A coalition of marijuana businesses, advocacy groups and other organizations have launched a super PAC to raise the profile of cannabis in national elections beyond 2024. Part of this strategy involves finding industry partners who will ask their customers to round up donations when they shop at dispensaries.
The U.S. Cannabis Council announced Wednesday that its member businesses had formed the “Legalize America Super PAC”, which, unlike traditional political action groups, can accept contributions in any amount but cannot directly coordinate political candidates.
Legalize America Chair Matt Harrell, of Curaleaf, said in a release that the organization is dedicated to ending prohibition on cannabis and advancing expungement and responsible use. We will use every tool available, including scorecards, endorsements, and targeted independent expenditure campaign, to advance cannabis reform. Our goal is to create a prosperous, equitable cannabis industry.
The coalition claims that despite public support to end marijuana prohibition, Congress is “stuck in the past” and the super PAC will “help speed up the nation’s transformation regarding cannabis reform”.
The campaign will work to reach this goal by partnering with “highly-profile public figures” and “brands.” It will also explore working with cannabis stakeholders, to see if any of them would be willing to allow customers to round up their purchases and donate the change.
“We think the 2024 presidential elections will be pivotal in the fight against cannabis prohibition,” said Legalize America secretary Pete Meachum, of Cronos group. “We’re laying the foundation now for advertising, grassroots engagement and voter outreach to keep cannabis at the forefront of the campaign,” said Legalize America Secretary Pete Meachum, Cronos Group.
Legalize America claimed in a release that the super PAC was the “first” in the U.S. to focus on reforming marijuana laws. However, in 2013, the owners of a California mobile cannabis dispensary filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission in order to create a legal entity named the Legalize Marijuana Super PAC.com. The effort did not appear to have raised or distributed any funds after its launch.
Last year, prohibitionists launched the Protect Our Kids (PAC) to oppose cannabis legalization.
Legalize America shares membership with USCC. USCC counts, among other partners, ATACH, Canopy Growth (Canopy Growth), Columbia Care, Curaleaf Labs, Cronos, Dutchie Houseplant, Marijuana Policy Project PAX PharamCann Scotts Miracle-Gro, Vicente and others.
“Legalize America” is being launched jointly by USCC, its member companies/orgs and celebrities. The intention is to create an umbrella that will attract other companies/orgs and celebrities as well as grassroots donors and celebrity supporters. consumers,” USCC spokesperson Josh Glasstetter told Marijuana Moment on Wednesday.
The 2024 presidential race will see drug policy as a major issue. Both the Republican and Democratic candidates have already weighed in on marijuana reform.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democratic presidential candidate, reacted to Republican Gov. of Florida Scott. Ron DeSantis, a Republican candidate for president, was criticized by the media this weekend after he made recent comments opposing federal decriminalization.
In a recent interview , former President Donald Trump appeared confused when confronted by the fact that his plan to impose death penalties on drug traffickers could have condemned a women he had pardoned.
In a CNN town-hall event held this month, the former New Jersey governor. Chris Christie (R), who said that he would “end the war on drugs” if elected. He stressed the importance of a treatment-based strategy for people suffering from addiction, while at the same maintaining that he would seek to increase the enforcement against those selling drugs.
Legalize American’s website states: “We are committed in working with industry professionals and community leaders to develop policies that support marijuana legalization responsibly and thoughtfully.” Our primary focus is to promote federal legalization and expunge records for nonviolent cannabis crimes, as well as ensure that the benefits from legalization are available to all Americans regardless of race or ethnicity.
California voters are more supportive than ever of marijuana legalization and most want retailers in their communities, a poll finds
Photo by Mike Latimer.
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