A lot is riding on November’s midterm election, and Democrats are doing everything in their power to ensure the American people make them the dominant political force once again when they head off to the polls.
Considering that marijuana legalization is one of the hottest topics of the day, candidates at the local, state and federal level are standing in support of cannabis reform unlike ever before. Some are have taken a pro-pot stances concerning bringing prohibition to an end, while others are standing on the side of medicinal use. Whatever the case, there is hope that these greener positions will help them win.
It is a strategy that could work. After all, the majority of the population now supports legal weed in a big way. A recent Gallup poll shows that 66 percent of Americans are in favor of allowing marijuana to be taxed and regulated like alcohol and tobacco. And the numbers have been consistent for the past several years. In fact, the only demographic that remains cold on the issue are much older people. But when it comes to rallying the support of the America of tomorrow, legal weed is it.
There is also something to be said about Democratic candidates going up against President Trump’s administration. Although Trump himself has not been a problem for the cannabis industry, his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is still considered a threat. This is the man who, at the beginning of the year, revoked an Obama-era memo that gave states the right to experiment with legalization without federal interference, and he never misses an opportunity to slander the cannabis plant. Sessions has yet to make a move against legal weed, but he continues to block research opportunities.
Although political insiders swear that Republicans are warming up to marijuana, the matter still remains one met with the most contention. The Elephant-eared controls in Congress have continued to sabotage modest cannabis reforms on banking, medical marijuana for veterans and federal protections for those states that have legalized for recreational use.
But that trend could change if Democrats gain back control of U.S. House of Representatives this year.
“This wasn’t brought up by Democrats in past years; it’s become a bigger issue,” said Mason Tvert, a spokesperson for the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project, told the Huffington Post.
If the Democrats win this year as a result of promises made to the cannabis community, they better make good on the follow through. Failure to do so, at least at this point, would scar their political careers forever. U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon is doing his part to see the Democratic Party takes command on the marijuana debate in the next Congressional session. The lawmaker is working to prioritize the issue next year, which could lead to an end of marijuana prohibition nationwide. However, Blumenauer’s entire “Blueprint” to legalization is contingent on Democrats winning in November.
The overall message in the midterms: Vote Democrat if you ever want to see marijuana legal again.
