Oklahoma Suing Pregnant Women For Consuming Medical Marijuana

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September 30, 2022

Oklahoma Suing Pregnant Women For Consuming Medical Marijuana

According to state law, physicians are not obligated to determine if patients are pregnant or are planning a pregnancy soon before they provide them with a medical marijuana license.

Since 2019, at least 26 women in Oklahoma were charged with child neglect felonies for consuming cannabis while pregnant, according to The Frontier. The punishment for this crime can be life in prison, though the previous offenders who pleaded guilty were given probation.

Of those 26 women, at least eight were medical marijuana license holders, meaning they were allowed to legally buy and use cannabis, having a doctor’s recommendation. Nevertheless, the problem boils down to whether medical marijuana can be treated as an “illegal drug,” because if it can, the law is clear pregnant women can be charged with child neglect for consuming illegal drugs while pregnant. Women in Oklahoma have been prosecuted even after giving birth to healthy babies.

Wait a second, isn’t medical marijuana legal in Oklahoma for registered patients?

That’s right, those who have a license from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority are allowed to buy and consume marijuana and there are no rules prohibiting pregnant women from using cannabis or have a license. According to state law, physicians are not obligated to determine if patients are pregnant or are planning a pregnancy soon before they provide them with a medical marijuana license.

On the other hand, medical marijuana products in the state have warnings against use during pregnancy, similar to those on cigarette packs.

Most medical professionals agree on advising against using marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs during pregnancy.

Brian Hermanson, one of the two prosecutors in Oklahoma who has brought charges against those pregnant women, believes this is a felony. “If they make bad decisions about using drugs while they’re pregnant, they’re probably going to make other bad decisions when raising the child,” he said last November.

Ryan Kiesel, a civil rights attorney, and former Oklahoma lawmaker, on the other hand, thinks that these prosecutions are “inconsistent with state law.”

“Those women are protected as medical marijuana patients under the law,” Kiesel said. “It’s important to remember, if you have a medical marijuana license, you are under the care of a physician.”

The number of women in the U.S. who turn to cannabis while pregnant has notably increased over time. Between 2002 and 2017, the figure went from under 6% to 12%, as per data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

What about Oklahoma? The numbers don’t look great. Since the state legalized medical marijuana in 2018, the number of state newborns who tested positive for cannabis grew by more than 160%.

What Are The Impacts Of Cannabis Use While Pregnant?

Unfortunately, there are not enough relevant scientific studies on this topic, as marijuana couldn’t be researched for a long time, because of its status as a Schedule 1 substance.

More and more new studies indeed indicate there are negative consequences to children whose mothers consumed cannabis while pregnant, it is hard to confirm that the consequence came only from cannabis use. As Dr. Mishka Terplan, who has researched substance use in pregnancy and has helped develop American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist guidance on addiction says, the impact of marijuana exposure can be very hard to separate from tobacco use, stress, and any other health and environmental factors.

After all, women are advised not to take any legal drugs while pregnant, like painkillers or alcohol, right? It is not so strange to see women smoking a cigarette with a huge bump, even though the negative consequences of cigarette smoke to unborn children has been known for a while now. What about stress?

And yet, no one is prosecuting pregnant women who smoke or drink. Well, isn’t that a bit hypocritical, if child care is the main concern in these prosecutions?

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

How Climate Change Is Linked To The Spread Of Viruses Like Monkeypox And COVID

Culture
News

Maria Loreto

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September 30, 2022

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How Climate Change Is Linked To The Spread Of Viruses Like Monkeypox And COVID

Experts believe climate change makes it more likely for viruses like COVID and monkeypox to spread and infect more people.

There are currently two viruses affecting large amounts of people all over the world. This year saw the rise of monkeypox, with about 67,000 cases worldwide. 2020 saw the rise of the COVID pandemic, which continues to affect people despite the fact that there’s a vaccine and multiple boosters out.

Climate change might make this phenomenon even more common in the years to come. NPR provided a breakdown of climate change and its impact on these types of viruses, explaining why the two are linked together.

Do You Experience Withdrawal If You Stop Using Cannabis Cold Turkey? — Photo by Photographer, Basak Gurbuz Derman/Getty Images

COVID and monkeypox are both zoonotic diseases, which means that they spread between humans and animals. Climate change, which affects animals’ habitats and is linked with human migration, means that humans and animals will likely be forced into the same spaces, facilitating the transmission of different diseases.

“Elements such as deforestation, population growth, and animal breeding have removed the boundaries between where humans and wild animals live, bringing them into closer contact,” explains NPR.

As animals and humans are more exposed to each other, pathogens start to change and mutate, with odds of them being easier to spread from one to the other. “Depending on the particular germ, when it has an opportunity to do this multiple times, the germ adapts to the new species,” said Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum, vice chairperson for clinical research.

Globalization makes matters worse. Nowadays, people are traveling to novel places and more often, meaning that any disease that spreads in one country could spread to another in a matter of days.

Still, despite the great technological advancements that exist and the awareness of these diseases, it’s very difficult for experts to predict incoming pandemics and viruses. While scientists may research diseases and their odds of spreading and becoming the next pandemic, it’s almost impossible to predict which disease and which region is at risk.

It’s difficult to warn people about these dangers and to make governments take a stronger stance, especially when they know what’s at risk. Researchers believe including diseases and health risks and the cost of these in public policy might help people take climate change more seriously, and take some meaningful action.

How To Enjoy Dabbing Without A Dab Rig

Terry Hacienda

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September 30, 2022

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These five tried-and-tested techniques will save the day when you have concentrates. Just because you don’t have a dab rig doesn’t mean you can’t get high.

Dabbing has become one of the most popular ways that experienced cannabis consumers get high. This method of consumption involves placing a tiny amount of cannabis concentrate on a hot surface, allowing it to vaporize, so that you can inhale extremely potent marijuana.

Medical or recreational cannabis consumers alike can enjoy the benefits of dabbing especially when you want to make the most out of a small amount without having to consume too much. After all, cannabis concentrates are notoriously potent: you can consume anywhere from 50 to 98% THC.

The most common way to dab is to use a reliable dab rig. Dab rigs are a specific type of water pipe that’s designed specifically to inhale concentrates or dabs. It works by filtering the vapor from marijuana through water, which is in essence, similar to how a bong works. Dab rigs also have a nail, which is a name for the glass bucket, which is heated with a torch for around 30 seconds. After cooling, you can then inhale the vapor without burning your throat.

Dab rigs are popular. However, it isn’t the only way you can consume dabs. Perhaps you found yourself without one because you didn’t know you needed it, find it too expensive, or you may have broken the glass. Don’t worry: below are other methods you can consume dabs without the use of a dab rig.

Use a joint: This is the easiest and simplest way to enjoy dabbing without a dab rig. What you will need is wax, marijuana flowers, and rolling papers. Make a joint the way you typically would, and evenly distribute the flowers on the paper.

Place some wax on the center of the flower, ensuring that it doesn’t touch the part of the joint that you’re going to light up. If it does touch the wax, this can result in a dangerous open flame.

rolling a marijuana joint — Photo by Kampus Production via Pexels

When using this method, keep in mind that wax is extremely sticky. You may end up wasting too much when it gets stuck in paper and your fingers.

A bowl: For the uninitiated, smoking dabs in a bowl is extremely simple. You can choose to use a bong or bubbler. The first step is to load a tiny bit of wax, then cover half the bowl with bud in order to protect the wax. Again, you don’t want the wax to touch the flame.

You should have a bowl that has a layer of concentrate covered by a layer of bud. You can add more weed if you want, depending on how much grass you have available. With this technique, there’s no need to use top-shelf bud since you’ll be smoking most of the dab anyway. The primary purpose of the bud here is to protect the dab.

Rechargeable vape pen: This is a convenient way to dab. Use a rechargeable vape pen with a cartridge already filled with wax. Screw it onto the pen, take a hit, and relax.

However, if you already have wax that you want to use in a refillable cartridge, this is possible too. Just make sure to use a vape pen that’s equipped with a removable atomizer, which is the heating component where you add the wax. Typically, older vape pen models have the atomizer since more modern models do without it.

Place a small dab of wax onto the metal dabber, then remove the atomizer. Dab the wax on the coil, and link the atomizer to the pen. Next, connect the mouthpiece to the chamber. Press the power on the vape, and slowly inhale to get the perfect balance of vapor and heat.

Edibles: Making edibles out of concentrates instead of regular cannabutter will ensure a seriously potent and much longer-lasting high. There are countless cannabis concentrate edible recipes you can use; just keep in mind that you also have to decarboxylate your wax or other cannabis extracts the proper way.

marijuana edible — Photo by MykolaSenyuk/Getty Images

Cannabis concentrate edibles are a fun and affordable way to medicate. The best part is that compared to flower, you only need a significantly smaller amount to enjoy the same benefits. Always follow the general rule of thumb when dosing concentrate edibles for the first time: start with the smallest dose possible, and wait at least two hours before you decide to follow up.

Hot knife: As a last resort, if you don’t have any tools or access to the previous techniques, you can try the hot knife method. You will only need a butter knife and a heat source.

The knife should be heated by placing it on a heating element. This can be a hot plate, electric stove, or a gas heater. When the knife is already hot, dab a little wax on it then inhale. Unfortunately, this can be a little challenging because unlike bongs or pipes, there are no enclosed areas. This means that you run the risk of losing some vapor even when you inhale.

You can combat this by using a straw, funnel, or even a plastic bottle. These are simple solutions to maximizing a tiny problem when using hot knives for dabbing.

Conclusion

A functional dab setup is always ideal for the best results when dabbing. However, when you don’t have the complete setup, it’s time to get creative. These five tried-and-tested techniques will save the day when you have concentrates. Just because you don’t have a dab rig doesn’t mean you can’t get high.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.

Amazon Loudly Backs Cannabis Legalization, But Silently Bans Weed Grinders

Benzinga Staff Writer

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September 29, 2022

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Amazon Loudly Backs Cannabis Legalization, But Silently Bans Weed Grinders

A search for “spice grinders” on Amazon shows more than 8,000 results for grinders and at least 660 for “spice grinders for cannabis.”

By Nina Zdinjak

Amazon made headlines last year when it came out in support of ending marijuana prohibition. Now, it seems the company has gotten cold feet. It is reportedly clearing spice grinders, used by some to grind weed flower, from its site ostensibly in keeping with company policy not to sell drug paraphernalia.

What Happened

In a Seattle Times story from earlier this week, Lauren Rosenblatt shared an example of one company, Golden Gate Grinders, which has been selling spice grinders on Amazon for nine years. Then, all of a sudden, the platform banned them.

“There was no indication in all those years that this is a prohibited product,” Arnold Marcus, founder of Golden Gate Grinders told the Times. “One day, they were supporting me and then one day it ended.”

Leafly pointed out that there are about a thousand other items that can be used to help consumers enjoy their weed, such as lighters. Even an apple can be used to create a makeshift pipe. Where, then, do we draw the line?

To confound the situation, Amazon has removed some spice grinders and left others. One grinder still on the site describes one of its benefits as a place to “just keep your weed […] until you need it,” writes the Seattle Times. A search for “spice grinders” on Amazon shows more than 8,000 results for grinders and at least 660 for “spice grinders for cannabis.”

So what gives? Lesley Hensell, co-founder of Riverbend Consulting, which helps third-party sellers on Amazon attempts to explain.

“They’ve always said there’s no drug paraphernalia but there were lots of products that were ambiguous products that were able to sell on the platform for years and years,” Hensell said.

Endless Complexity Of The Cannabis Industry

With federal and state laws not being in sync, the marijuana industry is a difficult place to operate. Chris Shreeve, co-founder and VP of business development at Seattle-based ad agency PrograMetrix calls it “inherently risky.” Shreeve, who co-owns a weed dispensary said “We have to play the hand that we’re dealt in the cannabis space. It’s a difficult hand, but we’ve got to do it.”

Large platforms like Google, Meta, and Amazon are “tiptoeing around acceptance,” Shreeve said, noting that companies tend to search out the gray areas for their products and services.

“I don’t fault cannabis and CBD brands for trying to navigate the ambiguous rules and regulations on some of these larger platforms. But it needs to be done under the assumption that there is risk.”

Where Is Amazon Heading And Why? This Is What Happened Last Year

For starters, Amazon openly backed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 (MORE Act), last June. At the time, Dave Clark, CEO of Worldwide Consume, which deals with Amazon’s retail websites, wrote this on the company’s blog: “We know that this issue is bigger than Amazon, our public policy team will be actively supporting the MORE Act, federal legislation that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, expunge criminal records, and invest in impacted communities. We hope that other employers will join us, and that policymakers will act swiftly to pass this law.¨

At the same time, the company announced it would stop testing its employees for marijuana use and would lobby Congress to end the federal prohibition of marijuana.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

Is Regular Marijuana Use Linked With An Overactive Bladder?

Maria Loreto

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September 29, 2022

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Is Regular Marijuana Use Linked With An Overactive Bladder?

Marijuana use is becoming increasingly common. And as more states legalize the plant for recreational and medicinal purposes, more and more people are confident in its medicinal strength. Still, due to how difficult it is to conduct proper research on the drug, there are a lot of things we don’t know about cannabis, including benefits and side effects. Is regular marijuana use linked with an overactive bladder?

A new study published in the American Journal of Medicine examined whether marijuana has an impact on overactive bladders and found that regular marijuana users are more likely to suffer from the condition than non-users.

cannabis bong — Photo by Daria Kulkova/Getty Images

Researchers collected data from 2005 and 2018 on regular and non-regular marijuana users aged 18 to 59, who answered a variety of questions about drug use and kidney conditions.

Over 18,000 samples were gathered, with 24% of respondents identifying as regular marijuana users. These people were more likely to be male, single, smokers, thinner, and younger when compared to the other participants in the study. They also reported more urinary incontinence and frequent nocturia, which is the urge to wake up in the middle of the night to go use the bathroom.

While researchers don’t understand why marijuana affects bladders specifically, the study shows that regular marijuana users were at higher risk of overactive bladder disorder and at an especially higher risk of nocturia.

“Our data do not support the evidence for the use of cannabinoids in the medical treatment of patients with overactive bladder, especially given the thorny health problems caused by marijuana,” concludes the study.

Overactive bladder is defined as a condition where people have to urinate with more frequency. It includes behaviors like nocturia, urge incontinence, and more. It’s considered a chronic disease.

How Many Milligrams Of THC Is Too Much?

Tom Gaffey

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September 29, 2022

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It might not be possible to fatally overdose on weed, but you sure can have so much that you wish you never got high in the first place. Here’s how to avoid that.

Although we hear it time and time again, we often have to learn the hard way that there is truth in the phrase “having too much of a good thing.” This saying, while annoying when uttered by our worrying parents when we eat candy as children, can be painfully true when it comes to marijuana consumption. What starts off as a delicious edible and relaxing high can potentially lead to an overwhelming burst of anxiety, paranoia and heart pounding. This is where the “too much” part comes into play.

When it comes to marijuana, it might not be possible to overdose in the classical sense when you think of a drug overdose and the death associated with it, but you sure can have so much that you wish you never got high in the first place. So in order to prevent an event that involves you thoroughly delirious and/or paranoid, you should probably know how much weed is too much for you, and how to avoid getting to that point.

Standard Dose Vs. Too Much

If you are looking to find a “serving size” of THC, you will quickly learn that the number of milligrams for a “serving” fluctuates based on who you ask and what state you are in. Scientists, for example, use 5 mg doses in most tests, as this creates a standard, and often subjects in the study feel the desired effects at that level. Experts recommend starting off with 2.5 mg of THC, and to not exceed 40 mg of THC per day.

Smoking Marijuana — Photo by Jamie Grill/Getty Images

In some states you can get a single edible that is 10mg, which sort of implies the serving size could be 10 mg in those places, while other states have a limited edibles to 5 mg. Ten milligrams is often considered a standard serving for those well-versed in THC consumption. Either way, as a rule of thumb, it is best to go with the one edible, and wait. Exceeding 40 mg, unless you are a seasoned cannabis consumer with a high tolerance, could send you into another dimension, which can be problematic and even dangerous if you weren’t planning on entering said dimension.

Edibles are the dosages you need to pay closest attention to, since they take so long to kick in. When it comes to smoking and vaping, it is much easier to keep yourself from consuming too many mg of THC at once. You just need to take a few breaks and pay attention to your mind and body to see if you notice any warning signs that you may have had too much.

Warning Signs That You Should Stop Consuming

One of the best ways to know when it is definitely time to stop consuming is when you start experiencing some of marijuana’s negative side effects. Sure, negative side effects can occur at any dosage, but if you are experiencing more than one, or more than you typically do, it could be you have consumed too many milligrams of THC.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states on its website that while fatal overdoses of marijuana are unlikely, watching out for some of the negative side effects can help keep you from entering a place that renders you out of your own control for several hours. The CDC mentions extreme confusion, anxiety, paranoia, a fast heart rate, increased blood pressure, hallucinations and vomiting as major red flags.

RELATED: Should I Stop Smoking Weed?

You might experience one or two of these from time to time, especially if you have a low tolerance or are trying a new strain, but experiencing several of these symptoms means it is time to pump the brakes. Be sure to note the amount of THC you consumed and try halting it the next time you indulge, and go from there.

Dosing Is Individual, Not A Science

Remember that while following a self-guided THC dosage plan can help you avoid a negative experience of feeling too high, you need to remember there is no exact correlation to milligrams of THC and how high you will be. All sorts of factors play a role in how high a certain amount of weed will get you.

From the strain, to the time of day, your weight and what you had for breakfast are just a few of the variables that can make all the difference between 10 mg of THC being perfect or way too much. As we’ve mentioned before, dosages of any substance effect people in different ways. Factors like tolerance, body mass, mindset and more all make a difference. So give yourself time to feel the effects before upping your dosage.

Once you find what works for you, it is probably good not to test the limits, because often the only way to find out how many milligrams of THC is too much is to find out from personal experience, and that’s an experiment you should do your best to avoid.

Libertarian Candidate Blasts Iowa’s Governor For Staunch & Racist Weed Policies

Benzinga Staff Writer

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September 29, 2022

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Libertarian Candidate Blasts Iowa’s Governor For Staunch & Racist Weed Policies

According to a 2021 poll, 54% of adults say they favor legalizing weed for recreational use in Iowa, while 39% oppose it and 6% are unsure.

By Nicolás Jose Rodriguez

Libertarian candidate for governor Rick Stewart opens one of his recent TV ads by questioning Iowa’s Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) about her resistance to legalizing marijuana and easing up on arrests for simple possession, reported local media.

“What the hell, Kim?” he says. “Here I am in Illinois — why, only a few miles from the Iowa border — and they’ve got legal cannabis.” Stewart said in the spot titled “Dear Kim, ‘WEED!'”

“Our laws today in Iowa put people into rape cages because they smoked marijuana,” Stewart said. “You’re going to lose your college scholarship, you’re going to lose your job, you’re going to lose your kids — you’re going to lose everything because here in Iowa we think cannabis is a gateway drug. Well, a gateway to what?”

Stewart is the co-founder of Frontier Natural Products Co-op, a cooperatively owned wholesaler of organic products, based in Norway, Iowa. This is not the first time Stewart has released an ad calling for the end of the War on Drugs. ‘When I win, I will chase drug war criminals with a vengeance. Most of them are here in DC, stalking the halls of Congress. They’ve wasted 1 trillion dollars and decimated three generations of black Americans,” Stewart said in 2016 when he was running for Linn County sheriff.

While Governor Reynolds opposes legalizing marijuana, Democrat candidate Deidre DeJear supports legalizing and regulating cannabis like alcohol for adults 21 and older. According to a 2021 poll, 54% of adults say they favor legalizing weed for recreational use in Iowa, while 39% oppose it and 6% are unsure.

Cannabis in Iowa

Although neighboring Illinois has legal cannabis, and Nebraska, Minnesota and Missouri have decriminalized simple possession, Iowa continues to arrest individuals for possessing small amounts of weed. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, first-offense possession is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, which is “one of the most severe first-offense penalties in the country.” Data compiled by the ACLU, shows Black Iowans are nearly eight times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites.

During the 2022 legislative session, Senators Joe Bolkcom (D), Janet Petersen (D), and Sarah Trone Garriott (D) proposed an amendment to the Iowa Constitution that would legalize cannabis for adults.

Michael Franken (D), one of Iowa’s Senate candidates, has spoken out on the federal cannabis legalization, its removal as a controlled substance and addressing incarceration for marijuana-related crimes, which disproportionately affect Black Iowans.

“I view the medicinal use of marijuana and the recreational use, controlled much as we do with alcohol, to be absolutely fine and well overdue,” Franken told reporters in June. “We should have the federal statutes put in place where money, revenue generated by taxing THC is used for interstate commerce just like it would for anything else.”

Meanwhile, Iowa’s Republican Senator Chuck Grassley does not support adult-use cannabis legalization.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

DC Overwhelmingly Supports Marijuana Legalization — And Opposes This

Maria Loreto

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September 28, 2022

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DC Overwhelmingly Supports Marijuana Legalization — And Opposes This

The survey of more than 600 people revealed that 72% of them support marijuana legalization, while 66% of them supported a cannabis reform law that makes low-level possession legal.

Data shows DC overwhelming supports marijuana legalization – and opposes this! Washington D.C. voters are embracing cannabis. Not only do voters want the drug to be legalized and available to everyone who wants it — they also oppose the state’s restrictive measures.

The survey was commissioned by I-71 Committee, an organization of citizens and people involved with the cannabis industry that support marijuana legalization.

New York Regulators Want Marijuana Patients To Be Able To Grow Their Own Weed — Photo by 2H Media via Unsplash

The survey of more than 600 likely voters revealed that 72% of them support marijuana legalization, while 66% of them supported a cannabis reform law that makes low-level possession, personal cultivation, and marijuana gifting legal. Gifting has become a problem for the state, with some businesses using this loophole to create a marijuana market that the law has yet to enable.

While the state is concerned with this loophole and is looking for valid ways of addressing it, according to the survey, gifting isn’t an issue for voters. Seventy-six percent of them said they’d prefer if the government reformed laws to create a functioning market instead of closing it down altogether.

Marijuana gifting has been a hot-button issue over the past year, particularly in states that have decriminalized the drug but have yet to establish a functioning legal market. The term refers to the practice of gifting people marijuana as they purchase a different item, say a t-shirt or a hat, and it’s allowed for a variety of businesses to thrive and make a business.

States like New York and Connecticut have been finding new ways to cope with marijuana gifting, sending cease and desist letters to businesses, and more.

D.C. decriminalized marijuana in 2015, allowing residents to carry up to two ounces of marijuana.

Another Study Finds Link Between Medical Marijuana And Less Opioid Use

Maria Loreto

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September 28, 2022

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Another Study Finds Link Between Medical Marijuana And Less Opioid Use

Aside from treating a variety of conditions that plague the lives of millions of Americans, the side effects associated with weed are nowhere near as risky as the ones that’ve been linked with opioids over the past decades.

One of the best arguments for legal marijuana is its possible influence on the opioid crisis. Supporters of cannabis have theorized that the plant’s medical capabilities could help treat a variety of conditions that are commonly treated by opioids, which come with a batch of adverse side effects.

Now, a new study supports this belief, showing that medical marijuana can help patients reduce their opioid intake while substantially addressing the condition that affects their quality of life.

medical marijuana package — Photo by Cappi Thompson/Getty Images

The study, published in the journal Substance Use and Misuse, surveyed more than 2,000 medical marijuana patients in Florida regarding their marijuana consumption habits and whether these had impacted their use of pharmaceuticals.

A whopping 90% of patients said marijuana was helpful in treating their condition, while 88% of them said it was important for their quality of life. In the case of the connection between opioids and marijuana, the results were very positive, with 85% of respondents claiming that cannabis reduced their pain. 79% of them said that they stopped or reduced their opioid intake after they started consuming cannabis.

In an accompanying press release, researcher Carolyn Pritchett explained why the survey should provide some supporting evidence for the benefits of medical marijuana, and why it should be considered as a valid alternative for many of these conditions.

“If there’s the option to instead use a medicine with less harmful side-effects, including a lower risk of overdose and death, then it should perhaps be considered. But more research, including studies that follow patients over time, is needed before substituting opioid painkillers for medical cannabis becomes commonplace,” she said.

This study joins a body of evidence that shows the positive aspects of medical marijuana. Aside from treating a variety of conditions that plague the lives of millions of Americans, the side effects associated with marijuana are nowhere near as risky as the ones that have been linked with opioids over the past decades.

Congressional Candidates’ Silence On Cannabis Reform

Brookings Institution

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September 28, 2022

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Congressional Candidates’ Silence On Cannabis Reform

Most candidates for federal office do not see cannabis as an issue prominent enough to discuss, and deep partisan differences still remain among elected officials.

By John Hudak

Cannabis reform has grown in popularity with voters, activists, and state legislators; cannabis is now legal for medical use in 38 states and DC and for adult-use in 19 states and DC. Despite those advances in state level reforms and in the broader conversation nationwide, Congress has failed to pass a major piece of legislation addressing the issue, and many voters and activists wonder why. Congressional candidates’ silence on cannabis reform is troubling.

One argument is that federal level officials—in the executive branch and in Congress—simply don’t care enough about the issue to address it. To consider this question, I included a coding about cannabis reform in Brookings Primaries Project in 2022. The Brookings Primaries Project examines the publicly stated views—via the websites and social media presence—of all candidates running in U.S. congressional primary races. We coded each candidate on a four-point scale: whether they supported legalization or decriminalization of cannabis, whether they supported medical legalization only, whether their position was complex or indecipherable, and whether they failed to mention the issue at all.

The results provide three general takeaways. First, primary candidates for Congress do not consider the issue important enough to elevate to be included on their website or on social media. Second, on average, candidates who do engage on the issue are at least not harmed by staking out a public position. Third, stark differences exist between Democratic primary candidates for Congress and Republican primary candidates for Congress.

These findings generally reflect a reality that bears out in public opinion polling. While cannabis reform is popular among Americans (68% support in the latest Gallup poll), it is not a salient issue among voters; polling shows that cannabis reform has never jumped into even the top 20 most important issues for voters. That support but lack of salience has a compelling impact on members of Congress and congressional candidates: it gives them the freedom not to engage the issue.

Overall, we coded 2360 candidates running in Democratic and Republican primaries for Congress. As table 1 shows, the vast majority of candidates (81.4%) made no mention of cannabis reform at all on their websites and social media. In fact, clashing against the idea that the popularity of cannabis reform should be pushing legislators to make clear statements of support for reform, 86.4% of candidates either made no mention, staked out an unclear position, or explicitly opposed cannabis reform.

TABLE 1: CANNABIS CAMPAIGN POSITIONS AMONG 2022 CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY CANDIDATES

Those publicly stated positions were not uniform across parties however. As Table 2 shows, a pro-cannabis reform position was much more popular among Democratic candidates (30.5%) than among Republican candidates (2.0%). This demonstrates clear differences between the parties that are also reflected in rates of opposition to cannabis. Although more than 90% of Republican candidates failed to mention cannabis at all, 4.1% of them staked out an anti-cannabis reform position. On the other hand, only three of the 962 Democratic primary candidates (0.3%) opposed reform.

TABLE 2: 2022 CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY CANDIDATES’ CANNABIS POSITIONS BY PARTY

It is true in public polling that differences exist between Democratic voters’ support (83%) for cannabis reform and Republican voters’ support (50%). However, the polling data above show that there is still a clear disconnect between what voters want and what candidates for office are willing to say about the issue. For example, only 2% of Republican primary candidates supported cannabis reform, despite 50% of GOP voters endorsing that policy. And even while a third of Democratic primary candidates support legalization, that pales in comparison to the more than 80% support Gallup finds among Democrats.

Another way to look at these data are to divide states up according to whether they are running for Congress in the 19 states that are fully legal, the 19 states that have medical only, or the 12 states that have neither. As table 3 shows, the legal status of cannabis in a state has effectively no impact on whether a candidate engages on the issue: between 80.2% and 82.9% of candidates in each type of state are silent on it. Candidates in fully legal states (15.9%) are more likely to support cannabis legalization than in medical only (12.2%) or non-legal states (11.7%).

TABLE 3: 2022 CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY CANDIDATES’ CANNABIS POSITIONS BY STATE TYPE

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Similarly, as Table 4 shows, Democrats in fully legal states are the most supportive of cannabis reform, with more than a third of candidates in primaries voicing support. The same was not true of Republican candidates. Republicans in cannabis legal states were less likely to support cannabis reform than they were in medical only states and non-legal states. What’s more, this was not an artifact of fewer Republicans running in fully legal states—there were more GOP primary candidates in legal states than in either medical only or non-legal states.

TABLE 4: 2022 CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY CANDIDATES’ CANNABIS POSITIONS BY STATE TYPE AND PARTY

The data also allow for an analysis of a) whether cannabis could be viewed as more than a fringe issue and b) whether taking a position on cannabis potentially harms candidates’ chances of winning. The latter point is of particular interest given the vestiges of drug-war era indoctrination among elected officials that a pro-drug reform position is politically toxic.

To do this, I examine the difference in cannabis position taking among candidates who went on to win their primaries versus those who lost. As Table 5 shows, among all candidates, winners were much more likely to address the cannabis issue (33.3%) than were congressional primary losers (9.5%). Those figures include winning candidates who were more likely to oppose cannabis legalization (6.0%) than were losing candidates (0.5%). However, winning candidates were also significantly more likely to support cannabis reform (22.2%) than were losing candidates (8.4%).

TABLE 5: 2022 CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY CANDIDATES’ CANNABIS POSITIONS AMONG WINNERS AND LOSERS

There are a few key takeaways from these findings. First, while cannabis may not be a popular issue for congressional primary candidates to address publicly, it is not a fringe issue only discussed by unserious candidates. Successful primary candidates are addressing the issue significantly more than losing candidates.

Second, successful primary candidates do not see cannabis reform taking as a political liability—like it once was—as more than one-fifth of successful candidates voiced support for that position on their website and/or through social media.

Third, despite gains in cannabis reform in a variety of areas, public opposition to cannabis reform is still embraced successfully by some candidates.

Fourth, the analysis cannot tell us whether support or opposition to cannabis reform helps candidates, however, we can say that in many races, it does not harm those candidates, given the levels of success among cannabis position-taking candidates.

The data also show that cannabis position taking differences by winners and losers is driven largely by party. As Table 6 shows, of the 54 winning primary candidates who publicly opposed cannabis, 94.4% were Republicans. Conversely, of the 199 winning candidates who supported cannabis reform, 95.0% were Democrats. In fact, among all Democratic primary candidates, 64.5% of those taking a pro-cannabis position won their primary, and only 55.1% of winning Democratic candidates opted not to take a position on the issue. For Republicans, 78.1% of all winning candidates opted not to discuss cannabis in any context.

TABLE 6: 2022 CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY CANDIDATES’ CANNABIS POSITIONS AMONG WINNERS AND LOSERS, BY PARTY

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It is clear that among all candidates, all Democrats, and all Republicans, taking no public position on cannabis was the most popular strategy during the 2022 congressional primaries. However, among candidates who chose to take a clear position on cannabis, Republicans were more likely to oppose legalization than support it, and the reverse is true for Democratic primary candidates who took a position on cannabis.

In sum, cannabis as a political issue has risen in importance over the past 25 years. As state legislatures and voters via referenda have enacted changes to cannabis laws, the issue has become more popular even in the halls of Congress.

However, cannabis reform advocates’ frequent stupefaction at the lack of progress at the federal level bumps up against a stark reality. Most candidates for federal office do not see cannabis as an issue prominent enough to discuss, and deep partisan differences still remain among elected officials, even as support for cannabis in the general public has exploded in recent years. And the true motivator for a member of Congress to take or change a position—whether voters hold their feet to the fire over an issue—has not yet become a reality in the vast majority of Congressional races across the United States.

This article originally appeared on Brookings and has been reposted with permission.

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