Senate Candidates Divided Over Weed Legalization, Texas Decrim Push, CA Lawmakers Want End To Illegal Operations

North Carolina Senate Candidates Divided Over Marijuana Pardons

With midterms approaching, the Senate race is heating up as are debates around issues such as marijuana legalization.

Former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and U.S. Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C. 13th) who are running for a seat held by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), shared their thoughts about President Joe Biden's pardons for simple marijuana possession during a debate on Spectrum News 1 hosted by political journalist Tim Boyum.

Budd said that he doesn't support Biden's move calling it "bad all around," as it sends a harmful message to young people, reported The Daily Tar Heel.

On the contrary, Beasley, who supports the legalization of both recreational and medical use of cannabis, said she's looking forward to "seeing more about this proposed rule by the president." However, she pointed out that it's important to "stand firm in understanding the benefits of legalizing marijuana."

Texas Marijuana Activists Want To Decriminalize Marijuana, Prepare New Initiative For San Antonio 2023 Ballot

Texas cannabis activists are seeking to put a decriminalization initiative on the San Antonio ballot next year, reported Marijuana Moment.

The San Antonio Justice Charter Initiative, led by the group Act 4 SA, Ground Game Texas, SA Stands and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) also want to put a ban on the enforcement of abortion-related "crimes" and ban no-knock warrants.

The measure stipulates that "it is the policy of the City of San Antonio to use its available resources and authority to accomplish three goals of paramount importance: first, to reduce the City's contribution to mass incarceration; second, to mitigate racially discriminatory law enforcement practices; and third, to save scarce public resources for greater public needs."

Moreover, the latest push wants San Antonio law enforcement not to "Issue citations or make arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana offenses" as well as "consider the odor of marijuana or hemp to constitute probable cause for any search or seizure." 

Moreover, the initiative says that "no City funds or personnel shall be used to request, conduct, or obtain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) testing of any cannabis-related substance to determine whether the substance meets the legal definition of marijuana under state law."

California Lawmakers Push For Creation OF Cannabis Task Force

California governor Gavin Newsom's recently established Unified Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) seeks to crack down on illegal marijuana operations.

Guided by the Department of Cannabis Control's (DCC) Law Enforcement Division and Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the task force eradicated 11,260 illegal cannabis plants in the rural area of Jupiter in Tuolumne County on October 4, according to a report from the governor's office.

Now, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) is behind a new push to establish a marijuana task force. She is urging officials from the Attorney General's office to "root out corruption and provide a roadmap for future cannabis licensing in the state," reported The Downey Patriot.

"I have requested that the California Department of Justice create a Statewide Task Force on Cannabis but focus the first part of the investigation in Southeast Los Angeles County," Garcia said in a statement released on Tuesday. "This task force should evaluate the contracting practices, cannabis licensing procedures, and related issues of the contracting of cities in Southeast Los Angeles County (SELA) and other regions of the state that warrant additional oversight."

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