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

North Carolina Senate candidates divided over marijuana pardons

As the midterms approach, the race for the Senate heats up, as do debates on issues such as the legalization of marijuana.

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

Budd said he doesn't support Biden's decision to call it "all-around bad" because it sends a damaging message to young people, The Daily Tar Heel reported.

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On the contrary, Beasley, who supports the legalization of the recreational and medical use of cannabis, said she was eager "to hear more about this rule proposal from the President ". However, she stressed that it is important to "stand firm in understanding the benefits of legalizing marijuana".

Texas marijuana activists want to decriminalize marijuana and prepare a new initiative for the 2023 San Antonio ballot

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

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

The measure states that "it is the policy of the City of San Antonio to use its available resources and authority to achieve three overriding purposes: first, to reduce the contribution of the city to mass incarceration; second, to mitigate racially discriminatory law enforcement practices; and third, to save scarce public resources for greater public needs."

Additionally, the latest push is for San Antonio law enforcement to "not issue citations or make arrests for misdemeanor Class A Marijuana Possession or B" and "consider the smell of marijuana or hemp as the probable cause of any search or seizure."

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

California lawmakers push for cannabis task force

California Governor Gavin Newsom's newly created Unified Law Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) seeks to crack down on illegal marijuana operations.

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

Now Congresswoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) is spearheading a new initiative to create a marijuana task force. She urges officials in the Attorney General's office to "root corruption and provide a roadmap for future cannabis licensing in the state," The Downey Patriot reported.

"I asked the California Department of Justice to create a statewide cannabis task force...