In keeping with NORML’s annual custom, it’s report card time.
Our friends at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws are kicking off the year with the release of their 2019 Gubernatorial Scorecard.
Did your governor receive a good mark?
Let’s see who passed and who needs extra help:
Twenty-seven governors received a passing grade of ‘C’ or higher (22 Democrats, 5 Republicans). Of these, nine – all Democrats – received an ‘A,’ which marks a significant improvement from 2018 when only two governors received A’s.
This year’s governors who passed with flying colors and received A grades are:
• Gavin Newsom: California
• Jared Polis: Colorado
• Ned Lamont: Connecticut
• JB. Pritzker: Illinois
• Gretchen Whitmer: Michigan
• Tim Walz: Minnesota
• Phil Murphy: New Jersey
• Kate Brown: Oregon
• Jay Inslee: Washington
Meanwhile, ten governors received a ‘B’ grade (9 Democrats, 1 Republican); eight received a ‘C’ grade (4 Republicans, 4 Democrats); fifteen governors – all Republicans – received a ‘D’ grade.
Four governors – all Republicans – received an ‘F’.
It appears that governors are embracing cannabis reform as is the vast majority of the country.
An October 2018 Gallup Poll showed a whopping 66 percent of the public – from all political stripes and parties, favor cannabis legalization.
“Following the publication of our 2018 Scorecard, there has been a dramatic shift in opinion among elected officials in favor of marijuana policy reform,” NORML’s Political Director Justin Strekal said.
Among the 20 new governors taking office for the first time in 2019, six (or 30 percent) received an ‘A’ grade. All are Democrats.
“Never before have we seen so many governors go on record and pledge their support for legalizing the responsible use of cannabis by adults,” said Strekal. “As a result, we expect there to be unprecedented levels of legislative activity at the state level surrounding the need to regulate the commercial cannabis market in 2019 and in 2020.”
Four governors received no grade at all because of insufficient data, that is to say, they didn’t hand in their homework.
Click here to see NORML’S full report card.
If your governor didn’t get a good grade, remove their recess privileges and vote them out of office the next chance you get.
