The Democratic and Republican national conventions barely touched on federal marijuana reform.
The Republicans didn’t even write a new platform.
And the Democratic platform fell short of supporting the efforts congressional Democrats have made in the past year toward federal marijuana legalization and cannabis banking reform.
Nevertheless, Washington DC lobbyists and industry experts expect Democratic lawmakers – regardless of the election outcome – to push forward with a pro-marijuana reform agenda.
By contrast, President Trump, if reelected, is likely to be satisfied more by the status quo unless politically motivated to act otherwise.
And if Democratic challenger Joe Biden, who seems very reluctant to embrace marijuana, wins the presidency?
“With Kamala Harris as the V.P., I think she’ll pull Biden along,” said David Mangone, director of policy and government affairs for The Liaison Group, a Washington DC firm that lobbies for the National Cannabis Roundtable.
Mangone and others noted that the California senator is the lead sponsor in the Senate of the MORE Act, a social justice-focused measure that would legalize marijuana federally by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act.