him one of the great global humanitarians. Humble, full of common sense and a strong backbone, Carter stood up for his beliefs. Together with his wife Rosalynn, he spent his presidential years making the world a better place. From Habitat for Humanity to the Carter Center, which wanted to help everyday people. One of these groups was military veterans. He was the first major politician to help push medical marijuana. Yes, Jimmy Carter was an ally of the cannabis industry, and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

Jimmy Carter's presidency marked a significant shift in the United States' approach to cannabis policy. During his 1976 campaign, Carter advocated for federal decriminalization of marijuana, following recommendations from the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. This stance was revolutionary for the time, as marijuana had already been decriminalized in eight states in 1977.

When he took office, Carter maintained his progressive stance on cannabis. In an address to Congress in 1977, he argued that the penalties for cannabis use should not outweigh the actual harms of use. Carter appointed decriminalization advocates, including British doctor Peter Bourne, as his “drug czar” to head the Office of Drug Abuse Policy. Carter's administration has taken concrete steps toward cannabis reform. The president advocated replacing prison sentences with civil fines for possession of one ounce or less of cannabis and eliminating federal penalties for such possession.

Additionally, in 1978, the Carter administration established the Compassionate Investigational New Drug program, which made federally manufactured cannabis products available to a limited number of patients. However, Carter's decriminalization initiative encountered significant obstacles. Opposition came from various quarters, including law enforcement, conservative politicians and grassroots parent groups . The resignation of Peter Bourne in July 1978 following controversy over his alleged drug use dealt a serious blow to the government's drug policy efforts.

Conservative politicians like future President Ronald Reagan used their platforms to attack Carter for his “soft stance” on cannabis. Congress ultimately ignored Carter's support for decriminalization because it was concerned about the sharp rise in cocaine use and viewed cannabis as a gateway drug.

Despite these setbacks during his presidency, Carter has maintained his progressive stance on cannabis in the years since leaving office. In 2012, he expressed support for marijuana legalization in a speech to a CNN panel. He explained: “I am for it. I think that’s fine,” and suggested that states like Washington could serve as testing grounds for regulating cannabis.

Carter's approach to cannabis policy was ahead of his time as he combined public health considerations with a softer stance on possession. While his efforts during his presidency were ultimately thwarted by political opposition and changing public opinion, his sustained advocacy in later years has contributed to the ongoing dialogue about cannabis reform in the United States