A group representing Michigan marijuana businesses is endorsing the Republican candidate for governor due to his pledge to cut taxes on the industry, but a Democratic senator says the GOP politician can’t be trusted to follow through in light of his track record of opposing cannabis reform.
Last week, the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association (MiCIA) said it supports John James as the state’s next governor, citing his promise to repeal or significantly roll back a new 24 percent wholesale cannabis tax that was enacted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and the Democratic-controlled legislature to raise funds for road and bridge repairs.
Sen. Jeff Irwin (D), however, told Marijuana Moment that James “has not been a friend to legalization” citing comments from 2018 when he said he would “personally be voting no” on the ballot initiative that ultimately legalized recreational cannabis in the state that year.
While James also said at the time that “should it pass, I will respect the will of the voters,” Irwin argued that “actions speak louder than words, so I don’t believe these thin campaign promises.”
James “has not supported our efforts in Congress and is in lock step with law enforcement lobby groups that oppose legalization and access,” Irwin told Marijuana Moment.
No major cannabis-related votes have taken place under the U.S. House’s Republican majority during James’s time serving in the chamber since 2023. He hasn’t sponsored or cosponsored any bills to legalize marijuana under federal law or respect state laws on the issue.
James did sign on as a supporter of the Hemp Enforcement, Modernization, and Protection Act, which would federally regulate hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
“That is his record of action,” Irwin said.
The endorsement by MiCIA, a group representing Michigan marijuana businesses, marks a notable split within the state’s cannabis policy debate, as the organization cited James’s tax pledge as the basis for its support while Irwin questioned whether the pledge would be honored.
The 24 percent wholesale cannabis tax that James has promised to repeal or significantly roll back was enacted to raise funds for road and bridge repairs, according to the announcement of the endorsement.
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