POT GETS POLITICAL IN THIS YEAR'S MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Cannabis legalization has so far not played a significant role in national electoral politics. For the most part, it has been a state-level issue, as more and more states moved to legalize the drug through direct ballot initiatives or legislative actions. This year, however, cannabis reform has shifted to the national electoral level, according to Slate, with four major races in Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania in which legalization plays a role and differentiates the candidates. With one month before the midterms—which take place exactly a decade after voters in Colorado and Washington legalized weed—marijuana is a hot-button issue in races for Texas governor, Pennsylvania senate, and both the gubernatorial and Senate races in Florida. This occurs amid a shift in attitude among Americans, with an estimated 16 percent saying they smoke the stuff, and with easier access to pot products in the 19 states that have legalized recreational marijuana and 29 that allow medical marijuana. Polls continually show that voters favor legalization, although they are much less enthusiastic about having pot shops in their neighborhoods and routinely vote against allowing retail operations. Nevertheless, President Biden, last week added to the mix by announcing a pardon for anyone convicted of pot possession on the federal level and calling for government agencies to assess whether to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule 1 drugs, including heroin. Some say Biden’s pardon was a purely political move to attract progressive voters. Others argue that politicians and pollsters underestimate the power of the weed vote, which attracts liberals and centrists, including Republicans. Among the most outspoken advocates for legalization in the midterms is John Fetterman, the Democratic Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, and it’s also an issue in the Senate race in Florida, the country’s largest medical-only weed market. As politicians battle it out, we are forgetting the most important problems with legalization: education to prevent underage use, and rules to better regulate products, packaging, and marketing.