Last Autumn, during a nationally televised presidential debate, Barack Obama hesitantly raised his hand and joined with most of his Democratic rivals to declare that he opposed decriminalising cannabis.

But as a candidate for the U.S. Senate four years ago, Mr. Obama told Illinois college students that he supported eliminating criminal penalties for cannabis use or possession, according to a videotape of a debate that was obtained by The Washington Times.

“I think we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws,” Mr. Obama told an audience during a debate at Northwestern University in 2004. “But I’m not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana.”

Asked about the two different answers, Mr. Obama’s presidential campaign said he in fact has “always” supported decriminalising cannabis as he answered in 2004, meaning the candidate mistakenly raised his hand during the presidential debate last fall.

That position leaves Mr. Obama as the lone presidential candidate among the four leading challengers in either party who supports eliminating criminal penalties for cannabis. Mr. Obama’s chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton, opposes decriminalisation.

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