It’s Your Constitutional Right: How You Can Break The Senate’s Block On Cannabis Legalization
As the 2024 elections approach, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) released its annual voter guide to inform citizens about where their gubernatorial and Senate candidates stand on cannabis policy reform.
With over 70% of Americans supporting cannabis legalization, the stakes are high for federal and state-level reform, especially as 11 states will vote for their next governor and 34 Senate seats are up for grabs.
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Why These Elections Matter
Governors and senators hold significant power over cannabis policy. At the state level, governors can veto or sign cannabis reform bills and direct agencies to either implement or block regulations. Meanwhile, at the federal level, the U.S. Senate is the critical battleground for national reform.
Bills like the MORE Act (which seeks to federally legalize cannabis) and the SAFE Banking Act (which would grant cannabis businesses access to financial services) have garnered bipartisan support but face a major hurdle: the Senate’s filibuster rules.
The filibuster requires 60 votes to move legislation forward, creating a significant barrier to cannabis reform, even though a supermajority of Americans support legalization. With the balance of power in the Senate up for grabs in the November election, the composition of the next Senate will determine whether federal cannabis reform finally has a path forward.