WeedWeek – The Cannabis Election: Five Things to Watch

“The cannabis industry’s next few years could largely hinge on the results of November’s election.

Five states are set to decide on some form of legalization, and federal prohibition has played a role in multiple Senate and House races. The results of the Nov. 3 balloting could shape the industry landscape for years to come.

With that in mind, here are five key cannabis election storylines to watch as Americans take to the polls:

1. The Senate

The most important outcome of the entire election, as it relates to cannabis, will be what happens with the makeup of the Senate, Paul Armentano, the deputy director of advocacy group NORML, said.

‘We have established over the past two years that we have the votes in the House of Representatives to amend federal marijuana law,’ he said. ‘But until there is a shift in Senate leadership, any and all of these efforts will remain gridlocked in the U.S. Senate by GOP leadership, in particular Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).’

Amber Littlejohn, the executive director of the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), agreed with that assessment, noting that ‘Democrats taking back the U.S. Senate, while holding the House, would be huge.’

‘Despite [Congress’s] leadership, progress keeps getting hung up in the Senate, led by Mitch McConnell, who chortled on the Senate floor at the idea of supporting equity in the cannabis industry,’ she said.

McConnell’s is among 35 Senate seats that are up for grabs this year, though the leader is a heavy favorite to win his race. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the upper house. Many advocates point to that GOP control as the main reason that recent legalization bills have failed to receive a vote. …”

Read the full article by Willis Jacobson at WeedWeek. And don’t forget to vote!