 Rick Steves is a travel writer, blogger, and video host. He’s been a staple in the travel industry for several decades.
And he’s also a very vocal cannabis advocate, and a board member of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML. Rick Steves spoke with Benzinga and said, "I realized I've got something to offer because I'm a businessman, I'm a leader in my church and I'm not a counterculture kind of person.” Steves is using his reputation to normalize cannabis use by showing those people who still hold onto erroneous “stoner” images in their mind that the modern cannabis users are upstanding, respectable members of society. Steves first began actively working for legalization in his home state of Washington, and since then he has pushed for legalization across the country. While it may seem like progress in overall federal legalization is slow going, Steves sees the value in doing things effectively, which doesn’t always mean in a rush. He said, “The laws are getting smarter, and I'm proud of the work we're doing.” Steves said he believes the current lull over this year is due to politicians attempting to position themselves for election time this fall, saying, "I think they would rather not be on the record one way or another for something like the MORE Act before the election.” It’s a good point. We all know how politicians tend to skirt issues when they’re unsure how it will affect their voter support. Many of them may be afraid to take a stance because they aren’t sure how it will work out. Despite this, though, Steves has an optimistic outlook on the industry future, and says he believes that momentum is definitely in favor of cannabis legalization. He points to the huge growth in public support and the ever increasing state tax revenue generated, and says, "We're at the tipping point where now the federal government's going to recognize it's time for this prohibition to go.” Comments are closed.
|
RSS Feed