{"id":2076846,"date":"2023-10-23T16:54:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T20:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-lawmakers-push-back-on-federally-legalizing-marijuana\/"},"modified":"2023-10-23T16:56:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T20:56:32","slug":"republican-lawmakers-push-back-on-federally-legalizing-marijuana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-lawmakers-push-back-on-federally-legalizing-marijuana\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP lawmakers resist federal marijuana legalization"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublican-lawmakers-push-back-on-federally-legalizing-marijuana%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2076846&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Conservative Opposition Continues to \u200cThwart Marijuana\u200d Legalization Efforts<\/h2>\n<p>While a\u200b majority of \u200cCongress supports the federal legalization of marijuana in some form, a small but\u200d vocal group of\u2062 conservatives remain successful in thwarting recent marijuana bills.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) Leads the Charge<\/h3>\n<p>Sen. James Lankford, one of the leading voices against \u2063the legalization of marijuana\u200d on Capitol Hill, \u200dsuccessfully garnered\u200b enough opposition to stop a bill in April that would\u200c have directed the Department of\u2064 Veterans \u200dAffairs\u200d to research \u200bthe use of marijuana on issues such as PTSD.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just \u2062look \u2062at the cultural effects and the\u200b legal outcomes of this \u200dand think, why\u200c would \u2062we as a nation say, \u2018this is going so well we should do more of it\u2019?\u201d Lankford told Politico in an \u200carticle published Monday. \u201cWe\u2019ve opened up marijuana without any kind\u200c of regulation of any \u200bsignificance for what the product \u200dis and how\u2064 it\u2019s delivered.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Lankford also \u200corganized a letter to the Drug Enforcement \u200cAdministration, signed by 14 lawmakers, to reject the Health\u2063 and Human \u2062Services recommendation \u200bto reschedule the drug&#8217;s classification. A \u2062companion bill \u200dwas introduced \u2064in the House\u2063 by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX).<\/p>\n<p>The senator&#8217;s motivation for his \u200danti-marijuana stance comes from stories and anecdotes\u2062 he hears from his constituents. Lankford said he cannot \u2063remember a time in\u2063 his more than 20 years as a youth pastor when using marijuana made things better for a child and their family, and it made a situation \u2063worse many times.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the vocal minority of lawmakers who decry making\u2063 marijuana legal \u200bon the federal level, there is no\u2064 concentrated or organized effort \u2062to stymie\u2064 the legislation, according to \u200dnearly a dozen \u2062lawmakers in\u2063 both chambers\u2063 of Congress. \u200cThere are also different levels of \u2064opposition to marijuana, with some legislators liking the drug for medical\u2064 purposes but not recreational use.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Rep. Buddy\u2063 Carter Supports Medicinal Use<\/h3>\n<p>Rep. \u2064Buddy\u200c Carter, a pharmacist\u200c who\u2064 is in \u2062favor of marijuana research and medicinal use, said he does not know who circulated the rescheduling House petition but said his\u2064 stance\u2063 on marijuana is widely known.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in favor of the medicinal\u2064 use of the basic\u2064 ingredients \u2014 but I\u2019m not\u2063 in favor of the recreational use of marijuana,\u201d\u2063 Carter said. \u201cMost people know\u2062 that and that\u2019s probably why they circulated it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Sens.\u200b Steve Daines, Cynthia Lummis, Tom Cotton, and Ted Budd,\u2064 along with Reps. Pete Sessions, Buddy\u2063 Carter, and \u2064Andy Biggs,\u200d are also known for opposing marijuana legislation.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the setbacks created by Republicans, supporters of \u200dmarijuana legalization have seen some momentum on the Hill\u200c and in the White House \u2062this year. President Joe Biden signed\u2063 a standalone bill that will expand\u200d medical research on marijuana earlier this year, and a bill\u200c to expand access to banking services for \u2062the marijuana industry \u200bpassed the Senate Banking Committee\u200c last month. The\u2064 bill was approved with bipartisan support.<\/p>\n<p>A total of 23\u2064 states have legalized the recreational use of \u200cmarijuana for \u200dadults, along with\u2062 Washington, D.C., Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Virginia and \u2062Minnesota are among \u2063the 23 states to\u200b have legalized the drug,\u2064 according to Reuters.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps can be \u200ctaken to \u200baddress the concerns\u2063 raised by conservatives\u2064 about the lack of regulation and \u2063control in the marijuana industry?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  A single conversation \u200bwhere \u200dsomeone has said marijuana has positively\u2064 impacted their life.\u2064 He believes that the potential harms and risks associated with marijuana use outweigh \u2064any potential benefits.<\/p>\n<p>The conservative opposition to marijuana legalization is not limited \u2062to Sen. Lankford. There are several other conservative lawmakers\u200c who\u200c are actively working against the legalization efforts. They argue \u200bthat marijuana is a gateway drug that\u200c can lead to the use\u200b of more \u2063dangerous substances. They also express concerns about the\u200b potential increase in impaired\u200c driving that could result from legalization.<\/p>\n<p>One of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-aoc-argues-us-should-stop-israels-ethnic-cleansing-to-protect-human-rights\/\" title=\"AOC: US Must Halt Israel's 'Ethnic Cleansing' for Human Rights.\">main arguments put<\/a> forth by conservatives is the lack of regulation\u200d and control in the marijuana industry. They claim that the current system has allowed for the proliferation of \u200bmarijuana products that are increasingly potent and potentially harmful. They believe that before any further steps towards legalization are taken, \u200cthere needs to\u200d be strict\u2063 regulation and oversight \u200din \u200bplace to ensure public \u200bsafety.<\/p>\n<p>Another area of\u2064 concern for conservative opponents of marijuana\u2064 legalization is the impact it could have on society. They fear that legalization could lead to an increase in addiction rates\u200b and a decrease in\u200d productivity. They \u200bargue \u200cthat \u2064society should focus on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nikki-haley-offers-three-ways-to-break-healthcare-piggybank\/\" title=\"Nikki Haley suggests three methods to 'crack' healthcare piggybank.\">promoting healthy lifestyles<\/a> and discouraging the use of drugs, rather than normalizing and legalizing \u200dtheir\u200d use.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the conservative opposition, \u2064public opinion \u200bon marijuana legalization has been shifting. A majority of Americans now support\u200d some form \u200dof marijuana legalization, whether\u200b it \u2063be for medical or\u2063 recreational use. Many states have\u200d already taken steps to legalize\u200d marijuana, either through\u200c legislative actions or through voter initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>The divide between conservative lawmakers and public opinion on this issue highlights the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-lawmakers-push-back-on-federally-legalizing-marijuana\/\" title=\"GOP lawmakers resist federal marijuana legalization\">ongoing debate\u2062 surrounding \u200cmarijuana legalization<\/a>. While \u200cthere are valid concerns on both sides, it\u2062 is important for policymakers to carefully consider the\u200d potential benefits and risks associated with \u2064legalization.\u200d Open\u200d and \u200cinformed discussions are necessary to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rfk-jr-s-speech-gets-roaring-applause-after-dems-attempt-to-stop-him-from-testifying\/\" title=\"RFK Jr.'s speech triumphs despite Dems' attempt to silence him.\">find common \u2062ground<\/a> \u2063and develop policies that reflect the will \u200bof the \u2064people while prioritizing public safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite widespread support for federal marijuana legalization among Congress members, a vocal minority of conservatives, led by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), have effectively blocked recent marijuana bills. In April, Lankford&#8217;s opposition proved influential enough to halt the progress of a bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2076847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2076846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2076846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2076846"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2076846\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2076847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2076846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2076846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2076846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}