NORML Releases Updated and Revised 2016 Congressional Scorecard

By The Daily Chronic on September 27, 2016News Favorite Article

Today is National Voter Registration Day and we are pleased to present this valuable voter education tool to the marijuana movement: NORMLs updated and revised 2016 Congressional Scorecard. The Scorecard is an all-encompassing database that assigns a letter grade of A (the highest grade possible) to F (the lowest grade possible) to members of Congress based on their comments and voting records on matters specific to marijuana policy.

KEY FINDINGS

Of the 535 members of the 114th Congress:

330 members (62%) received a passing grade of C or higher (270 Representatives and 60 Senators)
Of these, 22 members (4%) received a grade of A (20 Representatives and 2 Senators)
254 members (47%) received a B grade (218 Representatives and 36 Senators)
54 members (10%) received a C grade (32 Representatives and 22 Senators)
172 members (32%) received a D grade (149 Representatives and 23 Senators)
32 members (6%) received a failing grade (16 Representatives and 16 Senators)
60 Senators (60%) received a passing grade of a C or higher (Two As, 36 Bs, and 22 Cs)
270 Representatives (62%) received a passing grade of a C or higher (20 As, 218 Bs, and 32 Cs)
Of the 233 Democrats in Congress, 215 (92%) received a passing grade of a C or higher
Of the 302 Republicans in Congress, 113 members (37%) received a passing grade of C or higher

This analysis affirms that voters views on marijuana policy are well ahead of many of their federally elected officials. While the majorityof Americans support legalizing the use and sale of cannabis for adults, only four percent of Congressional members voice support for this position. Approximately half (51%) of federal lawmakers favor liberalizing medical cannabis policies. However, this percentage remains far below the level of support frequently expressed by voters in state and national polls.

Also evident is that Congressional support for marijuana law reform is largely a partisan issue. While more than nine out of ten Democrats express support for some level of reform, just over one-third of Republicans hold similar positions. This partisanship lies in contrast to voters sentiments, which tend to view the subject as a non-partisan issue. For example, recent polls from swing states show that super-majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents endorse medical marijuana legalization. Further, most Republican voters embrace principles of federalism with regard to cannabis policy. Nonetheless, Republican support for ...