The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has long been the country’s non-profit organization pushing for the federal legalization of marijuana. Ahead of the state and federal elections, as 2020 seem poised to become the year that makes or breaks federal legalization, NORML is putting a new tool in the hands of voters: “Smoke the Vote” is a database giving information on elected officials in relation to their personal history with cannabis.
“Smoke the Vote” is an online tool that can be found at vote.norml.org. It grades governors, federal and state senators and representatives based on previous voting records and stances on marijuana reform. Users can either input their address or ZIP to be directed only to information relevant to them, or they can choose to see the complete voting guide for any state.
At launch, “Smoke the Vote” was an already extensive look at thousands of officials and candidates, but the organization aims to add content through crowdsourcing. Users are encouraged to input information about their local representatives and candidates; each new entry should be accompanied with a source that verifies the additional information for NORML workers to confirm its truthfulness.
“In recent years, members of Congress and thousands of state lawmakers have cast important votes for and against substantive marijuana policy reforms. This means that, wherever you reside, you most likely have elected officials that have personally weighed in on this issue. Do you know where they stand on the cannabis question? Are they representing your interests?” NORML said. “With your help, we’re going to build the most comprehensive database ever with regard to candidates’ marijuana records. Once we’re ready, we’ll spread the information far and wide to ensure that every American can be an informed cannabis voter.”
“We’re calling upon supporters of reform to help us source this data to create the Wikipedia of candidates’ marijuana positions,” NORML political director Justin Strekal told Marijuana Moment. “It is our goal that once the database is complete, we will aggressively educate the broader public on their options for public servants in regards to support for marijuana reform.”
“Despite the ongoing crisis, the November elections will still hold major implications for the future of legalization and other cannabis policy reforms,” NORML announced to justify launching this project in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Legalization questions might be on the ballot in several states—Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma all have ballot initiatives to reform marijuana state laws.
Additionally, the entire House of Representatives, a third of the Senate and the presidential office will be up for grabs in November; the currently running candidates for the supreme executive office have stances ranging from support for full legalization to support for the status quo. By pushing out “Smoke the Vote” early, NORML could help people cast more informed votes in state, local and other elections before November, such as Wisconsin’s imminent vote for the Democratic primary.
Where Wisconsin Stands
The Badger State is not as well-graded as our southern neighbor, Illinois, which fully legalized marijuana just a few months ago; is it surprising to hear that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker received an A from NORML? However, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers does not suffer by comparison, as he scored a B+. NORML notes Evers’ personal involvement and repeated attempts to push marijuana decriminalization despite an uncooperative Legislature, as well as previous comments and initiatives on the topic.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Mark Pocan are Wisconsin’s best flag bearers on the federal level, each obtaining an A+ grade. Both of them have a blemish-free voting record when it comes to marijuana reform, as well as several co-sponsored legislative initiatives.
On the other hand, Sen. Ron Johnson reaped a C for being opposed to recreational marijuana but being “open to seeing data produced by states that are moving forward with recreational cannabis in order to make a further decision.” Rep. Glenn Grothman, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner and Rep. Mike Gallagher are Wisconsin’s lowest-graded representatives, with a F and two D- respectively. Despite supporting hemp as an agricultural asset, Grothman violently opposes recreational marijuana and co-sponsored the “No Welfare for Weed Act of 2015,” while the other two “only” voted no consistently to reform bills.
To view all scorecards for Wisconsin politicians—and to contribute if you know anything that NORML hasn’t added to your local elected representatives yet—visit vote.norml.org/states/WI.
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