Thoughts On Senator Bolkcom’s Retirement, Legislative Strategy For Legalization In Iowa, Obstacles

This article shouldn’t need expanded on, but reading it should point out the obvious for where to focus in the next legislative session: 

https://www.thegazette.com/staff-columnists/state-sen-joe-bolkcoms-long-road-to-sensible-marijuana-policy-in-iowa/

I’ll elaborate anyways. 

In 2019, for the first time, after a decade of +1 points per year, we reached the 50/50 threshold of Iowa support for recreational. I assume at +1 point per year, we are in 2022 going to be at a 53/47 support. 

Also in 2019, Bolkcom for the first time ever introduced a legal medical marijuana framework. A colleague didn’t like it, said high taxes, lots of regulations etc. Not a good foundation. It also, got no co-sponsors. But in 2020 we got 9 Democratic co-sponsors. 

We should likely contact those co-sponsors and ask them, or Bolkcom since he’s still in office for one more year, to run another legalization bill. While we’re at it, let’s make it less taxationish. Less regulationish. More libertyish. Etc. 

Groundwork already being laid, at this point it’s a matter of sending the messages via email or pony express. 

When we get a legalization bill, we should work to get co-sponsors, then brag publicly and loudly about what a big deal it is. If we set a low goal of 15 co-sponsors, and get 25, we can flip out in the media and on social media about how great this progress is on support. We need to just get a goal beaten, and it seems stupid easy to do so, and we win post 2022. 

Ignore Kim, try and figure out if she’s going to win office or what the field for the Democratic candidates look like, hedge likely losses, and get support in the House and Senate. It’ll take us five years to use a strategy of gaining more total cosponsors year by year to force a majority vote in the House and Senate. So, the Governor is irrelevant for five years. Three, if this thing gets more gas. 

That’s my two cents. The Bolkcom article I think is the best article in the media that summarizes the correct analysis of the reality of…how to win. We need sports stars. We need marketing. We have it, it’s there, and people are attuned. A few phone calls, a couple handshakes with celebrities being hired to be spokespeople, and the black market drug cartel violence marijuana users contend with will be eradicated. Moral high ground and truth is advancing, and culminating, we’ve already won, I got dibs on the blonde cheerleader after the game. And by blonde cheerleader I’m referring to the dog. He’s a good boy. Woof. 

To sway on the fence legislators, leverage the BLM movement. It’s a valuable movement. It’s a winning discussion to point out the racial outcomes in disparities, but be sure to read Thomas Sowell’s disparities and discriminations book for the reality behind all these shenanigans. Otherwise, the race play could become a trap, and set us back on marijuana legalization, if we don’t be cut and dry about it. Avoid the emotional satisfaction of feeling superior, and stick to the facts. It’s a winning and powerful argument, because it’s truthful, but we have other advocates using emotion and stupidity to discredit the movement, and need to maintain integrity and credibility on the topic of race relations and it should be easy to do by just avoiding saying anything absurd.

Cheers. 

Jason