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From Forbes
The 5 Worst U.S. House Reps On Marijuana Policy
By Kris Krane Contributor
1: Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
Representative Goodlatte was first elected in 1992, and his views on drug policy don’t seem to have changed much since then. As the chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, he controls the agenda for any bills pertaining to criminal justice. Unfortunately, Goodlatte has used this position to block any hearings on major marijuana reforms, including the STATES Act — despite that bill having the support of President political name. He has also worked to block reforms at the state level, including sponsoring the ENFORCE the Law Act in 2014, an unsuccessful bill that would have allowed Congress to sue President Obama for not enforcing federal marijuana laws in states that had legalized it.
Thankfully, Representative Goodlatte is not seeking re-election in 2018. As his district his heavily Republican, it’s widely assumed that Republican nominee Ben Cline will replace Goodlatte in November. While marijuana policy has not been a major factor in the race, Cline earlier this year sponsored successful legislation in the Virginia House of Delegates that expanded the state’s medical marijuana law.
2: Pete Sessions (R-TX)
Representative Sessions is not related to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, but they do share a common disdain for marijuana-policy reform. Like Goodlatte, his power comes from chairing a powerful committee; in Pete Sessions’ case, the House Rules Committee. While Goodlatte is able to prevent criminal justice bills from being debated or voted on, Sessions has the authority to block amendments from reaching the House floor. Since January 2017, he has used this power to block at least 34 marijuana-related amendments, according to an analysis by Marijuana Moment.
Representative Sessions is seeking re-election, but it is going to be a very close race. The Cook Political Report has it as a toss-up, with one Republican strategists saying, “Pete's district is probably the most critical for us.” The race is close for many reasons, ranging from changing demographics to the involvement of a marijuana-focused Super PAC. His Democratic opponent, Colin Allred, hasn't missed opportunities to call out Sessions for his prohibitionist views.
3: Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
Representative Cuellar was first elected in 2004, and has proven himself to be the worst Democrat in the House when it comes to marijuana policy. Despite large majorities of Democratic voters in favor of reform, Cuellar has repeatedly broken with his party to oppose progress, and serves as one of three chairmen of the conservative Blue Dog Coalition. He was one of only five Democrats to vote yes on Goodlatte’s ENFORCE The Law Act, and has also voted against all of Rohrabacher’s spending amendments, as well as efforts to allow veterans to access medical marijuana.
Representative Cuellar is running for re-election, and does not face a Republican challenger. His district is considered safely Democratic, and there is very little chance that his opponent from the Libertarian Party will unseat him in November. That means that even if Democrats re-take the House, Cuellar could be a key vote that prevents progress on marijuana policy.
4: Andy Harris (R-MD)
Representative Harris not only has an awful voting record on federal marijuana policy, but has led multiple fights to prevent Washington, D.C., from ending prohibition within its borders. When the D.C. Council decriminalized marijuana possession, Harris tried to stop it, sparking a boycott of his congressional district led by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (and failing to stop decrim in the end). When D.C. residents voted to legalize marijuana possession and home growing for adults in 2014, Harris tried to stop it. In the end, he was only able to prevent the District from regulating commercial sales, leading to the “wild west” of social clubs and unregulated delivery services that exists in D.C. today.
Representative Harris is seeking re-election, and defeated two Republican challengers in the primary. He now faces Democrat Jesse Colvin in the general, who has not taken a vocal stance on marijuana policy. Given that Harris is so well known for his anti-marijuana positions, Colvin has been conspicuously quiet on the subject.
5: Joe Kennedy III (D-MA)
Representative Kennedy, who is related to all the other Kennedys, may come as a surprise on this list. The Kennedy political family has long been associated with progressive values. The late Senator Ted Kennedy was an early champion of drug-policy reform measures, and Massachusetts is one of the most solidly blue states in the nation. Despite this, Joe Kennedy III opposes marijuana reform of all varieties: Kennedy was against Massachusetts’ ballot initiative to legalize for adults (it passed anyway), and is even opposed to medical marijuana. This might be partly explained by the activism of his first cousin, Patrick Kennedy, who used to represent Rhode Island in Congress and later founded anti-legalization group Project SAM.
Representative Kennedy is running for re-election, and is the only candidate on the ballot in his heavily Democratic district. Since he could be in Congress for many years to come, hopefully Kennedy will listen to his constituents and evolve his views to catch up with the rest of his state.
Honorable Mentions
While the five lawmakers above are certainly the five worst in the House, some other members deserve recognition for being particularly behind the times. Here they are:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kriskr...-house-reps-on-marijuana-policy/#7d548eaa298b
The 5 Worst U.S. House Reps On Marijuana Policy
By Kris Krane Contributor
1: Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
Representative Goodlatte was first elected in 1992, and his views on drug policy don’t seem to have changed much since then. As the chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, he controls the agenda for any bills pertaining to criminal justice. Unfortunately, Goodlatte has used this position to block any hearings on major marijuana reforms, including the STATES Act — despite that bill having the support of President political name. He has also worked to block reforms at the state level, including sponsoring the ENFORCE the Law Act in 2014, an unsuccessful bill that would have allowed Congress to sue President Obama for not enforcing federal marijuana laws in states that had legalized it.
Thankfully, Representative Goodlatte is not seeking re-election in 2018. As his district his heavily Republican, it’s widely assumed that Republican nominee Ben Cline will replace Goodlatte in November. While marijuana policy has not been a major factor in the race, Cline earlier this year sponsored successful legislation in the Virginia House of Delegates that expanded the state’s medical marijuana law.
2: Pete Sessions (R-TX)
Representative Sessions is not related to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, but they do share a common disdain for marijuana-policy reform. Like Goodlatte, his power comes from chairing a powerful committee; in Pete Sessions’ case, the House Rules Committee. While Goodlatte is able to prevent criminal justice bills from being debated or voted on, Sessions has the authority to block amendments from reaching the House floor. Since January 2017, he has used this power to block at least 34 marijuana-related amendments, according to an analysis by Marijuana Moment.
Representative Sessions is seeking re-election, but it is going to be a very close race. The Cook Political Report has it as a toss-up, with one Republican strategists saying, “Pete's district is probably the most critical for us.” The race is close for many reasons, ranging from changing demographics to the involvement of a marijuana-focused Super PAC. His Democratic opponent, Colin Allred, hasn't missed opportunities to call out Sessions for his prohibitionist views.
3: Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
Representative Cuellar was first elected in 2004, and has proven himself to be the worst Democrat in the House when it comes to marijuana policy. Despite large majorities of Democratic voters in favor of reform, Cuellar has repeatedly broken with his party to oppose progress, and serves as one of three chairmen of the conservative Blue Dog Coalition. He was one of only five Democrats to vote yes on Goodlatte’s ENFORCE The Law Act, and has also voted against all of Rohrabacher’s spending amendments, as well as efforts to allow veterans to access medical marijuana.
Representative Cuellar is running for re-election, and does not face a Republican challenger. His district is considered safely Democratic, and there is very little chance that his opponent from the Libertarian Party will unseat him in November. That means that even if Democrats re-take the House, Cuellar could be a key vote that prevents progress on marijuana policy.
4: Andy Harris (R-MD)
Representative Harris not only has an awful voting record on federal marijuana policy, but has led multiple fights to prevent Washington, D.C., from ending prohibition within its borders. When the D.C. Council decriminalized marijuana possession, Harris tried to stop it, sparking a boycott of his congressional district led by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (and failing to stop decrim in the end). When D.C. residents voted to legalize marijuana possession and home growing for adults in 2014, Harris tried to stop it. In the end, he was only able to prevent the District from regulating commercial sales, leading to the “wild west” of social clubs and unregulated delivery services that exists in D.C. today.
Representative Harris is seeking re-election, and defeated two Republican challengers in the primary. He now faces Democrat Jesse Colvin in the general, who has not taken a vocal stance on marijuana policy. Given that Harris is so well known for his anti-marijuana positions, Colvin has been conspicuously quiet on the subject.
5: Joe Kennedy III (D-MA)
Representative Kennedy, who is related to all the other Kennedys, may come as a surprise on this list. The Kennedy political family has long been associated with progressive values. The late Senator Ted Kennedy was an early champion of drug-policy reform measures, and Massachusetts is one of the most solidly blue states in the nation. Despite this, Joe Kennedy III opposes marijuana reform of all varieties: Kennedy was against Massachusetts’ ballot initiative to legalize for adults (it passed anyway), and is even opposed to medical marijuana. This might be partly explained by the activism of his first cousin, Patrick Kennedy, who used to represent Rhode Island in Congress and later founded anti-legalization group Project SAM.
Representative Kennedy is running for re-election, and is the only candidate on the ballot in his heavily Democratic district. Since he could be in Congress for many years to come, hopefully Kennedy will listen to his constituents and evolve his views to catch up with the rest of his state.
Honorable Mentions
While the five lawmakers above are certainly the five worst in the House, some other members deserve recognition for being particularly behind the times. Here they are:
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
Despite being from one of nine states that legalized marijuana for adults, Rodgers is a strong opponent and received an “F” grade from NORML. Recently feeling the heat from her Democratic opponent, Lisa Brown, McMorris Rogers may be softening her stance on marijuana. - Doug LaMalfa (R-CA)
LaMalfa, representing a different adult-use marijuana state, also received an “F” grade from NORML.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kriskr...-house-reps-on-marijuana-policy/#7d548eaa298b
