MJBizMag October 2022 - 46

RACE FOR REFORM
Syrita Steib
Luke Mixon
federal marijuana legalization. Unlike
in other states, Louisiana's Nov. 8
election will be a primary in which
three Democrats (Chambers, U.S. Navy
veteran Luke Mixon and community
activist Syrita Steib) face off for an
opportunity to unseat incumbent
Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy
in a follow-up election scheduled
for Dec. 10. That said, this race isn't
expected to be competitive, and the
winning Democrat will face long
odds in the state's runoff election in
December. The Cook Political Report
rates this race as " Solid R. "
the banking system to marijuana
companies, and he opposed statewide
legalization when it was on the
Nevada ballot in 2016. By contrast,
Cortez Masto-while she also opposed
legalization in 2016-has been a cosponsor
of multiple pro-marijuana
bills while in the Senate, including
the SAFE Banking Act and the STATES
Act. The Cook Political Report lists this
race as a " Toss Up. "
John Fetterman
Mehmet Oz
Fetterman has become an outspoken
advocate of federal marijuana
legalization-his campaign has been
selling T-shirts emblazoned with weed
leaf imagery-Dr. Oz has opposed
such a move. Polls have mostly shown
Fetterman running well ahead of
Dr. Oz, but Pennsylvania is a notorious
swing state, and the campaign might
come down to the wire. The Cook
Rep. Tim Ryan
J.D. Vance
Sen. Catherine
Cortez Masto
Adam Paul Laxalt
NEVADA
Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen.
Catherine Cortez Masto and
Republican Adam Paul Laxalt are
competing in one of the most procannabis
markets in the nation.
Though marijuana isn't expected to be
a real issue in the race, advocates still
pinpointed Nevada as a top priority
because it's expected to be tight,
and the race could help keep Mitch
McConnell out of the majority leader's
office. As a former state attorney
general, Laxalt was among only a few
officials who didn't support opening
46 October 2022 | MJBizMagazine
OHIO
Sitting U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a
Democrat, is running against
Republican venture capitalist and
author J.D. Vance to replace outgoing
Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman
in yet another matchup that pits a
legalization backer against a likely
opponent. While in the House, Ryan
voted for the MORE Act-a federal
marijuana legalization bill-and
published an op-ed with CNN in
2018 calling for legalization " in all
50 states. " Vance, by contrast, has
not spoken much about cannabis,
but he did write in a 2019 story for
the National Review that marijuana
legalization " increases use " of
cannabis and is " causing a host of
social problems. " The Cook Political
Report rates this race as " Lean R. "
PENNSYLVANIA
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat,
and celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz, a
Republican, are vying to replace
outgoing U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey,
a Republican. This is a marquee
matchup for marijuana executives in
a perennially bellwether state. While
Political Report lists this race as a
" Toss Up. "
Mandela Barnes
Sen. Ron Johnson
WISCONSIN
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson,
a Republican, is facing Lt. Gov.
Mandela Barnes, a Democrat, in his
latest bid for reelection. Though
marijuana legalization might not be
a top issue in the race itself, it's one
of many stark differences between
the two candidates. Barnes has come
out vocally in support of federal
legalization and even has a video on
his campaign website dedicated to
the topic. Johnson, meanwhile, has
expressed limited support for medical
marijuana and has said legalization
should be left to the states. NORML
has given Johnson a " D " grade. The
Cook Political Report rates this race as
a " Toss Up. "
MJBizMag October 2022

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