Visit the Secretary of State’s website to register or verify your registration and request an absentee ballot — the primary election is scheduled for June 9!
In the wake of yet another disappointing legislative session for cannabis advocates in West Virginia, the 2020 election season presents an important opportunity to replace prohibitionists with public officials who are serious about legalizing cannabis. The primary election is scheduled for June 9, but you may also choose to vote early or by absentee ballot — in light of COVID-19, the state has announced that all voters are eligible for absentee ballots.
West Virginia’s voter registration deadline is Tuesday, May 19. If you’re already registered to vote, please take a moment to verify your registration on the Secretary of State’s website and, if you desire, request an absentee ballot.
And if you aren’t registered yet, now would be a great time to register!
In one race that is of particular interest, the Democratic Party’s primary features several candidates seeking the nomination to run for governor against the Republican incumbent, Gov. Jim Justice, who signed the medical cannabis bill in 2017 but later declared himself to be “adamantly, adamantly, etched in stone, adamantly against recreational marijuana.”
At least two of the three leading Democratic candidates for governor would certainly be much better on cannabis policy than Gov. Justice:
- Stephen Smith has repeatedly indicated his support for cannabis legalization throughout the campaign, including at a debate in March.
- State Senator Ron Stollings spoke in favor of medical cannabis legislation in 2017 as a medical doctor and chairman of the Senate Health Committee, and in 2020 he sponsored a bill seeking to add home cultivation to the law.
- Ben Salango is not known to have publicly expressed a position on cannabis policy.
Finally, voters may be interested in the statewide election for West Virginia Supreme Court, where three of five seats will be up for grabs. The candidates include Justice Tim Armstead, who vigorously opposed medical cannabis during his time as Speaker of the House, and former Justice Richard Neely, who has penned several op-eds in support of cannabis legalization, such as this one.
Please share this message with your friends and family and encourage them to register and vote!