GOP Concern About Marijuana As A Gateway Drug: Will It Shape Policy And Public Perception Ahead Of 2024 Election?

The marijuana legalization question is up in the air with recent polls showing a slight decline in public support for policy change, contrasting with the stronger backing seen in previous years. With the U.S. presidential election approaching, this shifting picture and fluctuating nature of public opinion on the cannabis question, one wonders how it might affect what is sure to be a tight race in the November election.

For their part, Democrats are seemingly supporting the cannabis reform. On Monday, the Democratic National Convention formally approved a 2024 party platform that highlights President Joe Biden‘s efforts to address marijuana reform. More precisely, his historic cannabis pardons and moves to reschedule marijuana as well as a push to expunge prior cannabis-related convictions. Yet, as highlighted by Benzinga's Juan Spínelli, the 2020 version of the platform is more comprehensive in terms of cannabis as compared to the 2024 platform, which omitted broader cannabis decriminalization and medical marijuana legalization.

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Although evolving, the landscape around cannabis legislation within the Republican Party remains quite conservative with Donald Trump’s platform not specifically addressing the issue.

In addition, more than a handful of Republicans label cannabis as a gateway drug, arguing that its use can lead individuals to experiment with more dangerous and addictive substances.

On the heels of a GOP House committee's designation of marijuana as such earlier this year and opposition to the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act and the Cannabis Users’ Restoration of Eligibility (CURE) Act, and other Republicans resisting the reform, two senators recently reiterated their stance on the issue.

The ‘Gateway Drug' Argument

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), known for his support of medical cannabis, is not particularly fond of its recreational use, as reported Marijuana Moment.

"I just think that marijuana is still a gateway drug," Hawley said in an interview with St. Louis Public Radio. "We have medicinal marijuana, which I did support in Missouri. So if you want to get the medicinal benefits, there's a way to capture that."

Hawley shed light on why he’s not supporting marijuana legalization. "I think, for kids and teenagers, the dangers of that, the long-term, the longitudinal use, I think the dangers are high," Hawley said. "I think what it leads to is dangerous."

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) agrees. In fact, the former governor of Florida who recently said he will vote against Florida’s marijuana legalization initiative that will appear on the November ballot, says he plans to "do everything I can to make sure these don't pass."

"I know that marijuana is a gateway drug," Scott said on Saturday in Jacksonville at the Duval County Republican Party headquarters, reported Florida Politics. "My brother just died in the last few months, starting with marijuana and he ended up struggling with alcohol and drugs, so I don't support it."

Read Next:

• Senators Rick Scott, James Lankford And Ted Cruz Openly Against Federal Cannabis Legalization, Here’s Why

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