Like many of you, on Wednesday I woke up with an unfamiliar feeling: Hope. The Blue Wave is truly an exciting and momentous moment. We all deserve to breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the reawakening of hope.
Our excitement needs to translate into action in short order. We need to hold the New Congress accountable to what we sent them there to do. That includes asking them to hold nefarious state actors accountable for their high crimes. It also includes holding Democrats accountable to drive truly transformative change on issues like affordability, healthcare, climate change, and economic inequality.
The wide margins they swept in with means that they have a mandate for action. A mandate to create a different future that young folks are begging for. A mandate to take big swings. Among those big swings, A Green Revolution, true cannabis reform and justice.
Before we get into the future, let's step back and appreciate how pivotal the Stoner Voter has been in the 2026 midterm elections, from ballot initiatives, to governorships, and all the way to the Senate.
Popular State Victories
Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly rejected Question 8, an effort to roll back adult use in their state. The measure was blocked by 76% of voters, with only 24% voting in support of the repeal. Voters made it clear that they already embraced legal adult use marijuana, and resoundingly rejected the effort to roll back progress.
Idaho voters were posed with a peculiar ballot initiative that asked them to eliminate their right to legalize substances through ballot measures, designating the authority exclusively to the state legislature. Voters widely rejected the measure by a margin of 66% against removing voters rights and 34% in favor.
Houston, Texas voters favored a ballot initiative to make misdemeanor marijuana possession “the lowest possible enforcement priority” for local police. This measure passed overwhelmingly with 76% of voters approving and 24% opposing.
Stoner Voters Delivered in Texas
Texas was ground zero for the legalization fight in hemp and cannabis for the last year and a half. State actors took dramatic effort to try to completely quash their state legal hemp derived cannabinoid market. The industry in Texas, and their Stoner Voters, have been up in arms and organizing a coordinated fight to prevent these measures from implementation and enforcement. While legal weed wasn’t explicitly on the state ballot, everyone knew what the forces behind the rollback were.
In a cringeworthy press conference last year, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick proclaimed, “I’m not going to legalize marijuana in Texas. And if people want to vote me out of office for that, so be it.” Texans said: BET. In fact, Texans spoke loud and clear that the forces in the state government that were wrecking their hemp market had to go.
They organized. They showed up. They got it done. After years of failed Democratic Senate candidates in Texas, this year turned out much different. The mobilization of the Stoner Voter in Texas was no doubt a huge part of creating a blue wave in the formerly deep red state.
Talarico Plans to Blaze a Path Nationally
Texas Senator-Elect James Talarico has already indicated he will not take the Stoner Voter for granted. The day after the election he came out swinging when he went on Fox News and declared, “I agree with the president on the need to legalize marijuana and reform this broken criminal justice system.”
A statement like this coming from a Presbyterian seminarian turned politician in a formerly deep red state just hits different than if it came from known Democratic strongholds. Talarico is truly in touch with the politics that have created a generational shift in Texas, and he knows legal weed is a winning issue. He knows the Stoner Voter shows up. He knows he has a mandate to deliver for them in the Senate. And he knows it is high time for real comprehensive reform.
Talarico may just be the leader we need to drive the sea change we deserve, but he is not the only transformative new leader walking into the Congress in 2027. The huge margins won in the House and Senate will truly disrupt the conversation, disrupt the stalemate, disrupt the hand-wringing that has kept Democrats from fully embracing reform until now. Talarico may just be the leader we need to drive the sea change we deserve.
Hemp Remains on a Cliff's Edge
None of these newly elected leaders will be in place before the hemp ban goes into effect on December 11th. Small businesses across the country are bracing for the cliff, praying they can survive the uncertainty long enough to keep their businesses alive. The situation is dire and cannot wait for a new Congress.
The good news is that Trump wants the hemp ban to get fixed, the bad news is Mitch McConnell is the one that is in his way, but the good news is Mitch McConnell will only be in office till the end of this year (unless fate intervenes). While hopes for the ban to get lifted are not great, it is plausible that the current Congress could vote to kick the can down the road for a second time, delaying implementation until next year. If that is the case, it will be up to the Democrats in charge in 2027 to fix the issue. Plenty of Democrats have spoken in support of not just lifting this hemp ban, but passing legislation to truly create a better path forward for the plant.
The pressure of the ban’s implications for small businesses, combined with the sweeping blue wave, means we have a momentous opportunity to swing big and reset our government’s policy on this plant once and for all. Democrats will soon have no one to blame but themselves if they cannot seize this moment, and voters are demanding real reform, real justice. It is high time for Democrats to get behind decriminalization.
Trump Loves Aligning with Winners and Weed is a Winning Issue
What about the Trump of it all? Like it or not, we are stuck with him for the next 2 years (unless, again, fate intervenes). But the thing about Trump: he loves to align himself with the winners. He loves to brand himself as the ultimate dealmaker, especially with adversaries. He loves to take credit, and the truth is we cannot do this without him right now.
I truly believe that if Democrats passed decriminalization Trump would sign it. He wants to ride this wave in an attempt to save his legacy, and if that helps us get legal weed once and for all, I am not going to be mad about it. If the Democrats fail to seize this momentous opportunity, I will be.
Stoner Voters Need to Stay Locked In
The Stoner Voter needs to put the heat on the new Congress the moment they are sworn in. As an accomplice to this plant, I promise to deliver you the tools you need to use your voice effectively to hold the new Democratic majority accountable for action.
Until then, enjoy this hopium high, but stay locked in for the next round in this fight.
