Cannabis is in the spotlight of many debates these days, especially in Pennsylvania where Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano is running against Democratic nominee, Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
While Shapiro has expressed support for cannabis policy change, Mastriano — who is backed by former President Donald Trump — calls it a "stupid idea."
"I mean, there's nothing good that's come out of this," Mastriano responded to a listener's question about legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania during a radio show on Newstalk earlier this year.
See Also: Cannabis Legalization Decreases Impaired Driving
Mastriano, who peddled Trump's lies about election fraud, won the Republican primary for Pennsylvania governor back in May.
Shapiro currently leads Mastriano in a new poll conducted by Emerson College.
Which Companies Should Take Note
Considering the ongoing clash over recreational cannabis, investors in companies with operations in Pennsylvania would be wise to take note of how the governor race unfolds ahead of Nov. 8.
Among the stocks that have expanded into the Keystone State include: Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (CSE:CURA) (OTCQX:CURLF); Verano Holdings Corp. (CSE:VRNO)(OTCQX:VRNOF); Ayr Wellness Inc. (OTCQX:AYRWF)(CSE:AYR); Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE:TRUL)(OTCQX:TCNNF); Jushi Holdings Inc. (CSE:JUSH)(OTCQB:JUSHF); TerrAscend Corp. (CSE:TER)(OTCQX:TRSSF); Green Thumb Industries (OTC:GTBIF); Columbia Care Inc. (OTCQX:CCHWF)(CSE:CCHW); and Delta 9 Cannabis Inc. (TSX:DN) (OTCQX:VRNDF).
But it's not just the gubernatorial candidates to be mindful of, since Pennsylvania's Senate candidates have beef over marijuana as well.
In a new animated ad, Republican candidate Mehmet Oz recently ridiculed Lt. Gov. John Fetterman for his stance on cannabis legalization.
The animated video opens with a bong coming out of the Fetterman's head while the narrator asks, amid coughing, "what's this?" The video criticizes other segments of Fetterman's campaign as well, calling his ideas "crazy, nuts, and ridiculous."
Conservative media pundit Ann Coulter added fuel to the fire with a recently published Substack post titled "The Tweet John Fetterman Doesn't Want You to See." Coulter alleges Fetterman, a Democrat, deleted a tweet of himself showing a cannabis flag (even though the post from January is still online).
Fetterman remains steadfast in his push for marijuana legalization. He recently urged President Joe Biden to deschedule marijuana from its classification as a Schedule I drug.
"It's long past time that we finally decriminalize marijuana," Fetterman said in a press release. "The president needs to use his executive authority to begin descheduling marijuana, I would love to see him do this prior to his visit to Pittsburgh."
Photo: Courtesy of Peter Pike by Pixabay and Wikimeda Commons
