Editor's Note: Heck, yeah. Millennials are not to be trifled with … and this issue's importance in the 2016 elections can not be underestimated; it could bring millennials out in droves. As cited in CBT's special report, "Entering the Marijuana Market: Your Essential Guide," "The Wire called weed the 'sleeper issue of 2016' and reported: 'As potential 2016 candidates gather their policy advisors and begin to isolate their views on key issues, they may want to consider one above the rest–weed.'Â The Wire also reported, 'Marijuana policy stands to affect just as many Americans as immigration policy does in the coming years.'"
CBT's "Essential Guide" also reported, "Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer commented in the The Wall Street Journal, 'All of a sudden the ground is shifting, and it's uncomfortable and complicated. Marijuana has become an issue that candidates have got to pay attention to.'"
Despite the stereotypical image of the stoner who is so lacking in motivation he can't get off the couch, a look at recent elections shows that marijuana actually does motivate people - to vote. And the phenomenon is most profound among millennials, as illustrated in the presidential swing state of Florida last November.
Those who want to see a Republican in the White House should take note - millennials could be the deciding vote in 2016, and marijuana law reform could be a key issue.
Last fall, a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana for medical uses fell short of the 60 percent required for passage in Florida. Amendment 2 went down with 57 percent, still making it about half a million votes more popular than Republican Gov. Rick Scott.