CannaScore: Where Do the Candidates Stand on Cannabis?

Motif’s team took to the emails, the phones and even tracked down those candidates and office holders we could find in person to try to find out where they stand on the issue of legalizing cannabis so we could share that with you. Three things surprised us:

1.There was a lot more agreement than we expected that cannabis should be legalized. Although there are certainly some who disagree, the primary contention causing slow action seems to revolve around how to execute that legalization. Of course, it could also be true that the nay-sayers are not answering surveys like this.

2. It was extremely labor-intensive, involving a team of 10 callers from four different organizations working over a span of several weeks (not full time, naturally, but still a LOT of person-hours) to get the responses we got. Why were so many unwilling or unable to respond? It seems unlikely they were on summer vacation for several weeks. We got two interesting off-the-record responses to this specific question. One senator told us, “We get one or two surveys a day at this time of year. The overload just makes it hard to pay attention.” A rep told us (on condition of anonymity), “It just doesn’t really make any difference. The people we represent don’t pay that kind of attention to where their reps stand on specific issues – it’s not how we get elected, so we don’t really pay attention to communicating with the public about where we stand on most issues.” Motif will explore this issue further in our upcoming politics issue.

3. Those who did respond almost all used our free-response section of the survey to elaborate on their answers, so those who did engage mostly did so with intelligence and gusto!

Whether you should vote based on a single issue is another question to consider. Usually, the answer is no – but we know from reader surveys that there are some who would be single issue voters around this topic, and since Motif, which generally tries to avoid taking political stances (except for anti- corruption), has shown a definitive preference for cannabis legalization, we thought some readers would find these results interesting. If you are opposed to legalization, you can simply reverse the grades – an A would become an F, a B becomes a D, C stays the same, and so forth.

Here are the legislators who responded, plus a few who answered a similar inquiry made by the ProJo a few months ago. Legislators who responded to the ProJo but not this survey are listed with asterices. That full story can be found at…

Legislators who didn’t respond yet have a standing invite to do so – results will be posted online through election day.

For full details on points and how grading was done mathematically, visit Motifri.com, where there will be links to a full website coming soon.

Questions Asked:

1. Do you support regulating and taxing marijuana similarly to alcohol? How soon?

2. Do you support allowing towns and municipalities to authorize social marijuana use at certain marijuana retail outlets (cannabis cafes), provided that they are limited to adults who are 21 or older?

3. Do you support allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes if authorized by a patient’s doctor?

4. If marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol, would you favor allowing edible marijuana products to be sold in retail outlets if they are packaged and labeled appropriately?

5. Do you favor expanding the number of licensed medical marijuana compassion centers in ?

6. Do you favor the idea of prohibiting employers from testing job applicants for marijuana as a condition for employment, unless the drug tests are required under federal law?

7. Do you favor the idea of allowing individuals who are 21 or older to cultivate a limited number marijuana plants in their home?

8. Do you support the Rhode Island marijuana decriminalization law, which replaced criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana with a civil fine similar to a traffic ticket?

Information Collected:

Name, Office, Incumbent or Candidate, and which district? Party and Grade Joe Almeida Representative Incumbent 12 Democrat A+

Antonio F. Avila Representative Not Incumbent 69 Republican A+

Joseph Cardillo Representative Not Incumbent 40 Democrat A+

Nicholas Delmenico Representative Not Incumbent 27 Democrat A+

William Deware Representative Not Incumbent 54 Democrat A+

Matthew James Fecteau Senator Not Incumbent 8 Democrat A+ Michael Gazdacko Representative Not Incumbent 9 Democrat A+

Jonathan Hernandez Senator Not Incumbent 6 Democrat A+

Stacia Huyler Representative Not Incumbent 24 Republican A+ John Lombardi Representative Incumbent 8 Democrat A+

Andrew E. Maguire Representative Not Incumbent 59 Independent A+

Joshua Miller Senator Incumbent 28 Democrat A+

Lisa Scorpio Representative Not Incumbent 13 Democrat A+

Jennifer Siciliano Representative Not Incumbent 22 Democrat A+

Scott Slater Representative Incumbent 10 Democrat A+

Joseph J. Solomon Jr. Representative Incumbent 22 Democrat A+

Moira Walsh Representative Not Incumbent 3 Democrat A+

Edith Ajello Representative Incumbent 1 Democrat A+* (didn’t answer survey but was primary sponsor of prior legalization)

Brent Barrows Senator Not Incumbent 22 Republican A

Ryan Hall Representative Not Incumbent 28 Democrat A

William Hunt Representative Not Incumbent 68 Libertarian A

David Norton Representative Not Incumbent 60 Democrat A

Thomas Palangio Representative Incumbent 3 Democrat A

Victor Regino Representative Not Incumbent 11 Independent A

Jonathan Vallecilla Representative Not Incumbent 58 Independent A

Luis A. Vargas Representative Not Incumbent 12 Independent A David Bennett Representative Incumbent 20 Democrat A*

Chris Blazejewski Representative Incumbent 2 Democrat A*

Brian Newberry Representative Incumbent 48 Republican A* (consistent co-sponsor and legislative supporter)

Dominick Ruggerio Senator Incumbent 4 Democrat A* (co-sponsor of legislation last year and spoke publically in support)

Bradley Collins Representative Not Incumbent 46 Independent A-

Dennis Lavallee Senator Not Incumbent 17 Democrat A-

Aaron Regunberg Representative Incumbent 4 Democrat A-

Gregg Amore Representative Incumbent 65 Democrat B+

Andrew C. Knutton Representative Not Incumbent 21 Independent B+

David Kruzona Representative Not Incumbent 21 Democrat B+

Vincent Marzullo Representative Not Incumbent 26 Independent B+

Lori Barden Representative Not Incumbent 59 Independent B

Lauren Carson Representative Incumbent 75 Democrat B

Frank Ciccone Senator Incumbent 7 Democrat B

Grace Diaz Representative Incumbent 11 Democrat B Ewa Dzwierzynski Representative Not Incumbent 34 Democrat B

Rob Goldman Representative Not Incumbent 11 Democrat B

Laura Perez Representative Not Incumbent 11 Democrat B

Mark Zaccaria Representative Not Incumbent 32 Republican B

Michael McCaffrey Senator Incumbent 29 Democrat B* (co-sponsor of legislation, but no public statements)

Cale Keable Representative Incumbent 47 Democrat B* (in ProJo survey, says he “leans” towards legalization) Harold M. Metts Senator Incumbent 6 Democrat B-

Adam Satchell Senator Incumbent 9 Democrat C+

Russell Hryzan Senator Not Incumbent 6 Independent D

Robert Jacquard Representative Incumbent 17 Democrat D* (voted for medical marijuana in 2006; did not vote either way for decrim)

James Sheehan Senator Incumbent 36 Democrat D* (voted for medical marijuana in 2006; did not vote either way for decrim)

Jim Seveney Senator Not Incumbent 11 Democrat D-

Robert Craven Sr. Representative Incumbent 32 Democrat F*

Mark Gee Senator Incumbent 35 Republican F*

Antonio Giarrusso Representative Incumbent 30 Republican F*

Elaine Morgan Senator Incumbent 34 Republican F*

Patricia Morgan Representative Incumbent 26 Republican F* (opposes legalization in ProJo survey; voted against decrim)

John Pagliarini Senator Incumbent 11 Republican F*