民主党总统候选人安德鲁杨指出合法化的锅是周二公布的科罗拉多州民意调查的潜在因素，显示他远远高于其他主要州。
经常提倡大麻全国合法化的2020民主党人在周二在Twitter上开玩笑说“必须是杂草:)”在最近的艾默生民意调查数据中达到了4％ - 这个数据在本月20日恰巧发布。在其他州进行的初选民意调查中，杨通常上涨1％至2％，在包括佛蒙特州独立伯尼桑德斯和前副总统乔拜登在内的频繁领跑者后，升至第6位。
科罗拉多州是11个州和哥伦比亚特区之间的娱乐性大麻使用是合法的，此外还有33个州将药用大麻合法化。杨的每月1000美元的“自由红利”给美国人带来了全国的关注和支持，许多人认为这是一种公平的方式，让像亚马逊这样的大公司向全国普通，勤劳的居民支付其公平份额。
“科罗拉多州有4％的人，”杨周二在推特上发布了一个竖起大拇指的表情符号。“一定是杂草，”他笑着补充道。
杨的官方竞选政策要求大麻全面联邦合法化，他特别引用了有色人种如何成为大麻相关犯罪起诉的绝对目标。
“大麻仍然被联邦法律视为受控物质。数千人因与大麻有关的罪行入狱，特别是有色人种。我们需要解决模糊问题并使联邦一级的大麻合法化。这将改善安全，社会公平和基于合法的大麻业务，创造了数百亿美元的新收入，“通过他的网站了解杨的官方大麻政策。
杨一再提到将大麻定为“极端种族主义”，并已将其从2020年总统平台上的缉毒机构控制物质清单中删除。企业家和经济机会倡导者还吹嘘大麻合法化将为其带来的地方和州政府的税收收入。
“我们对大麻的刑事定罪是愚蠢和种族主义，特别是现在它在一些州是合法的。我们应该完全合法化并赦免那些因非暴力大麻相关罪行而入狱的人，”杨在2018年12月发推文。
对杨的一个回应显示，一个大学校园传单正在寻找“大麻，健康和青年成人（CHAYA）研究”参与者，正好在“杨岗”竞选海报上方。“喜欢这个人，”YouTube名人Casey Neistat回答道。
周二公布的2020年科罗拉多民主党初选民意调查数据显示，桑德斯在所有候选人中处于领先地位，26％的支持率和拜登仅落后于他的25％。在杨面前排名前五位的是马萨诸塞州参议员伊丽莎白沃伦，加州参议员卡马拉哈里斯和南本德，印第安纳州市长皮特布蒂盖格。
周六，在新罕布什尔州康科德举行的ACLU活动中，杨发誓要大赦任何因非暴力大麻罪被监禁的美国人，如果他在2020年当选总统。
“美国人现在认识到我们的群众监禁制度是多么破碎以及我们需要取得多大进展，”他告诉人群。
ANDREW YANG RESPONDS TO HIGH POLLING IN COLORADO: 'MUST BE THE WEED'
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang pointed to legalized pot as a potential factor behind a Colorado poll released Tuesday showing him far higher than in other primary states.
The 2020 Democratic hopeful who often advocates for the national legalization of marijuana joked Tuesday on Twitter it "Must be the weed :)" after hitting 4 percent in the most recent Emerson Polling data -- which was released coincidentally on the 20th day of the month. Yang, who typically pulls in between 1 and 2 percent in primary polls conducted in other states, rose to 6th place behind frequent frontrunners including Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Colorado is one of 11 states and the District of Columbia where recreational marijuana use is legal, in addition to 33 states which have legalized medicinal marijuana. Yang's "Freedom Dividend" of $1,000 each month to Americans has garnered national attention and support among many who see it as a fair way of having massive corporations such as Amazon pay their fair share to average, hard-working residents across the country.
"4% in Colorado," Yang tweeted Tuesday, showing a thumbs up emoji. "Must be the weed," he added with a smiley face.
Yang's official campaign policy calls for the full federal legalization of marijuana and he particularly cites how people of color are overwhelmingly targeted for prosecution in marijuana-related crimes.
"Marijuana is still considered a controlled substance by federal law. Thousands are in jail for marijuana-related offenses, particularly people of color. We need to resolve the ambiguity and legalize marijuana at the federal level. This would improve safety, social equity, and generate tens of billions of dollars in new revenue based on legal cannabis businesses," reads Yang's official policy on marijuana via his website.
Yang has repeatedly referred to the criminalization of marijuana as "deeply racist" and has placed its removal from the Drug Enforcement Agency's controlled substance list on his 2020 presidential platform. The entrepreneur and economic opportunity advocate has also touted marijuana legalization for the tax revenue it would bring into local and state governments.
"Our criminalization of marijuana is stupid and racist, particularly now that it's legal in some states. We should proceed with full legalization and pardon of those in jail for non-violent marijuana-related offenses," Yang tweeted in December 2018.
One response to Yang showed a college campus flyer looking for "Cannabis, Health and Young Adults (CHAYA) Study" participants just above a "Yang Gang" campaign poster. "Love this guy," replied YouTube celebrity Casey Neistat.