As a lifelong independent who grew up in the inland Northwest, I’ve always believed in states’ rights and that government policy should reflect the will of the people. In the inland Northwest—Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana—we’re fiercely independent and staunch believers in self-reliance. Growing up in this region, I spent my summers on the lake and my falls in the woods; Washington, D.C. felt a million miles away.
Through hard work, determination, and a bit of luck, I built one of the largest cannabis companies in the United States. As Executive Chairman of Harvest Health and Recreation, I helped lead the company to a successful sale to Trulieve for more than $2 billion. Since leaving Harvest, I have gone on to buy and sell several other cannabis companies and now lead Story Cannabis, a multistate operator with more than 600 employees across five states.
While building this business, I spent time in urban, rural, and suburban America, getting to know my customers and employees. Although these businesses were far from my Northern Idaho roots and culturally diverse, I noticed a common thread: Everyone wanted fair wages for a decent day’s work, the ability to provide for their families, to live in safe neighborhoods, and to achieve a better quality of life than their parents had. Whether in Cincinnati, Ohio, or Abell, Maryland, I realized we all desire the same things for our families, communities, and country.
So why do we find ourselves in a political vortex of red versus blue, rural versus urban, and labor versus business? I believe it’s because our presidential candidates’ consultants are not listening to the very people who want to vote for their candidate.
Here’s some free advice for both the Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigns: One of the fastest-growing industries in America is in the agriculture sector: cannabis. This industry, in battleground states alone, generates billions in revenue and employs tens of thousands of people. When this issue has been on the ballot, voter turnout has rivaled the turnout for pro-life or pro-choice initiatives.
This is a new voter demographic, many of whom are undecided—the cannabis voter—and they will decide the outcome of this election.
Forty states have legalized cannabis for medical and/or recreational use, reflecting the growing public support for legalization. According to a January 2024 Pew Research Center survey of 5,140 adults, an overwhelming 88 percent of U.S. adults believe marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use. While there is a difference in approval ratings between Democrats and Republicans, the next election will hinge on independent voters in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina. Of these seven swing states, five have legalized cannabis in some form; only Wisconsin and North Carolina remain holdouts. Ironically, North Carolina has one of the most liberal intoxicating hemp programs in the nation.
The electoral significance of this issue cannot be overstated. For instance, in the 2020 election, President Joe Biden defeated former President Trump in Arizona by just 10,457 votes—a margin of just 0.3 percent of the total votes cast. There are more than 20,000 cannabis workers in the state of Arizona. What if Trump had courted those voters? Maybe the election would have turned out differently. Biden lost Florida to Trump by four points the same year. What if he courted the cannabis voters in Florida?
A dozen states were decided by five percentage points or less in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. In 2020, these states included Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Notably, six of these states, which were decided by razor-thin margins, have legalized cannabis.
According to staffing agency Vangst’s 2024 jobs report, there are 46,746 cannabis employees in Michigan, 23,402 in Pennsylvania, 12,825 in Nevada, and 30,238 in Florida. These types of numbers can change the outcome of a race.
Consider Arizona: In November 2020, Proposition 207 legalized the possession and use of cannabis for adults aged 21 and older. The measure passed with more than 60 percent support, garnering 1,956,440 votes in favor. Similarly, Michigan’s Proposal 1 in 2018 made the state the first in the Midwest to legalize recreational marijuana for adults. The measure passed with 55.89 percent of the vote, receiving 2,354,640 votes in support. Nevada’s Question 2, which legalized cannabis in 2017, passed with 54.47 percent support and 602,463 votes. The trend is clear.
In a new poll released August 31 by Ragnar Research, undecided voters in the key swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin strongly support marijuana reform, with 84 percent of respondents in favor of medical cannabis and 62 percent backing broader adult-use legalization. The poll also found nearly two in three Florida voters (65 percent) support an adult-use legalization measure on that state’s November ballot.
This issue is the sleeper campaign issue of 2024. It can be tied into the top concerns: the economy, border security, healthcare, and crime. Whichever campaign engages first and most forcefully will win in the key battleground states.
Presidential candidates can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines of federal cannabis reform. Both campaigns must take a vocal stance on policy reform. Vice President Harris has shown support for cannabis legalization and still has time to make it a central part of her messaging. The Trump campaign needs to be more vocal on this issue. Both campaigns have a unique opportunity to advocate for cannabis schedule reform, banking reform, access to capital markets, expungement reform, healthcare reform, and the normalization of a product that many states already consider legal.
The party that fails to engage on this issue risks not only losing the election but also alienating the next generation of voters. History will prove this election is the turning point for many issues facing federal cannabis reform.
Jason Vedadi is a seasoned entrepreneur with a proven track record in real estate, acquisitions, and business operations. He serves as chief executive officer at Story Cannabis, a rapidly growing multistate operator. Previously, Vedadi was instrumental in growing Harvest Health and Recreation, which merged with Trulieve to create one of the largest multistate operators in the country, and Oasis Cannabis, which was acquired by Ayr Wellness Inc.
