Non-tokers leave pot policy to states

WASHINGTON — While President Obama never hid his penchant for marijuana during his youth in Hawaii, Americans soon will elect a president who claims never to have touched it.

Republican Donald Trump boasts that he has never smoked marijuana or a cigarette, or had a drop of alcohol.

Both candidates have a history of flip-flopping on major issues, and a majority of Americans don’t trust either candidate: A CNN poll taken during the Republican convention found that only 30 percent think that Clinton is honest and trustworthy, compared with 43 percent for Trump.

Trump, who once called himself a supporter of abortion rights, now wants to ban abortions.

In 1990, the Republican candidate called for legalizing all drugs, a position he no longer holds.

[...] his statements on marijuana have given ammunition to both sides of the legalization debate.

Tom Angell, the chairman of the pro-legalization group Marijuana Majority, said this year is the first time that all remaining presidential candidates had promised to respect state marijuana laws.

“In 2008, our movement had to physically chase down candidates during the New Hampshire primary just to elicit promises not to arrest cancer patients who were abiding by state medical marijuana laws,” he said.