She doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about full legalization though.
Here’s your daily round-up of pot-news, excerpted from the newsletter WeedWeek. Download WeedWeek’s free 2016 election guide here.
A document preparing Hillary Clinton for her primary debates and released by WIkiLeaks suggests that as President she would continue President Obama’s hands-off policy towards state-legal marijuana industries, as long as they follow broad federal guidelines. Her talking points also suggest some openness to industry banking. (See page 97 of the document for more details.)
Other WikiLeaks reveals: 1) Clinton opposed legalization in a paid appearance in March 2014. 2) In a meeting with Black Lives Matter activists she said she supported the idea of decriminalizing pot, but said she wasn’t sure how to implement it.
A new Gallup poll found that a record 60% of Americans support legalizing REC. Marijuana went unmentioned in all three Presidential debates.
In Arizona, both the presidential election and the REC vote are too close to call. Retailer Discount Tiredonated $1 million to oppose REC in the state, leading to calls for a boycott. Super Bowl winning quarterback Jim McMahon, appears in a pro-REC ad in Arizona.
By counting representatives, Tom Angell at Marijuana.com suggests that the upcoming REC votes, if they pass, could make Congress much more amenable to legalization.
The opioid epidemic has contributed to a close race for REC in liberal Massachusetts, which in 1911 was the first state to ban cannabis.
Boston’s Cardinal O’Malley convened an interfaith gathering to oppose the REC vote. “To me, this is greed trumping common sense and also undermining the common good,” he said. “It will change the culture of this state if this legislation is passed.” Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has donated $1M to the opposition.
The Mormon Church is urging adherents in California, Arizona and Nevada to oppose REC. In Colorado, the church opposes a medically assisted suicide amendment.
It’s not clear what kind of business environment Florida’s MED initiative would create. Also, a printed Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale) mail-in ballot was missing the MED question. According to the Sun-Sentinel, county officials did not seem perturbed.
