James Talarico is just slightly edged ahead of Ken Paxton in the Texas run for the Senate seat, and the difference couldn’t be any starker.
A young, bright-eyed democrat facing off against an older, corrupt Republican. Their views on marijuana are also at each extreme end of the spectrum. Ken Paxton has spent his years as State Attorney General suing local governments who tried to decriminalize marijuana in their jurisdiction despite voters approving the mandate, and vehemently opposes legalization. Talarico, on the other hand, has just come out in favor of legalization, and says he would help the transition if elected.
“Like prohibition, bans don’t work. Texans aren’t going to stop smoking weed because politicians in Austin or D.C. told them not to. People will still use THC, but instead of getting it safely from regulated, local small businesses, they’ll get it from the black market, from the drug cartels.”
“In the Senate, I’ll support legalizing marijuana for adults—regulating and imposing taxes on its sales to support public safety and health programs.”
The choice for Texans couldn’t have any more contrast, and it’ll be huge for the state if Talarico follows through in a few weeks.
Read the original story at The Texas Tribune.
