Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has been supportive of legalization of marijuana for medical purposes since her election to office in 2012. Her support has been crucial for marijuana policy in the Senate, and her re-election is in question.
Sen. Warren is facing Republican candidate Geoff Diehl, who is staunchly against marijuana reform, as he has shown with a platform that focuses on job creation, taxes, and fighting the drug epidemic, but makes no mention of marijuana as a viable medical treatment or in any other capacity.
Meanwhile, Warren has been a supporter of various measures in the Senate to legalize marijuana. This support included voting for Massachusetts’ recreational marijuana initiative, which was approved in 2016, and as a lead sponsor of the STATES Act. Her support has won her recognition as one of the top five senators currently in office that provide key support for marijuana legalization measures.
Warren’s battle may not be as close as some people believe, however. Some polls show the incumbent to be ahead by as many as 26 points, although Diehl does not believe those polls are to be taken at their face value. Diehl believes he has a good chance for success at the polls.
Diehl noted that similar polls had him at equal chance of success in the spring primaries, while the results of those had Diehl claiming the nomination by earning 55% of the votes submitted.
Warren leads Diehl in campaign funds by as much as $15 million, and her goals are much higher than retaining her Senate seat. Warren has plans to run for the 2020 Presidential election. Diehl maintains that these goals have shifted her focus somewhat and given him the chance to reach the voters in a more personal manner.
Diehl also notes that his support of current President Donald Trump has not won him much favour with Democrats, but he believes that his relationship with Trump will be seen as an advantage. Likewise, his position in the Republican party will put him in the majority party if he is elected to the Senate, providing him with an advantage to accomplish more for his Massachusetts constituents.
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