by Wyoming Liberty Group
Pro-pot forces recently hailed Kamala Harris when the Democratic presidential nominee picked Tim Walz as her running mate for vice president, calling it the "Cannabis Dream Team."
More like the marijuana nightmare—at least for us in Wyoming, where we have sought to halt the proverbial barbarians at the gate. We've been successful so far, keeping the mind-altering drug illegal in the cowboy state.
But don't count on that lasting, if Harris and her choice for veep have their way in the White House.
The Harris-Walz combo is considered the most favorable to marijuana by a major party ticket in American history. Indeed, this is the first time that the presidential and vice presidential nominees have both publicly supported the legalization of marijuana. And if they have their way on the November ballot, it may very well open the floodgates to marijuana across the nation, including in states like ours that have sought to keep illegal the mind-altering drug that has caused so much havoc on the health and welfare of our children and countless others.
The choice of vice president is often an overlooked aspect of a presidential election. They are, after all, the second fiddle to the main act, the person running for president, the leader of the free world. But not this time. The vice president matters, as it always has, but perhaps even more so now. That is because it is not an exaggeration to say that the future of marijuana as an industry nationally—and in Wyoming—is among the important issues at stake in the presidential election.
Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, was thrust into the national spotlight when Harris plucked him out of relative obscurity as her running mate. But it should not go unnoticed that Walz has received an "A" grade for his marijuana policies by NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. NORML, by the way, has been behind many of the efforts to legalize marijuana in Wyoming. For what it's worth, an "A" rating from NORML is basically an "F" for us in Wyoming.
Here's why: Walz has backed the legalization of marijuana and other related measures in his state for several years.
"We've known for too long that prohibiting the use of cannabis hasn't worked," Walz said last year. "By legalizing adult-use cannabis, we're expanding our economy, creating jobs, and regulating the industry to keep Minnesotans safe. Legalizing adult-use cannabis and expunging or resentencing cannabis convictions will strengthen communities."
What Walz didn't mention is that marijuana has caused untold damage to people through respiratory illnesses, drugged driving, psychotic breaks and more.
Instead, as the Minnesota governor, Walz pushed the drug, paving the way for more alarming drug use. For instance, he didn't just sign a bill to legalize marijuana. He also signed a bill that permits so-called recreational marijuana to be cultivated. That isn't even the worst of it. Walz signed a measure that establishes so-called "safe" drug consumption sites. Such places allow people to openly do drugs.
Walz has gone an alarming step further, beyond marijuana. He backed a measure to create a task force on psychedelics. Yes, those powerful, illegal mind-altering drugs. With his support, that task force is preparing for the potential legalization of other illicit drugs.
By contrast, Walz's opponent, Senator J.D. Vance, a Republican from Ohio, has left it to states to decide whether to legalize marijuana. But he also has expressed concerns about weed; for instance, he voted against banking legislation favorable to marijuana, and he has supported a boost in law enforcement in states that have legalized pot while he also has articulated his distaste for the stench of marijuana and voiced concerns that marijuana is linked to violence.
Vance's position on marijuana largely reflects those of his running mate, Donald Trump, who also has said states should decide for themselves whether to legalize; as president, Trump had been largely anti-drug, though lately he has indicated marijuana should be decriminalize—which is not the same as saying that it should be legalized. The decriminalization of marijuana would mean that people wouldn't be imprisoned for using the drug. But legalization goes much further, making it commercially available for the masses.
Which is exactly what Kamala Harris supports, along with her new running mate, Walz.