In California State Election, Feinstein Faces Challenge from a Cannabis Liberal

October 18,2017 California

A reelection is on the cards in the Golden State of California where Dianne Feinstein, senator from San Francisco, who is considered the Thatcher in local politics, has to face a challenge from his fellow Democrat state senator, Kevin de Leon, who right now is also serving as the pro Tempore President of the California State Senate. Leon has 100 percent approval ratings from all the marijuana advocates since he voted for marijuana reforms.

But still, the Democratic senator is not considered as a person in charge on marijuana policy. He has the support of marijuana advocates just because of the fact that he is passive to the state legislation monitoring the regulation of the cannabis industry.

The director of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML) believes that Leon has a better record than Dianne Feinstein, pointing out that, “Cannabis is not his issue, but he has voted the right way”.

On the other hand, Feinstein, a State senator from San Francisco since 1992, is a well-known drug warrior. Throughout her time in the senate, she has always voted against every type of drug reform bill. Whether, it’s medical marijuana bill from the 90s or a recent Rohrabacher-Farr amendment that restricts authorities from acting against legalized medical marijuana ventures and users.

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Due to the above stated reasons, advocates of medical marijuana in the state are pleased with the fact that Leon is going to challenge Feinstein in the 2018 Democratic primary.

Don Duncan is a famous marijuana business consultant in California commended Leon’s campaign announcement. However, he is not sure of his chances.

Duncan said, “I definitely will vote for him, but I think he will lose. I think Dianne Feinstein is out of touch with the values of California. She has never been a big supporter of cannabis as medicine. There is just a huge disconnect and it’s time for new guard.”

Voting History of De Leon’s

In previous year’s movement for Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana act, Leon remained impartial. In 2016’s campaign season he said to a press briefing that, “I’m not there yet. I don’t know if I’m behind the times in comparison to other folks, but I still have my concerns. I have yet to make a final determination where I will stand as an individual citizen on this issue.”

He showed his concerns over greater THC substance in many cannabis strains presently sold in the State dispensaries.

However, de Leon got a perfect score from the Forum Drug Policy for votes on marijuana issue in the legislative session of 2015-2016. He supported the legislation against discrimination towards medical cannabis patients who were waiting for their organ transplants. He also voted in favor of an omnibus bill that demanded regulation and legalization of state-licensed medical marijuana.

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He also supported the bills that called for the regulation of commercial transportation of cannabis and ended fines for paying taxes in cash. The later proposition is very reassuring for all the marijuana businesses that are deprived from most banking services.

A political consultant from Sacramento, Steve Maviglio, dissected the politics and actions of de Leon. He pointed out that marijuana reforms were never on the front burner of what he had done in the legislature. Although he thinks that Leon will call attention to Feinstein’s opposition to marijuana liberalization to prove that she doesn’t understand the current ground realities.

Maviglio suggested that Feinstein is not only vulnerable in next senator’s election just because of her position on cannabis. Her nonconforming attitude and her recent pacifying remarks about President Trump also shows that she is very much out of loop with the voters and state she represents.

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