So-called conservatives are not only opposed medical marijuana, they are doing everything possible to thwart the will of the voters after the initiatives pass with overwhelming majorities.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Fresh Toast.
The only thing Americans seem to agree on is that our democracy is in danger. Was the election stolen by Joe Biden, or is Donald Trump trying to undermine the electoral process?
In the last few years, the so-called “progressives”, with the partial exception of Biden, have discovered that they have always been in favor of legalizing marijuana, after they finally read the polls. African American leaders, historically influenced by their clergy, who opposed marijuana legalization, are demanding economic preference for the victims of their policies.
SEE: Don’t Mention The Drug War. We Must Decriminalize Being Black Because Black Freedom Matters
Meanwhile, the so-called “conservatives” wave the flag and talk about “freedom” and denounce vaccines and face masks as satanic. They not only opposed medical marijuana in various referendums, they are doing everything possible to thwart the will of the voters after the initiatives pass with overwhelming majorities.
In South Dakota, almost 70% of the voters supported medical marijuana, but the prohibitionists are doing everything possible to block it. One state representative even said that she had just come from the conferences of South Dakota fire chiefs and law enforcement and that the chiefs want “a seat at the table regarding marijuana.”
Nebraska’s Governor Pete Rickett, who has been called the “Trumpiest Trumpster of the bunch,” has proclaimed, “If you legalize marijuana, you’re gonna kill your kids”.
SEE: Nebraska Governor Says There Is No Such Thing As Medical Marijuana AND: I Wonder If Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts Has Heard of the Nine Commandments AND FINALLY: Nebraska Sheriff Blocks Medical Marijuana Initiative With Anonymously Funded Lawsuit Against the Consent of the Governed
Meanwhile, in Trump’s new home state, “Miami’s city government has rejected cannabis dispensaries since Florida voters approved the creation of a full-fledged medical marijuana marketplace in a 2016 referendum that amended the state Constitution. Instead of creating zoning restrictions to regulate where dispensaries can open, or outright banning them, Miami has created no new laws and relied on an internal legal opinion that the change to the Florida Constitution was moot because federal law continues to categorize marijuana as an illegal substance with no medicinal value.
“By contrast, Miami Beach, Coral Gables and other local governments approved zoning regulations that dictate where dispensaries can go, even if they did so begrudgingly.”
But it gets worse. Slate reports, “On Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court—probably the most conservative state high court in the country–concluded that the state’s voters could not be trusted with a ballot initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults. By a 5–2 vote, the court tossed out the initiative, denying Florida residents the opportunity to vote on it. To justify its action, the majority seized upon a dubious rationale: It asserted that the ballot summary implies that the initiative will somehow legalize marijuana under federal law, rendering it ‘affirmatively misleading.’ Because of this putative defect, the court denied Floridians an opportunity to repeal state laws banning recreational weed.”
Meanwhile in our nation’s capital, Mitch McConnell and Joe Mancin will decide whether the Senate can even vote on any federal cannabis legalization. Ironically, the “founding fathers” were afraid of too much democracy, but they could always go home to their hemp farms.
SEE: Will Prohibitionists Tie The New Conservative Movement To Trump?
Richard Cowan is a former NORML National Director and author of Potential Benefits Of Cannabidiol For Athletes.
