Weed Wins, Voter Suppression Reigns | Politics As Usual

Last Updated on December 22, 2018 by Anika

The 2018 midterm elections were kind of a big deal. Over 30 million Americans cast their ballots ahead of Election Day on November 6th. For the first time in years we got a chance to see Liberal and Progressive candidates in red states give conservatives a run for their money.

Gubernatorial candidates Andrew Gillum and Stacey Abrams led hard-fought campaigns in Florida and Georgia. In my opinion, watching these candidates was the highlight of the election.  Gillum, who would have been the first black governor of the country’s largest swing state, and Abrams, who would have been the first black woman governor ever, were poised to make history. For Georgia, a Stacey Abrams victory would have been historic in more ways than one.

I support decriminalization of marijuana, legalization of medical marijuana and local cultivation of medical marijuana. Once we have established a strong substance abuse network, I am open to legalization for recreational use.

— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) February 21, 2018

I was eager to support a candidate who would work to reform our state’s antiquated marijuana laws. I went out and voted early for Stacey Abrams, hoping she could put her entire platform into action and move Georgia in the right direction. Sadly, calculated voter suppression tactics prevented a fair and just race. I watched in horror as the election results for my state were finalized in favor of the very man who tipped the scale in his own favor.

Even though things in my home state didn’t go the way I’d hoped, I was excited to see big wins for cannabis across the country during the midterms.

Despite these new measures there’s still a lot of work to be done on the ground. People who had marijuana-related charges prior to the vote will not have their records expunged. Celebration may be short-lived, as activists, citizens and policymakers continue to fight for marginalized groups and communities of color that were targeted by the war on drugs. However, this is a big step toward reforming our criminal justice system, and ending prohibition at the federal level.

Featured image source: Shepard Fairey, obeygiant.com