Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Sen. Mike Gravel (D-AK) are the most marijuana friendly 2008 Presidential candidates, according to an analysisby the Marijuana Policy Project.
They are the only candidates who support the legalisation of marijuana, for general as well as medicinal use.
"I think it's tragic what's happening today in the drug war," Rep. Paul said. "Since the early '70s we've spent maybe $200 to $300 billion on the drug war. That's not been any good. This whole effort on the drug war doesn't make any sense at all to me."
When caller asked during in a C-SPAN interview in May:"What do you think about legalizing marijuana?" Sen. Gravel replied, "The answer to that is real simple. I would legalize marijuana."
On the other end of the spectrum, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) and Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) have publicly pledged to continue raiding and arresting seriously ill patients who use medical marijuana with approval from their doctors and state law.
When asked about arresting sick and dying patients who use marijuana as a last resort, Sen. Brownback answered, "I think that should continue to be the case. I do not think that we should legalize marijuana, and I don't think we need to legalize marijuana, as strong as some advocates believe to the contrary. I don't agree with that and I don't think we need to for pain or for pain medication. "
"And we've got a number of pain resources coming on line, in the cancer field alone it's been quite impressive what they have done to try and relieve pain," he added. "I do not support decriminalization of marijuana for medical use or for any other use. I think we have other alternatives, and other alternatives in development."
"I'm going to leave it up to the DEA whether they feel like there is a person who is being arrested because they are suffering from AIDS or because they really are doing something to significantly violate drug laws," Gov. Huckabee said. "But it comes down to laws are laws for a reason and if we don't change the laws, we don't have a right to break the ones we don't like. That's one of the reasons a lot of people are angry about the immigration laws."
When asked if he would end the federal raids on his own constituents in California who used marijuana as a pain medication, Rep. Hunter responded, "If you have a federal law, you have to enforce the law. And that's my answer."
The other candidates generally support decriminalisation of marijuana for medicinal purposes, but not have not spoken out in support of total legalisation.
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