Politics & Government

Clay Thibodeau Answers Questions on Medical Pot

The candidate for Murrieta's congressional seat answers questions about the state of medical marijuana.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Clay Thibodeau got a letter from a local who asked how he feels about the state of medical marijuana in Riverside County. Thibodeau is running for . Below are the resident's questions and Thibodeau's answers.

Resident: Do you support the denial of funding to the Department of Justice for raids on medical cannabis collectives that are compliant with state law, as stated in the Rohrabacher-Hinchey-Farr Amendment to the appropriations bill?

Thibodeau: Despite what you may have been told to the contrary, it is not possible for Congress to slice-out DOJ funding for activities as specific as raids on medical cannabis collectives, because DOJ raids are matters of policy rather than budgeting. The Rohrabacher-Hinchey-Farr Amendment, to which you refer, is a ploy by politicians designed to gain them political favor rather than a meaningful effort to respect the laws of the several states and/or the citizens of those states. I can provide more detail on this point if desired, but in short, let me state that I am a strong advocate of state rights and rather than play games for political favor, I will fight instead for policy and legislative changes that will compel the federal government to abide by its own constitution and leave the entire matter of cannabis to the states and to the people, as notated in the 9th and 10th Amendments.

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Resident: Do you support the position that DUI laws related to marijuana should be based on scientific studies to demonstrate impairment they way alcohol studies demonstrate impairment?

Thibodeau: The study of cannabis-related impairment is unfamiliar to me and prevents me from speaking authoritatively to this question, however, in general terms, I can state that the standards for demonstrating impairment must be universal and not vary from substance to substance.

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Resident: Do you support legalization of marijuana for ages 21 and up so it can be regulated licensed and taxed?

Thibodeau: In college, I won debates on both sides of this issue and, as a result of debate preparation, I became quite familiar with the pro and con arguments respecting the legalization of marijuana. On the federal level, I oppose any regulation of marijuana as a controlled substance. On the state level, I support the regulation or deregulation of marijuana to any degree the citizens of the respective states vote.

Resident: Do you support the rights for employed medical cannabis patients, under the same standards as any other employee who consumes prescription medication?

Thibodeau: This question is an extension of the second question, as it approaches “community safety” at large. And again, accounting for the fact that I am unfamiliar with the specific science involved, I can state that inasmuch as standards for the use of prescription medication allow for workplace and public safety in their labeling and enforcement, I have no present objection to cannabis-based prescriptions being developed which comply with the standards set for other prescription medications.

Resident: Do you support the rescheduling of marijuana from a schedule one narcotic?

Thibodeau: Yes.


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