Hillary Clinton on Marijuana -- and You May Not Like What She Has To Say

If you were expecting presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to be in favor of legalizing marijuana or at least decriminalizing the drug, you may be sorely disappointed by her recent comments.
If you had told me even five years ago that marijuana had the potential to be a major issue by the 2016 presidential elections, I'd have probably laughed and walked away. However, as the clock counts down to the next election -- now roughly 18 months away -- marijuana supporters and the American public are making it known that marijuana could be one of the defining issues that helps decide our next president.

America's rapidly changing opinion of marijuana
Public opinion surrounding marijuana has shifted dramatically over the past two decades. In 1995 there wasn't a single state where marijuana was legal on a recreational or medical basis, and public support for legalization stood around 25%.

Fast-forward to 2014 and just about every major poll taken suggests that a majority of Americans share a favorable view of marijuana. And, if these polls aren't evidence enough that things have changed, we now have four states that have legalized recreational, adult-use marijuana, and 23 states that have approved the use of medical marijuana.

But just because the American public is beginning to support some level of marijuana legalization or decriminalization, it doesn't mean that America's most-followed leaders are going to follow suit.