US State Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Back Recreational Marijuana Legalization

Two Kansas Democrats running for governor, state Sens. Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson, announced Tuesday that they support legalizing recreational marijuana, distinguishing themselves from rivals who back only medical use or oppose legalization entirely. Both are competing in the August 4 Democratic primary against Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog, who says he'd prioritize medical marijuana first. Holscher posted a video filmed outside a Missouri dispensary roughly 15 minutes from her Overland Park home, noting the lot was packed with Kansas-plated vehicles. Missouri legalized recreational cannabis nearly four years ago. "That's a lot of Kansas tax dollars going straight into Missouri's pocket," she said, adding that most Kansas voters already favor legalization and the state is losing potential school and public-service funding. She cited Missouri collecting $255 million in cannabis tax revenue last year. "We should allow adults who choose to buy cannabis to do it in Kansas, and use it safely and responsibly," Holscher said. "Legal cannabis is common sense, and it's time to make it happen." Corson said Kansas is one of the few remaining states where marijuana is entirely illegal, and called for legalizing both medical and recreational use. "Kansas is falling behind while people suffering from chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, and other serious conditions are denied relief, and tax dollars that could be invested into education here are crossing the border into other states," he said. "As governor, I will support thoughtful legalization, with commonsense guardrails that protect public safety while respecting personal freedom and increasing revenues." No leading Republican gubernatorial candidate supports legalization for any purpose, including Senate President Ty Masterson of Andover, who has stalled medical marijuana bills. An exception is Republican candidate Nick Reinecker, a longtime decriminalization advocate, who said Tuesday he would work to de-schedule cannabis and remove criminal penalties for possession and cultivation. Holscher has previously pushed other broadly popular but politically unconventional positions, including a data center construction moratorium, criticism of incentives that helped lure the Kansas City Chiefs across state lines, and opposition to a new school cellphone ban. A survey last year by Fort Hays State University's Docking Institute of Public Affairs found 64.8% of Kansas adults support recreational legalization and 70.4% support medical legalization. Skoog, on a recent Kansas Reflector podcast appearance, said he would direct running mate Jennifer Bacani McKenney, a Fredonia physician, to develop a medical marijuana plan driven by patient need, and said he could "potentially" back recreational legalization later, provided regulations kept criminal elements out, similar to alcohol oversight.