Trump Vs. Biden, Cannabis Legalization Could Play A Bigger Role Than Their Ages

No matter which one of the two leading presidential candidates wins the White House in 2024, he will be the oldest person ever elected to the job, a record President Biden set in 2020.

Both of the soon-to-be-octogenarians, Joe Biden (80) and Donald Trump (77) are now or will be surrounded by colleagues similar in age, which has become a concern for some voters who would like to see the torch passed to the next generation, as suggested by soon-to-retire Mitt Romney.

Millennials On The Rise

Millennials, who are now the largest generation in the U.S. workforce, are reaching the age where they’re old enough to run for president, which is 35. To be a senator, a person must be 30 or over and to be representative, 25 or older. And, as we know, there is no cap at the other end.

Term Limits Anyone?

At this moment, the speaker of the House is 82, the Senate majority leader is 71 and the average age of a senator at the start of 2021 was 64.3 – the oldest in American history. Term limits, not necessarily age limits, would remedy this situation.

It's also worth noting that among the U.S. population of nearly 332 million, the largest age group is adults aged 30 to 34. That would be 11.67 million males and around 11.43 million females. Step aside, Baby Boomers.

Besides Age, What Else Could Tip The Scales In 2024? 

If you said cannabis legalization, go to the head of the class.

Federal cannabis legalization has bipartisan and cross-generational support. For the past three years, two-thirds of U.S. adults have supported some form of marijuana legalization.

Both Biden and Trump have had opportunities to attract voters by legalizing or otherwise reforming cannabis but have chosen not to. 

The Biden Administration recently made big news when health officials recommended that the DEA loosen restrictions on cannabis, which led to speculation of possible legalization. Too little too late, some ask.

While many voters express concerns about Trump and Biden’s age, it seems at this point there’s little choice of replacing either of them.

That said, both candidates, regardless of their age, could show some wisdom and boost their party’s voter turnout by getting serious about real cannabis reform sooner rather than later.

Cannabis legalization, as always, will be a hot topic at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago on September 27 and 28. All information is available on bzcannabis.com