The 2018 midterm elections are around the corner, and many states have governors up for re-election \u2014 which means its time to examine their policy record on all things marijuana.<\/p>\n
This week, the national cannabis advocacy group NORML released their 2018 Gubernatorial Scorecard<\/a> to break down the pot positions of governors around the United States. We analyzed the results and have broken down which governors are at the top of the class and which flunked out.<\/p>\n Out of the 50 total governors, NORML gave 24 governors a passing grade of a C or higher, but granted only two governors an A grade. Fourteen of those passing grades went to Democrats (there are only 16 Democrat governors in the nation), nine to Republicans and one went to Alaska\u2019s independent governor, Bill Walker. Many of these governors set themselves apart on the issue of cannabis legalization by standing up to the federal government\u2019s anti-pot policies.<\/p>\n As for the rest, nineteen governors received a D grade and four failed completely. However, many of these governors will face re-election in 2018.<\/p>\n Phil Murphy, New Jersey \u2014 A<\/strong><\/p>\n After eight years under the leadership of anti-pot governor Chris Christie<\/a>, New Jersey now has one of the most progressive governors in the country on cannabis. Murphy got the ball rolling with executive orders<\/a> quickly after his election to modernize New Jersey\u2019s medical program. He\u2019s also ready for the next step. \u201cLegalization will allow us to reinvest directly in our communities \u2013 especially the urban neighborhoods hardest hit by the misguided War on Drugs \u2013 in their economic development, in health care and housing, child care and after-school programs, and other critical areas,\u201d Murphy said in a recent budget address.<\/a> \u201cThese investments will pay dividends far greater than the cost of mass incarceration.\u201d<\/p>\n Kate Brown, Oregon \u2014 A<\/strong><\/p>\n Brown was one of the first governors to stand up to the threat of interference<\/a> from the Department of Justice into state marijuana industries. \u201cStates are the laboratories of democracy, where progressive policies are developed and implemented for the benefit of their people,\u201d she said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cVoters in Oregon were clear when they chose for Oregon to legalize the sale of marijuana and the federal government should not stand in the way of the will of Oregonians.\u201d In 2016, Brown also signed off on legalizing hash and edibles in 2016.<\/p>\n Bill Walker, Alaska \u2014 B+<\/strong><\/p>\n Earlier this year, Walker reminded everyone of his commitment<\/a> to his state\u2019s 2014 decision to legalize the commercial sale of marijuana when a crackdown from Attorney General Jeff Sessions seemed looming. \u201cI remain committed to upholding the will of Alaskans on this issue and maintaining our State\u2019s sovereign rights to manage our own affairs while protecting federal interests,\u201d said Walker.<\/p>\n Phil Scott, Vermont \u2014 B+<\/strong><\/p>\n The most reluctant member of our Honor Roll, Scott has taken a \u201cI guess so\u201d approach to marijuana legalization, which has been fascinating to watch in a time of hyper-polarized politics. Scott was the first governor ever to sign legislation<\/a> passed by both chambers of a state legislature that legalized the possession and use of marijuana by adults. Despite the fact that the bill did not create a regulated cannabis industry, this move being counted as the first legalization by pen and not the ballot box. As for a full-scale industry, it\u2019s not high on Scott\u2019s to-do list.<\/p>\n Jay Inslee, Washington \u2014 B+<\/strong><\/p>\n When you run one of the first states to sell legal pot, you shouldn\u2019t take too kindly to United States Attorney Generals threatening your way of life, and Inslee definitely didn\u2019t. \u201cIt\u2019s a shame that [Jeff Sessions] has a closed mind, and he\u2019s much more attentive to his old ideology than to the new facts,\u201d Inslee told Rolling Stone<\/a>. \u201cThe fears that he might have had 30 years ago have not been realized, and we wish he would just open his eyes to the reality of the situation. If he did, I think he would no longer try to fight an old battle that the community and the nation is moving very rapidly forward on.\u201d<\/p>\n Jerry Brown, California \u2014 B<\/strong><\/p>\n As the author of California\u2019s 2008 Attorney General Guidelines, which he wrote for state licensed businesses to help them be as compliant as possible, Brown definitely has the longest policy relationship with pot of any other governor on the list. Under his watch, California has now semi-effectively merged the Adult Use of Marijuana Act with the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act \u2014 which he was a big catalyst behind. While many other governors received a B grade, Brown\u2019s long-standing relationship with cannabis and his interesting relationship with the Justice Department earned him the nod over the rest of the pack.<\/p>\n Doug Doucey, Arizona \u2014 F<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to vetoing an industrial hemp bill, Doucey was one of the main cheerleaders for the effort against legalizing marijuana in Arizona in 2016. \u201cI don\u2019t know how we make ourselves a stronger state or a better place through this initiative,\u201d he told KTAR News in 2016<\/a>. \u201cAlmost everything outside of our economy and education that I have to deal with in this state has a common culprit of drug abuse and addiction.\u201d When the initiative failed, he said they\u2019d fought hard to win the round. Doucey is up for re-election this year.<\/p>\n Pete Ricketts, Nebraska \u2014 F<\/strong><\/p>\n Ricketts has attempted to portray Nebraska as a victim of Colorado\u2019s legalization of marijuana. \u201cLegalization of marijuana for any purpose has proven to be a risky proposition because the controls placed on its use in other states have fallen short,\u201d he said in a 2015 statement. \u201cSheriffs I visit with along the Colorado-Nebraska border tell me that the Colorado law has led to increased criminal activity, placing a greater burden on law enforcement in our state.\u201d Ricketts is up for re-election this year.<\/p>\n Susana Martinez, New Mexico \u2014 F<\/strong><\/p>\n Martinez has truly turned on the blinders for any kind of progress on the marijuana front in New Mexico. Over her terms, she has vetoed various legislation that would have expanded the state\u2019s medical marijuana program, licensed industrial hemp research and provided general hemp permits. In addition to telling people decriminalization in any form is a horrible idea, she had originally promised to work to repeal the medical law while on the campaign trail in 2010. She cannot serve another term \u2014 she\u2019s reached her term limit after serving as New Mexico\u2019s governor for eight years \u2014 so her replacement will be decided in the November elections.<\/p>\n Greg Abbott, Texas \u2014 D<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2015, Abbott signed a CBD softball bill that didn\u2019t actually provide for widespread access, as the oil was just supposed to appear for kids with rare forms of epilepsy. Plus, three years later dispensaries are finally starting to open,<\/a> and Abbott hasn\u2019t made it easy. \u201cI remain convinced that Texas should not legalize marijuana nor should Texas open the door for conventional marijuana to be used for medical or medicinal purposes. As governor I will not allow it,\u201d Abbott noted in 2015<\/a>.<\/p>\n Butch Otter, Idaho \u2014 F<\/strong><\/p>\n Otter wouldn\u2019t even sign a bill to legalize CBD. When he vetoed it, he noted, \u201cI don\u2019t know what more I or senior members of my administration could have done to help legislators understand our strong opposition to this legislation. Both the House and Senate were told by the Office of Drug Policy, the Department of Health and Welfare, and the Idaho State Police \u2014 as well as prosecutors and local law enforcement officers from throughout Idaho \u2014 that there were too many questions and problems and too few answers and solutions in this bill to let it become law.\u201d At the time, he also called the claims of the outcomes patients would have more speculative than scientific. Otter is retiring this year, so he doesn\u2019t have to take part in midterms.<\/p>\n Paul LePage, Maine \u2014 D<\/strong><\/p>\n LePage has a proven himself to be a one-man roadblock for the state of Maine. Just last week, he was sent a bill to launch recreational sales that he has already promised to veto.<\/a> He\u2019s also vetoed banking access for the Maine cannabis industry and bills that built frameworks for licensing and testing labs. Last year, LePage noted that he \u201ccannot in good conscience support any scheme in state law to implement expansion of legal marijuana in Maine.\u201d He\u2019s guaranteed gone next January, when he will have reached his term limits.<\/p>\n TELL US,<\/strong> is your governor on this list? Who do you think are the best and worst governors for cannabis policy?<\/p>\n The post The 6 Best Governors for Cannabis Policy\u2026 And the 6 Worst<\/a> appeared first on Cannabis Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The 2018 midterm elections are around the corner, and many states have governors up for re-election \u2014 which means its time to examine their policy record on all things marijuana. This week, the national cannabis advocacy group NORML released their 2018 Gubernatorial Scorecard to break down the pot positions ofContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[403,200,148,50,214,4069,4070,3568,215,124,185,81,726,27,98],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25725"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25725"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25726,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25725\/revisions\/25726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Honor Roll: The 6 Best Governors for Cannabis Legalization<\/span><\/h4>\n
Summer School: The 6 Worst Governors for Cannabis Legalization<\/span><\/h4>\n
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\nRead More: The 6 Best Governors for Cannabis Policy\u2026 And the 6 Worst<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"