Cannabis politics around the country

CANNABIS 2024
Beyond the top of the cannabis ticket

We’re within two weeks from the November 5th election, and while most of the cannabis world has been focused on the big 2: the Presidential race and Amendment 3 in Florida, those aren’t the only elections impacting the cannabis industry.

Today, we thought we’d give a run down of what you should be watching for on November 5th.

Here are a few others, along with the latest updates:

• Arkansas: Those with hopes of seeing medical cannabis making its way to Arkansas during this election cycle, we have some bad — if not very strange — news. While medical cannabis will be on the ballot, the votes on the measure won’t actually count. That’s because a judge invalidated the ballot measure, but only did so after the ballots had already been printed. Strange, but true. 

• South Dakota: South Dakotans will vote on legalizing adult-use cannabis this November — going back to the polls for the third time on legalization. A full run-down of about the measure is in the Aberdeen Insider, but for those that seek out such details, home growing will be allowed if this measure passes.

• North Dakota: Not to be outdone by their southern neighbor, North Dakotans are also going to the polls in a few weeks to possibly legalize adult-use cannabis. And, like their neighbors, this isn’t the first time cannabis has been on the ballot. 

• Wisconsin: Cannabis isn’t legal in Wisconsin, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t top of mind. In a recent Congressional debate, the issue came up. Democratic incumbent Mark Pocan and Republican candidate Erik Olsen differed on this issue, with Pocan calling for federal reform and Olsen suggested leaving it to the state was the best approach. (Also, The Hill predicts that Pocan has a better than 99% chance of being re-elected.)

• Indiana: While there is no legal cannabis in Indiana, it is an issue that is coming up in the Indiana Governor’s race – with both candidates chiming in on the subject. The Republican candidate, Senator Mike Braun, noted that it’s something that he’d be looking to law enforcement to weigh in on, while Democrat Jennifer McCormick seems keen to launch a medical cannabis program. According to NBC5 in Chicago, Braun is expected to win this race, but “his lead has shrunk”

• Kansas: While there’s nothing on this November’s ballot, there has been some polling in Kansas (yes, Kansas) showing strong support for medical cannabis (73%) and even a majority of voters supporting adult-use cannabis (56%). Perhaps this is the effect of being mostly surrounded by legal cannabis in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Missouri?

And if you need your daily dose of Amendment 3 news from Florida: Trump loyalist Laura Loomer is claiming Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is intentionally undermining former President Donald Trump because of the Governor’s anti-Amendment 3 campaign efforts.

-JR

At an event with former Congresswoman Liz Cheney touting “Country Over Party” former California First Lady Maria Shriver asked Vice President Kamala Harris how she’s keeping calm in these very stressful days when Shriver’s friends have been doing yoga, meditating, and eating gummies. 

Not missing a beat, Vice President Kamala Harris assured her that she is: 

“Not eating gummies!”

See for yourself. 

Women ❤️ weed more than men

Young women aged 19-30 are consuming more cannabis than men, driving the industry to shift its focus towards "female-centric" products — edibles, tinctures, and beverages — and invest in branding and product development targeting women. 

No need to worry about “fentanyl-laced joints” 😌

A new federally funded study found no evidence of widespread fentanyl contamination in cannabis, debunking claims that cannabis is being regularly laced with the opioid. However, Senator and Republican Vice Presidential Candidate JD Vance, as well as government-funded anti-cannabis ads in Florida, continue to push this narrative. Researchers from Harvard, Brown, and the FDA found that “fentanyl co-occurrence is generally rare for other substances (under 4% for cocaine, methamphetamine, and cannabis).” Read more.

California cracks down 👮

California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) has seized over $191 million worth of unregulated cannabis since January 2024, reflecting the state's commitment to cracking down on the illicit market. Governor Gavin Newsom highlighted the importance of these efforts to protect public safety, preserve natural resources, and support the legal cannabis industry.

Perhaps as a result of positive polling out of Florida, yesterday was a pretty good day for cannabis stocks, which brings us to the Chart of the Day for AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (MSOS), up 8.17%:

Wei Hu, a well-known lawyer/cannabis leader in New York got a job posting taken down from LinkedIn, a platform generally viewed as favorable to the cannabis industry. 

Caffeine use disorder | Dr. Peter Grinspoon

As Marijuana’s Popularity Grows, So Do Its Harms | The Daily Podcast/New York Times