Fuck you:
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) said this week that his state shouldn’t legalize recreational marijuana because it would hinder the economic fortunes of poor people. Wealthier states can better afford to handle the substance, he added.
“I do not see how in combating poverty you can put one more obstacle in front of people who are struggling to get out of poverty,” Pearce said Thursday, “so I don’t see where I would support recreational marijuana.”
A wealthier state, the congressman added, could more easily absorb the allegedly deleterious effects of legal marijuana.
“People [point to] other states and say, ‘Well, Colorado is doing it just fine,’” Pearce continued. “Colorado has a much deeper economic base to rely on. Colorado has much deeper pockets to rely on.”
As for New Mexico, he said, “We’re at the bottom of everything ― and to say that we want to make one more [obstacle] for people who are just trying to get themselves on their feet and get back in the workforce and work their way out, I just don’t see how it fits. I don’t see how it fits that we’re going to deal with addiction and yet we’re going to people, ‘This one is OK.’”
Pearce is considered the GOP frontrunner in this race. The Democratic frontrunner, Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D. NM), stated her support for legalizing recreational marijuana in New Mexico late last year:
U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham of Albuquerque — considered the front-runner in the Democratic primary on the basis of the money she has raised and the endorsements she has picked up, said in a statement, "I am committed to working with the Legislature to move towards legalizing recreational cannabis in a way that improves public safety, boosts state revenues, and allows for New Mexico businesses to grow into this new market."
In order to accomplish that, Lujan Grisham said, "we need to conduct a thorough analysis of recreational cannabis programs in other states, which will help us craft appropriate laws to keep our children safe and to implement effective (driving while intoxicated) enforcement. If we move forward, we must ensure New Mexicans reap the economic benefits of cannabis legalization and we do not jeopardize the current New Mexico medical cannabis industry and existing producers."
We are on the verge of picking up this Governor’s seat but we have to make sure our base is energized and ready to go and let’s make sure Lujan Grisham’s campaign keeps up the momentum. Click here to donate and get involved with Lujan Grisham’s campaign.