The marijuana legalization movement has long been dominated by left-wing organizations such as the Drug Policy Alliance and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. And despite a handful of Republicans in Congress supporting the case, most legislators are in favor of Congress is Democrats.
“We can not cut with one pair of scissors. We need Republicans to succeed [a legalization bill], ”Said Angelos, founder of the Weldon project. Angelos has served a 13-year sentence of 55 years on charges of trafficking in marijuana and received a full pardon from former President Donald Trump last December.
The background: The idea for the Cannabis Freedom Alliance arose from a Zoom call between Angelos, Snoop Dogg and Koch last summer. Koch expressed their support for the legalization of all drugs, to Angelos’ surprise.
“I knew his position on drugs was very libertarian,” Angelos said. “I just did not know that he supports the legalization of all drugs.”
Angelos connects with the Koch network for its assistance in pleading for legalization at the federal level, which he says is now more important than ever with Democrats controlling Congress. Before the Senate, then majority, overturned Leader Mitch McConnell was an obstacle to any marijuana legislation coming to the floor. But now, with majority leader Chuck Schumer making the issue a priority, a marijuana bill could very well come up.
“We need 10 to 12 Republican senators,” Angelos said. “With Koch’s influence, I think that’s probably a possibility.”
Founded by the Koch brothers in 2004, Americans for Prosperity is one of the most influential organizations in conservative politics. The group competes and even obscures the official IDP in terms of size, scope and spending.
“Americans for Prosperity is excited to work with our partners to bring cannabis businesses to light and replace black and gray markets with a free and fair legal framework,” said Brent W. Gardner, senior government official for Americans for Prosperity, in a statement. “Cannabis trafficking will become a way for Americans to uplift themselves, rather than a barrier that holds them back.”
The context: Schumer recently told POLITICO that he intends to draft a legislative bill with or without President Joe Biden’s blessing.
The House made history last December when it voted on the MORE law that would remove federal marijuana. But only five out of more than 200 House Republicans broke with their party to vote for the bill. Six Democrats voted against the bill.
Depending on how many moderate Democrats may defect on the issue, Schumer will need at least ten Republican senators to vote ‘Yes’ to get the 60 votes needed to pass a bill.
The Cannabis Freedom Alliance plans to first target libertarian-leaning Republicans like Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) And Mike Lee (Utah) to reach out. others on board.
What they want: The coalition will work to lift fines for marijuana offenses and to ensure that people can move from the illegal market to a regulated market. The group also wants regulatory frameworks that promote free markets and low tax rates.
“Many large cannabis companies are fighting against things like trade between countries because it does not support their business model,” Angelos said. ‘This is another reason why [AFP] is a perfect ally in this regard because they support free and open markets. ”
Many government programs for marijuana with medicine as well as adults have licensing restrictions that run counter to a more free market approach.
“The legalization of cannabis is very much in line with Republican, libertarian and conservative values,” said Randal Meyer, executive director of the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce and Paul’s former assistant. “Most Republicans understand the aspects of free markets.”
The Kochs also support the First Step Act, a bill on the reform of criminal justice in 2018 that includes reform of sentences for drug offenders.