The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has released its important 2016 congressional scorecard, which grades our lawmakers on how they vote or declare their support for legalization.
The Washington Post’s Wonkblog was kind enough to print a full list of representatives and senators who support legalization. Spoiler: Twenty-two representatives and two senators got high marks.
As usual, Congress is out of step with its constituents on many issues, not just marijuana reform, so we should all be aware of the fact that 469 seats in the U.S. Congress (34 Senate seats and all 435 House seats) are up for grabs this coming November 8, according to Ballotpedia.
And with the most recent polls and surveys putting support for marijuana legalization between 54 and 61 percent, it is time to hold our lawmakers’ feet to the fire.
As we are probably in the most bizarre presidential race in the history of our country, electing rational human beings to represent us in Congress is crucial.
If you contemplate the last eight years of congressional gridlock, you will surely realize it is essential to vote for state lawmakers who will show up and do the job we’re paying them to do.
In addition, some groups are already petitioning to put legalization on the ballot for 2018.
The ball is rolling toward legalization, and hopefully toward lifting the unreasonable federal ban on marijuana, but we need the right folks in Washington D.C .to keep up the momentum.
Representatives and senators supporting marijuana legalization:
Mike Honda (D.-Calif.)
Jared Huffman (D.-Calif.)
Barbara Lee (D.-Calif.)
Ted Lieu (D.-Calif.)
Zoe Lofgren (D.-Calif.)
Alan Lowenthal (D.-Calif.)
Dana Rohrabacher (R.-Calif.)
Eric Swalwell (D.-Calif.)
Ed Perlmutter (D.-Co.)
Jared Polis (D.-Co.)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.-D.C.)
Ruben Gallego (D.-Ill.)
Jan Schakowsky (D.-Ill.)
Chellie Pingree (D.-Maine)
Mike Capuano (D.-Mass.)
Jerrold Nadler (D.-N.Y.)
Earl Blumenauer (D.-Ore.)
Jeff Merkley (D.-Ore.)
Steve Cohen (D.-Tenn.)
Don Beyer (D.-Va.)
Bernie Sanders (I.-Vt.)
Mark Pocan (D.-Wis.)
Damn no one running in Florida for cannabis legalization? Also I think we should stop using the words weed and marijuana to describe cannabis.
FIRE them ALL, VOTE out those who are NOT for legalization!!!! Do write-in’s if you have to BUT we NEED to CHANGE CONGRESS NOW. We NEED supporters of LEGALIZATION in congress NOW.