Republicans oppose state-legal weed clampdown

October 8, 2022 · Politico

Just over three-quarters of self-identified Republicans said the government shouldn’t fight state legalization backed by voters, a poll found.

Republicans don’t want the federal government to crack down on state-legal weed markets.

Just over three-quarters of self-identified Republicans said the government shouldn’t fight state medical or adult-use legalization backed by voters and instead should remove any obstacles facing those markets, according to a new national poll commissioned by the industry group National Cannabis Roundtable.

Just 17 percent of respondents disagreed that the federal government should take a hands-off approach to state-legal markets, while 7 percent offered no opinion on the issue.

Similarly, the poll found that 73 percent of respondents believe businesses operating in state-legal markets should have the same rights as other legal businesses, while 21 percent disagreed with that statement.

“The perceived notion that Republican voters are hostile to cannabis is wrong,” Tony Fabrizio, whose firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates conducted the poll, said in an interview. “In fact, these Republican voters believe that if it’s legal in a state, then … the feds should get out of the way and let the state handle it.”

Key context: During the Obama administration, the Justice Department enacted the Cole Memo, which advised prosecutors not to prioritize enforcing federal marijuana offenses in states with legal, regulated markets.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions repealed that memo during the Trump administration, but there was no resulting crackdown on state-legal markets. There’s been no similar guidance issued by the Biden administration, but Attorney General Merrick Garland has indicated that going after state-legal markets would be a poor use of agency resources.

In addition, since 2015, Congress has enacted appropriations riders prohibiting the Justice Department from spending funds to crack down on state medical marijuana markets. Full Story

In categories:Legal Politics
Next Post

Kamala Harris: ‘Nobody Should Have to Go to Jail for Smoking Weed’

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday urged both Congress and state governments to follow the Biden administration’s lead and decriminalize marijuana. Harris’ comments, made during an interview on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” came less than a week after President…
Read
Previous Post

HUGE FARMERS LABOR SCANDAL AT BAD LANDS LEGAL FARM

Hello, My names River Maguire. I’m From Mendocino county, I’m a 2nd generation farmer. I am writing you in regards to a huge labor scandal that occurred last year at the “Bad Lands” legal grow out in Lake County, Ca.…
Read
Random Post

The Hottest Trends in the Edibles Market? - How about 1:1 CBD to THC Ratios and Hash Rosin Gummies

Canadian edible trends could foreshadow US consumer tastes! Contrary to smoking and vaping, consuming edibles do not pose a risk to your lung health. However, the drawback for specific individuals is that edibles may take longer to take effect, as…
Read
Random Post

European Cannabis Social Clubs Explained

As recreational cannabis talks increase all around Europe, the term “social clubs” keeps getting bandied about. The formal understanding is that social clubs are not-for-profit associations that cultivate their own cannabis for their members. Like any private club’s concept, the…
Read
Random Post

Week in Review: Rhode Island Expunges 23,000 Cannabis Possession Records

In this week’s cannabis news round-up, Rhode Island expunges more than 23,000 cannabis possession records; House lawmakers introduce a bill to promote cannabis research; and Alabama awards the state’s first medical cannabis licenses. Rhode Island Expunges More Than 23,000 Cannabis…
Read
Random Post

There’s a new ‘luxury’ cannabis company run by former car execs — and they’re using jet engine tech in production

As a long-time car executive for high-end brands such as Bentley, Mark Del Rosso knows what luxury car connoisseurs would want from a cannabis company — and they don’t seem to be getting it now. “There are a lot of…
Read