Is Your Governor Flunking On Cannabis Reform? Check Their Report Card
The report cards are in for America’s 50 state governors. This week, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) issued letter grades for each of the country’s top legislators.
On the whole, the reports are positive, with the majority of governors (26) receiving a passing grade of C- or above (26 Democrats and 6 Republicans). Overall, 91 percent of Democratic governors received passing marks, while only 21 percent of Republicans made the grade.
This divide isn’t necessarily surprising, as Democrats have traditionally taken the lead on the cannabis issue, but even among their ranks, there has been some progress. Looking back on NORML’s 2016 report, there were just two governors in the A range — this year, there’s nine.
Similarly, at the bottom, seven Republicans received F grades in 2016, but that number has since dwindled to four, showing that while it is still a divisive issue among the two parties, it is certainly moving in the right direction.
Jay Inslee (D) Washington
Ned Lamont (D) Connecticut
Phil Murphy (D) New Jersey
Gavin Newsom (D) California
Jared Polis (D) Colorado
J.B. Pritzker (D) Illinois
Gretchen Whitmer (D) Michigan
Tim Walz (D) Minnesota
Phil Scott ® Vermont
The only Republican to receive a mark above the C range is Vermont governor Phil Scott, who decriminalized personal possession and home cultivation in his state, despite having “mixed feelings” about it.
3. B
Steve Bullock (D) Montana
John Bel Edwards (D) Louisiana
Tony Evers (D) Wisconsin
Michelle Lujan-Grisham (D) New Mexico
Ralph Northam (D) Virginia
Gina Raimondo (D) Rhode Island
Steve Sisolak (D) Nevada
Tom Wolf (D) Pennsylvania
4. C+
John Carney (D) Delaware
Laura Kelly (D) Kansas
Delaware’s John Carney has enacted some legislation to provide access to medical marijuana to patients, but has gone on record stating that he is not in favor of legalization. Laura Kelly of Kansas has stated her support for legalizing medical marijuana despite not taking any action as of yet.
5. C
Ron DeSantis ® Florida
While not personally in support of medical marijuana, Florida’s Ron DeSantis said that he is willing to concede to his constituents and enact the medical marijuana program they voted for.
6. C-
Greg Abbott ® Texas
Larry Hogan ® Maryland
Jim Justice ® West Virginia
Chris Sununu ® New Hampshire
The lower C grades were issued to Republicans who have shown at least some support for cannabis legislation.
7. D+
Charlie Baker ® Massachusetts
Eric Holcomb ® Indiana
Brian Kemp ® Georgia
Kevin Stitt ® Oklahoma
Both Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma and Charlie Baker of Massachusetts are vocally opposed to cannabis legislation, but are enacting the pro-cannabis legislation voted into law in their respective states.
Governors Brian Kemp and Eric Holcomb have voiced some support for CBD and other non-intoxicating cannabinoids.
8. D
Matt Bevin ® Kentucky
Doug Burgum ® North Dakota
Roy Cooper (D) North Carolina
Mark Gordon ® Wyoming
Asa Hutchinson ® Arkansas
Bill Lee ® Tennessee
Henry McMaster ® South Carolina
Kim Reynolds ® Iowa
9. D-
Phil Bryant ® Mississippi
Doug Ducey ® Arizona
Gary Herbert ® Utah