Tag: republicans

Key GOP Congressmen, Including Pro-Marijuana Legalization Member, Defend Effort to Ban Consumable Hemp Products

Key GOP congressional lawmakers—including one member who supports marijuana legalization—don’t seem especially concerned about provisions in a new spending bill that would put much of the hemp industry in jeopardy by banning most consumable products derived from the plant.

In interviews with Marijuana Moment, Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chair Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glen Thompson (R-PA), as well as Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), weighed in on the hemp language in the large-scale bill that cleared the the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies on Thursday.

Under the measure, hemp would be redefined under federal statute in a way that would prohibit cannabis products containing any “quantifiable” amount of THC or “any other cannabinoids that have similar effects (or are marketed to have similar effects) on humans or animals” as THC.

While Joyce backs legalizing and regulating cannabis for adult use, he said the language from the 2018 Farm Bill that federally legalized hemp and its derivatives “has been the stepping stone for the gas station delivery of intoxicants, whether that’s hemp or chemically manufactured [products] or whatever other shit it is that they sell at gas stations.”

“And there’s no age limit on it. So you’re handcuffing the regular cannabis industry that has strict standards that they have to meet everywhere, and yet this industry has flourished,” he said, adding that problems with the current law have been “exacerbated by people because there are some allegations that [intoxicating hemp products are] cannabis. It’s not hemp anymore.”

The congressman also seemed to endorse a push in Ohio to make it so intoxicating hemp products could only be sold to adults at licensed marijuana dispensaries. He said he told Gov. Mike DeWine (R) that, regardless of his views on the issue, the problem is the “gas station stuff that the kids are getting that all these people are up in arms about.”

That said, Joyce said while he does feel the 2018 Farm Bill’s hemp provisions included a “loophole” that’s been exploited, he hasn’t read the text of the latest legislation yet.

“I’m all for regulating the industry… It has to be regulated so that only adults are getting it,” he said.

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GOP Congressional Committee Proposes Ban On Hemp Products With THC That Advocates Say Would Have ‘Devastating’ Impact On Industry

A GOP-led House committee has unveiled a spending bill that contains provisions that hemp stakeholders say would devastate the industry, prohibiting most consumable cannabinoid products that were federally legalized during the first Trump administration.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies published the text of the legislation covering fiscal year 2026 just one day ahead of a scheduled Thursday markup.

The 138-page bill covers a wide range of issues, but for the hemp industry, there’s a section of particular concern that would redefine hemp under federal statute in a way that would prohibit cannabis products containing any “quantifiable” amount of THC or “any other cannabinoids that have similar effects (or are marketed to have similar effects) on humans or animals” as THC.

That would effectively eliminate the most commonly marketed hemp products within the industry, as even non-intoxicating CBD items that are sold across the country typically contain trace amounts of THC. Under current law, those products are allowed if they contain no more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight.

But the proposed policy being taken up by the subcommittee helmed by anti-marijuana Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) would drastically change that. It would instead maintain the legal status of “industrial hemp” under a revised definition that allows for the cultivation and sale of hemp grown for fiber, whole grain, oil, cake, nut, hull, microgreens or “other edible hemp leaf products intended for human consumption.”

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett Raises Eyebrows Online After Making a Shocking Claim About What Republicans Think About Her

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) went viral again last week after making a stunning claim about Republicans she meets in person.

As TGP readers know, Crockett is regularly roasted online by the right for her numerous bizarre and racist statements, radical positions, and violent behavior. One would think that Republicans not on social media would have a similar negative view.

But during an interview last week with disgraced former CNN hack Jim Acosta, Crockett essentially said that the Internet is not real life and further raised eyebrows after making this surprising remark:

“Republicans poll all the time, and I have no idea what is happening in their polling, but I can tell you that they approach me as they see me out and say, ‘Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I really like you.’”

Crockett went on to say that Republicans also tell her they believe she is fighting for the people and doing “what is best for all of us.” She concluded that this is all scary for Republicans.

Upon seeing her remarks, conservatives were understandably dumbfounded and extremely skeptical.

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If Only Ukraine-Loving Senate Republicans Put Americans First For Once

Senate Republicans and their majority leader are Johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to punishing Russia with sanctions after bad Vlad Putin and crew upped their missile strikes against Ukraine. Political strongmen tend to get a little testy when they suspect the countries they’re attacking of trying to blow them up.  As Axios reported earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was “ready to move on a popular, bipartisan sanctions bill if Russia won’t come to the table in good faith” on a peace deal. 

“Senate Republicans are seizing on President Trump’s growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin to argue the time to impose fresh sanctions on Russia is now,” the news outlet reported. Axios apparently carpooled with the rest of the corporate news gang on the “angry” “frustration” talking points expressway.

Senate Republicans are mad as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore.

Tough-talking Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is buddying up with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on an economic sanctions bill aimed at bringing Russia to the negotiating table. Graham says there’s a “new sheriff in town. The old playbook won’t work this time.”  

But the old playbook remains sadly in fashion in so many ways in Washington, D.C. 

Wouldn’t it be swell if Senate Republicans displayed the same level of passion and urgency when it comes to cutting taxes, shrinking government, and protecting our borders? While a lot of Americans agree with Trump that “crazy” Putin may be “playing with fire,” they would like to see their representatives in Washington, D.C., take some interest in pressing matters at home.

Whatever you think of President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” and the House-passed reconciliation package as it stands is colossal, it does deliver on key policy issues Americans overwhelmingly support. Topping that list is the huge provision that locks in the wildly popular tax cuts Trump signed in his first term. When the clock strikes 2026, the law preventing the IRS from grabbing more of your hard-earned money turns back into a pumpkin without action from Congress. 

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Ex-advisor to Nancy Mace said congresswoman asked him to blackmail fiancé she accused of assault

A former political consultant and advisor to Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said in a sworn deposition that the congresswoman asked him to “blackmail” her fiancé to obtain ownership of two properties they jointly owned, using nude pictures of women she had discovered on his phone as leverage. 

The deposition adds a new twist to the lowcountry congresswoman’s very public accusations against her now ex-fiancé. Mace alleged that he took nude photographs of her and other women without consent.  

Mace accused her ex-fiancé and three other men in February of physical abuse and recording sex acts with her and others without their consent in a House floor speech, alleging that she found a trove of 10,000 videos and other photographic evidence. The ex-fiancé and the other men have strongly denied the allegations, including one man who is suing Mace over the accusations, Just the News previously reported. 

Mace’s former political strategist, Wesley Donehue, was deposed late last month by attorneys representing the ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant, who the congresswoman publicly alleged had “filmed women without their knowledge,” “filmed rape too,” and “stored these images for years.” Mace has even accused Bryant of engaging in a sex trafficking scheme.

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Gavin Newsom Supports Medicaid Changes — Why Don’t Republicans?

To cut federal spending, Republicans should join Newsom in reforming Medicaid.

It says something about congressional Republicans’ unwillingness to reduce Medicaid spending when many of them stand well to the left of Gavin Newsom — I repeat, Gavin Newsom — on the subject. The California governor, a Democrat, recently put forward proposals that would reduce program spending and enrollment.

Newsom won’t win awards for courage when it comes to reforming Medicaid; an ongoing budget crisis, as opposed to policy principle, prompted his volte-face. But the problems in California speak to the larger dynamic Washington will face if it doesn’t get serious about curbing Medicaid’s problems.

Restrictions on Undocumented Immigrants’ Coverage

In his revised budget, Newsom proposed freezing enrollment for undocumented immigrants. Children would be permitted to join the state’s Medicaid program, but no more adults could enroll. Those adults who remain enrolled would face a $100 monthly premium, beginning in 2027.

The Medicaid expansion to those in the country illegally has remained a source of controversy. For starters, that program came in billions of dollars over budget earlier this spring, forcing Newsom’s office to seek emergency bailouts for the Medicaid program. That bailout came after Newsom used a legally questionable accounting scam to have Washington help fund this program — even though federal tax dollars generally do not cover Medicaid coverage for the undocumented. The reconciliation bill before Congress would prevent future use of this accounting loophole by states, saving an estimated $34.6 billion over ten years.

Given that Newsom helped expand California’s Medicaid coverage to the undocumented to begin with, let’s not kid ourselves that he acted out of deep-seated principle in proposing an enrollment freeze and premium charges. Instead, his state faces yet another cash crunch, and the governor was forced to react. Which could well describe what will happen in Washington once foreign governments get tired of financing our ever-increasing debt.

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GOP Politician Who Threatened to Call In Russian-Ukrainian Hit Squad to Assassinate Rep. Paulina Luna – Gets Only 3 Years Prison Time!

Republican politician Robert Braddock III was sentenced to three years in prison after threatening to assassinate Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) with a Russian-Ukrainian hit squad.

Braddock was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday.

Braddock III was caught on an audio call talking about killing the “c*nt” to rid her from he race.

Matt Gaetz at OANN broke the story this week.

Matt Gaetz: Anna Paulina Luna, America’s Congresswoman from my beloved Florida. This military spouse, Air Force veteran, Maxim model, Turning Point influencer, badass Congresswoman is a force in the United States House of Representatives. She led the resolution to censure Adam Schiff. She’s a tireless advocate for fellow veterans in her Tampa Bay area district. She’s an excellent communicator and a thought leader in the strident House Freedom Caucus.

Did you also know there was a plot to assassinate her during her second and successful run for Congress? In 2021, during the Republican primary for Florida’s 13th Congressional district, candidate William Robert Braddock III, which, by the way, is just a delightful name, he threatened to have his opponent, Congresswoman Luna, assassinated. In a recorded call with a GOP activist, Braddock claimed that he would employ a Russian-Ukrainian hit squad to eliminate Luna if she continued to perform well in the polls because voters actually like her. If that sounds crazy to you, it sounded crazy to a lot of people. They said she was nuts. They said, I was nuts to endorse her. But then listen to the tape.

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GOP Senator Who Opposes Marijuana Legalization Complains About Federal Alcohol Guidelines Recommending Americans Drink Less

A GOP senator is complaining about pending revisions to federal guidelines that could recommend Americans drink less alcohol, even as he maintains his strong opposition to legalizing marijuana.

As the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) works to finalize updated dietary guidance for Americans, which will be partly informed by a study that some expect will recommend further reducing alcohol intake, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is standing strong in defense of alcohol’s legal status.

“Wasting taxpayer dollars on studies to ban alcohol is exactly why [former President Joe Biden] and his cronies were voted out of the White House,” he told The Washington Reporter.

To be clear, the study that’s being carried out by SAMHSA’s Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) isn’t intended to impose a “ban” on alcohol. Rather, it’s meant to provide updated data on the potential risks of alcohol use, with findings that could be incorporated into the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is not legally binding for consumers.

But Cotton’s comment reflects a policy disconnect that has long frustrated cannabis reform advocates who’ve long argued that, if alcohol is legal and regulated, it’s nonsensical to continue prohibiting marijuana, which many studies show is comparably safer and therapeutically beneficial for many patients.

If pursuing a ban on alcohol is a waste of taxpayer dollar, as the senator suggested, it’s notable he doesn’t feel similarly about the millions of dollars that continue to be spent arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating people over cannabis. But instead, Cotton has long maintained opposition to legalizing marijuana, including through an initiative to end cannabis prohibition that appeared on Arkansas’s 2022 ballot.

While he said in 2018 that he respected the will of voters in his state to legalize medical cannabis, he didn’t think the federal government should as much as decriminalize it. And in 2023, he sharply criticized then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for proposing criminal justice provisions he wanted to add to a bipartisan marijuana banking bill, claiming Schumer was supporting “letting drug traffickers out of prison.”

In any case, Cotton isn’t the first senator to take a conflicting position on alcohol and marijuana as it concerns the SAMHSA study. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), another staunch cannabis prohibition, made headlines in 2023 said that federal officials “can kiss my ass” if they decide to reduce the recommended maximum consumption of alcohol to two drinks per week.

“What is it with liberals and wanting to control every damn aspect of your life?” he said during an interview with Newsmax.

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Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte Signs Bill Banning Sanctuary Cities in the State of New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte has signed a bill that bans so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ in the Granite State, in direct contrast to her neighbors to the south in Massachusetts, and to the east in Maine.

All of New England is fairly liberal, but New Hampshire has a reputation for maybe not being conservative but definitely having a libertarian streak.

Ayotte actually ran on the sentiment embodied in this new law.

NBC News in Boston reported:

House Bill 511 and Senate Bill 62 ban sanctuary cities and support cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

During her campaign for governor last year, Ayotte used a “Don’t Mass it up” slogan to rail against more liberal Massachusetts to the south, including a pledge to ban sanctuary cities, which limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Ayotte’s office put out this press release:

Sanctuary Cities Banned in New Hampshire

Today, Governor Kelly Ayotte signed House Bill 511 and Senate Bill 62 to ban sanctuary cities and support cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

Governor Ayotte released the following statement after signing both bills into law:

“I said from the beginning that we won’t let our state go the way of Massachusetts and their billion-dollar illegal immigrant crisis. Today, we’re delivering on our promise by banning sanctuary cities and supporting law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. New Hampshire will never be a sanctuary for criminals, and we will keep working every day to remain the safest state in the nation.”

This was a smart move.

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Texas Democrats Slam GOP Lieutenant Governor For Championing Hemp Product Ban That Has Now Passed The House

Lawmakers in the Texas House of Representatives have passed a measure to establish a statewide ban on consumable hemp products that contain any detectable amount of THC.

The House approved the bill, SB 3, on third reading vote of 87–54 on Thursday.

Under the latest version of the proposal, championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who presides over the Senate, adults could face a $500 fine for possessing a hemp product containing any THC—a penalty that would climb to up to 180 days in jail for subsequent offenses.

Earlier this week, Patrick wrote on social media that “we cannot in good conscience leave Austin without banning THC.”

“I’ve been here for 17 years at the Texas Capitol—10 years as your lieutenant governor,” he said in a video Monday evening. “I’ve never been more passionate about anything.”

Democrats have attacked the bill as an assault on personal liberty and gone after Patrick for his zeal around the ban.

“Dan Patrick is coming for your THC,” the party posted on social media. “Why doesn’t he bring this kind of energy to fully funding our public schools and raising teacher pay?”

“In the so-called ‘freedom state’,” it added, “adults should have the right to use cannabinoid products. We allow alcohol and tobacco—why not a gummy or oil to relax and ease pain?”

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