To: Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., Co-Chairman of the Commission of Presidential Debates, President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate

INCLUDE A QUESTION ON MARIJUANA IN THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia representing over a third of the U.S. population have legalized the use of marijuana when recommended by a physician, six states have marijuana initiatives on their November ballots (three legalization and three medical), $20 billion taxpayer dollars are spent every year enforcing marijuana prohibition ensnaring over 850,000 Americans in the criminal justice systems and thousands are killed along our border over illegal importation of marijuana into the United States. What other issue impacts so many Americans at such a staggering cost in dollars and lives and is so completely sidelined.

It is time that this issue is given the attention it deserves. We respectfully request that one or both of the following questions be asked in one of the three presidential debates.

1. Colorado, Oregon and Washington have initiative measures on their ballots that will legalize the sale and distribution of marijuana for any purpose. If one or more of these states pass a legalization measure, what will be the response of your administration?

2. With seventeen states and the District of Columbia representing over a third of the U.S. population having legalized the use of marijuana when recommended by a physician, there is a direct conflict between federal law and state law. Three states have medical marijuana initiatives on their ballots in November and several more states are expected to enact medical marijuana laws over the next two years. Will you do anything as President to help reconcile the differences between federal and state law?

Why is this important?

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia representing over a third of the U.S. population have legalized the use of marijuana when recommended by a physician, six states have marijuana initiatives on their November ballots and yet the candidates won't answer to the overwhelming support of the voters to answer on this topic.