A US poll has revealed that the majority of Republican voters support legal cannabis, including companies having access to banking services and US capital markets.
The poll found that 73 per cent of Republicans agree that legal cannabis businesses should be entitled to the same rights as other legal businesses.
It also revealed that 76 per cent GOP voters agree that if states legalise cannabis, the federal government should not fight the state, but step aside and remove any obstacles, and that 58 per cent of respondents beiges that States should be responsible for cannabis legalisation instead of the Federal Government.
Former Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), an NCR advisory board member, commented: “There’s been a massive shift in opinion, and its evidently clear that Republicans have extremely positive attitudes towards legal cannabis.
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“We’ll likely see support for legal cannabis continue to increase this November when Republicans in at least a half dozen states and counties vote on legalisation and other issues.
“Which is why it’s time for Congress to enact commonsense cannabis reform this year, starting with key pieces of legislation like SAFE Banking and CLIMB.”
Access to banking services and US stock exchanges would be achieved through the bipartisan Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act and Capital Lending and Investment for Marijuana Businesses (CLIMB) Act. The SAFE Banking Act has passed the US House six times, most recently in February 2022.
Additionally, the poll revealed that 69 per cent of respondents favour sentence reviews for people convicted of non-violent cannabis crimes in states where cannabis is now legal for adult use, and 56 per cent favour expunging cannabis convictions from a person’s record if adult use cannabis is now legal in their state.
73 per cent stated they favour legalising cannabis for medical purposes and 47 per cent said they have used cannabis recreationally, for medicinal purposes or both.
Congressman Dave Joyce, co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus., commented: “These findings support what I’ve been saying for years: cannabis is no longer the partisan issue it once was.
“Congress needs to act in a bipartisan manner and enact the change that Americans, both Republicans and Democrats alike, are calling for. It’s past time for the federal government to respect the will of the states that have legalised cannabis in some form and allow them to make their own decisions in the best interest of their constituents without interference from Washington.”
The poll was conducted by top Republican and Trump pollster Fabrizio, Lee & Associates, on behalf of the National Cannabis Roundtable.
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