As the old saying goes, you don't know the players if you don't have a scorecard. So let's break down where our elected leaders stand on the devil's lettuce. (Washington Governor Jay Inslee received an 'A'—a raise since the publication of NORML's 2018 report, from B+.)
NORML determined:
• 27 US governors received a passing grade of 'C' or higher (22 Democrats, 5 Republicans)
• Of these, nine US governors — all Democrats — received an 'A' grade; this marks a significant increase since 2018, when only two governors received 'A' grades
• Ten governors received a 'B' grade (9 Democrats, 1 Republican)
• Eight governors received a 'C' grade (4 Republicans, 4 Democrats)
• Fifteen governors — all Republicans — received a 'D' grade
• Four governors — all Republicans — received a 'F' grade
• Four governors received no grade because of insufficient data
• Of the 23 Republican governors receiving a letter grade, only five (21 percent) received a passing grade of 'C' or higher
• Of the 23 Democratic governors receiving a letter grade, all of them (100 percent) received a passing grade of 'C' or higher
• Among the 20 governors taking office for the first time in 2019, six (30 percent) received an 'A' grade. All are Democrats.
A Gallup poll taken in October 2018 showed a 66 percent support for cannabis legalization, including majorities of "self-identified Democrats, Republicans and Independents." As NORML notes, a program of regulated cannabis remains very much a partisan issue, with a whopping zero percent of Republican governors on record of support, while nearly half of the Democratic counterparts are.
