Do these senators have ties to industries and sectors that don’t serve your interests?
Most Americans want to legalize recreational and/or medicinal marijuana. Scientific research shows its benefits. It’s proven to be viable businesses and states with decriminalized cannabis enjoy incredible revenue. Simply put, legalized marijuana is a hefty source of income, approved by most Americans and truly helps people’s health.
Both science and history have proven the efficacy of cannabis, yet several U.S. senators won’t vote to legalize marijuana on a federal level and/or pass a law that will let banks work with cannabis businesses. Why? It doesn’t make sense. A mystery, indeed. Solving a mystery always starts with questions. Let’s start with the following:
Who benefits from keeping marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug? Big pharmaceuticals is certainly one of them. After all, who’d need their expensive addictive opioids if marijuana can alleviate pain and aid crippling anxiety?
Let’s pull on this thread a bit and ask more questions.
Who would Big Pharma want to talk to protect their interests? Lo and behold, it’s  the people who make laws. And why do people who make the laws listen to Big Pharma instead of the people they represent? Are they getting paid? And IF they are getting paid, why are the lawmakers voted in and stay in office?
Now, that’s a question we must answer.
To answer this question let’s investigate the usual suspects who deny income and potential jobs to the people they represent.
Let’s take a look at Ted Cruz (R-TX) who said, “I think it’s an issue in which reasonable people can disagree, and so each state should adopt laws that reflect the values of their citizens.” Huh. If he really thinks that states should be able to decide for themselves, why won’t the 64% of approval make him vote cannabis decriminalization? Perhaps the reason for Ted Cruz to be a staunch opponent to legalizing marijuana is his plans to run for president in 2024. According to The Texas Politics Project at UT Austin, 72% of the most conservative Republicans oppose any use of marijuana. Basically, Ted Cruz has to curry to the base to launch his bid to be President. It’s also worth to consider this fact: Sen. Cruz received $1,897,718 during the 2020 election cycle.
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On the other hand, Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is not running for president in 2024. Yet, Sen Graham does not support the legalization of cannabis prohibition at the federal level nor will he support cannabis businesses to use banks. Sen. Graham must answer to the Republican base who are, like in Texas, strongly opposed to decriminalizing cannabis. More startling, however, is that Sen. Graham received $2,909,00 from the health industry during the 2020 election industry[i]. While the “health industry” sounds innocuous, it in fact, includes Big Pharma. In other words, Sen. Graham will not bite the hand that feeds him—at the expense of American’s well-being.
Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) stated the following in Dec. 2019: I remain firmly opposed to efforts to legalize marijuana on the federal level, and I am opposed to legalization in the State of Idaho. I also do not support the SAFE Banking Act that passed in the House of Representatives. This bill would provide banking services to a legitimate cannabis-related business. Without banking services, legitimate cannabis is less accessible to people who need it. Why would Sen. Crapo limit people’s access to legal cannabis? Is it because in 2020, he received $362, 241 from big pharmaceuticals? [1]  Is it because he has political ambitions in 2024? Perhaps. Yet it is true he is the ranking member of the finance committee and a member of the health subcommittee.
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Steve Hawkins, executive director of DC-based Marijuana Policy Project, said in a recent interview that cannabis banking reform is critical to enabling small businesses — including women- and minority-owned enterprises — to get the access to capital they need to operate and grow cannabis businesses.
Why is small business being hindered to thrive? It doesn’t make sense. Who benefits from small businesses thriving? Not local business owners. Not our neighbors. Not the economy. Certainly, not regular people. And yet, as we know, the majority of regular people support the legalization of cannabis.
Who are the other politicians who are miserably failing at the tasks of representing people’s needs? There are quite a few and just like Emperor Palpatine of Star Wars, they are shrouded in secrets. Fortunately for us, the information age sheds light on these nefarious characters.
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) claims to be a moderate, but she has failed to stand up for states’ rights on marijuana even after her own constituents approved a marijuana legalization initiative in 2016.
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) says he supports medical marijuana, but only if done through the FDA process (which is not possible). Despite his opposition, Florida voters approved a medical marijuana initiative in 2016, showing Rubio is out of step with his constituents.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) doesn’t even claim to support medical marijuana, saying it would be “harmful to the social fabric of Oklahoma.”
Do these senators have ties to industries and sectors that don’t serve your interests? Find out. Open Secrets and Just Facts are two of the organizations that’ll help you help yourself. With these tools, the time of legalizing cannabis on a federal level is within the horizon. Already, the House of Representatives passed the SAFE Banking Act. It’s up to us to target the remaining senators who aren’t listening to us and heeding the calls of big money and narcissistic political ambition.
Go ahead. Ask questions and you’ll find out who’s got your back.
This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.
