Tag: republicans

Marijuana Legalization Faces A ‘Red Wall’ In Remaining Conservative States That Still Criminalize Consumers

November 5, 2024, was a tough day for cannabis legalization supporters.

Recreational legalization ballot questions in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota all failed.

Two medical measures passed in Nebraska but face legal challenges over the validity of the signatures required to get the measures on the ballot. Why two measures? One legalizes the medical use of cannabis, and the second regulates it.

A medical use measure also appeared on the ballot in Arkansas, but the state Supreme Court ruled before the election that the votes can’t be counted because the title and name were “misleading.”

These failures raise questions about where the movement to legalize cannabis goes from here.

The red wall holds

I’ve been researching cannabis legalization in the U.S. since 2014. I’ve previously written about how the cannabis legalization movement’s primary obstacle is the “red wall,” a term I use to refer to the 20 states where Republicans have total control of state government and recreational cannabis remains illegal.

Another four states without recreational legalization—Kansas, Wisconsin, Kentucky and North Carolina—could be described as “red wall adjacent.” These states have Democratic governors, but Republicans control the state legislatures.

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Ohio Would Ban Intoxicating Hemp Product Sales Under GOP Senator’s New Bill

State Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, introduced a bill that would ban the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Ohio.

The Republican lawmaker introduced Senate Bill 326 on Thursday. State lawmakers are set to return to the Ohio Statehouse next week for the start of lame duck.

S.B. 326 defines intoxicating hemp products as containing more than 0.5 of a milligram of delta-9 THC per serving, two milligrams of delta-9 THC per package, or 0.5 of a milligram of total non-delta-9 THC per package, according to the bill’s language.

“This act is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety,” the bill said. “The reason for such necessity is to protect Ohioans, especially Ohio’s youth, from untested, unregulated dangerous tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products. Therefore, this act shall go into immediate effect.”

Marijuana, which is legal in Ohio, is not included as an intoxicating hemp product, according to the bill’s language. Ohio recreational marijuana sales recently topped $143.4 million since sales started three months ago, according to the the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Cannabis Control.

The 2018 Farm Bill says hemp can be grown legally if it contains less than 0.3 percent THC. Intoxicating hemp products can come in many forms including edibles, beverages, vaping cartridges or oils, among other things.

Delta-9 THC is the main naturally occurring intoxicating part of the cannabis plant and people typically experience a high after consuming or smoking delta-9 THC beyond a certain threshold.

Under S.B. 326, the Ohio Investigative Unit would enforce this piece of legislation if it were to become law, with the assistance of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

The Ohio Department of Commerce Director (who is currently Sheryl Maxfield) could impose an administrative penalty against someone who sells intoxicating hemp products—$10,000 for a first violation, $25,000 for a second violation and $50,000 for a third violation.

Violating the proposed law would be a first degree misdemeanor on a first offense and a fifth degree felony for a second offense, according to the bill’s language. It would be a fifth degree felony if someone sold intoxicating hemp to someone under 21.

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House Judiciary GOP Exposes Kamala Harris’s Open-Borders Alliance with United Nations Bureaucrats: $81.7 Million in U.S. Taxpayer Funds Spent to Facilitate Direct Flights for Illegal Aliens into America

The House Judiciary GOP has exposed what they call an “open-borders alliance” between the Biden-Harris Administration and United Nations bureaucrats that uses U.S. taxpayer dollars to enable illegal immigration.

The findings reveal that at least $81.7 million in taxpayer funds have been allocated to foreign nationals employed by the U.N., who advise migrants on ways to enter the United States.

This funding has established “migration centers” across Central and South America, facilitating nearly 70,000 aliens with potential resettlement options in the U.S.

According to the report, since 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration has overseen the release of nearly 5.8 million illegal immigrants into the U.S., with an additional 1.9 million entering as “gotaways” who evaded apprehension entirely.

The GOP committee argues that these numbers illustrate an administration bent on dismantling border security. Instead of fixing the problem, the administration has created a workaround through the Safe Mobility Initiative—a program designed to “avoid the optics of border crossings” by coordinating with U.N. agents in 13 Central and South American cities.

The program’s Safe Mobility Offices (SMOs), funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars, assist aliens in bypassing the southwest border altogether.

Foreign nationals from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) counsel migrants on various ways to enter the United States, including through family reunification and “labor pathways.”

Only 14% of SMO staff are American citizens, with the rest advising migrants at U.S. taxpayers’ expense. Since the initiative’s launch, 18,000 aliens have reportedly been resettled in the U.S., and thousands more are lined up for entry through alternative pathways.

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RNC poll watchers allowed into Georgia county buildings, lawsuit still pending

Republican National Committee poll watchers have now been allowed into the buildings in Georgia counties necessary to observe the election process, according to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. 

“Following our pressure campaign, our poll watchers have now been let into the building in all four Georgia counties,” Whatley wrote on the social media platform, X on Saturday. “Our lawsuit over the offices remaining open is still pending, but we have eyes in the room as votes are being counted. We will continue our aggressive efforts to enforce Georgia law and protect the vote.”

Whatley announced earlier that the election integrity wing of the RNC had filed a lawsuit against counties in Georgia. 

“Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties decided at the last minute to accept ballots over the weekend — which disregards the law,” Whatley wrote on the social media platform, X.

“They have also failed to let our poll observers in to watch the process,” he added. “The Secretary of State has issued guidance to allow Republican poll watchers in but local officials REFUSE. Our election integrity operation has filed a lawsuit.”

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Chuck Schumer labeled ‘traitor’ after damning report reveals he quietly advised Columbia leaders to ignore criticism of campus antisemitism

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is being slammed as a traitor following damning claims he instructed administrators at Columbia University to dismiss any criticism of the school’s handling of blatant violence and antisemitism on campus in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.

The GOP-lead House Education and Workforce Committee, in a 325-page report, contended the New York Democrat advised then-university president Minouche Shafik that the school would be spared any scrutiny by Democrats, explaining that the elite university’s “political problems are really only among Republicans.”

His staff then encouraged Columbia administrators that the “best strategy is to keep heads down,” according to the report.

“The self-proclaimed protector of the Jewish people. Chuckey Schumer is nothing but a kapo traitor. He should be ashamed of himself,” said former Brooklyn state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat-turned-Republican who heads the group Americans Against Antisemitism.

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GOP Congressman Who Was Arrested For Marijuana Says He’ll Vote Against Florida Legalization Ballot Initiative

A GOP congressman who was previously arrested over marijuana says he will be voting against a Florida ballot initiative to legalize cannabis for adults in the state.

In an interview with Florida’s Voice on Friday, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) weighed in on several ballot measures on ballot for next month’s election. And while he said last month that he was undecided on marijuana legalization, the congressman has now affirmed he will be a “no” vote on the initiative.

“I’m opposed to it. I think if you’re going to do something like this, this is something that the legislature should weigh in on, similar to what happened with medical marijuana about a decade ago,” he said. “It should not go into the Constitution.”

In fact, Florida voters did overwhelmingly approve medical marijuana legalization as a constitutional amendment at the ballot in 2016. The legislature helped to facilitate its implementation after the fact and has continued to build upon the reform, but it was added to the Constitution via voters after years of inaction by lawmakers, as advocates hope will be the case with adult-use legalization this year, too.

“I think when you get into these types of policy issues—and no matter how you feel about marijuana or abortion—those are policy issues,” Donalds said, also referring to a reproductive rights measure that’s on the ballot in his state. “They’re not constitutional issues, and I think that’s left to the hands of the legislature and the governor. That’s what should happen.”

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Trump-Appointed Judge Sides Against RNC in Voter Roll Cleanup, Keeps 225,000 Potentially Ineligible Voters on North Carolina Rolls Amid Alleged Election Law Violations

A federal judge has partially dismissed the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) attempt to challenge the eligibility of 225,000 North Carolina voters.

The lawsuit, spearheaded by the RNC and North Carolina Republican Party, accused the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) of failing to comply with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

The suit centers on claims that the NCSBE allowed over 225,000 people to register but failed to collect legally required identification information from applicants, such as driver’s license numbers or Social Security digits, on registration forms before processing.

According to the plaintiffs, this oversight could lead to ineligible individuals, including non-citizens, appearing on the voter rolls, potentially diluting lawful votes and undermining public trust.

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State senator dies following freak lawn mower accident

Kentucky state Sen. Johnnie Turner, a Republican, died on Tuesday, Senate President Robert Stivers noted in a statement on behalf of the Senate Majority Caucus.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Sen. Johnnie Turner’s passing Tuesday evening, following a hard-fought battle with injuries sustained in his recent accident,” the statement reads. 

Turner, who passed away at 76, was hurt last month when he plummeted into an empty swimming pool while riding a lawn mower, the Associated Press reported.

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RNC Scores Major Victory in Lawsuit Exposing Detroit’s Blatant Discrimination — Only 52 Republicans Hired Compared to Over 2,300 Democrats as Poll Workers

In a major win for election integrity, the Republican National Committee (RNC), the Michigan GOP, and Wayne County Republican leaders have successfully challenged the City of Detroit’s blatant disregard for state election laws.

This victory marks a crucial step toward ensuring fairness and transparency in Michigan’s electoral process, which was threatened by the city’s deliberate failure to hire a sufficient number of Republican poll workers.

The lawsuit, brought in August by the RNC, Michigan GOP, and Wayne County Republicans, exposed Detroit’s refusal to comply with Michigan law, which mandates a balanced hiring of election inspectors from both major political parties.

Instead, the city overwhelmingly favored Democratic poll workers, hiring an astonishing seven times more Democrats than Republicans. Out of 675 Republican nominees, only 52 were hired, compared to over 2,300 Democrats.

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