Mike Johnson and Marijuana – The Fresh Toast

The US House of Representatives finally elected a new Speaker of the House on Wednesday. Rep. Johnson (R-LA) immediately took to the position like a duck to water. He is in his fourth term representing Louisiana’s 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2017. A powerful rise for one of the newer kids on the block. But what about Mike Johnson and marijuana?

In Johnson’s home state of Louisiana, medical marijuana is legal, but recreational use of marijuana remains prohibited under state law. In New Orleans, known as the Big Easy, there is alcohol to go, but no legal weed.

RELATED: A Doctor’s Opinion on Marijuana to Treat Anxiety and Depression

Louisiana first approved medical cannabis for cancer and glaucoma patients in 1978. The state’s medical marijuana program was further advanced in 2015 by the Alison Neustrom Act (SB 143). Finally, the passage of HB 819, signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards in 2020, significantly expanded access to medical cannabis for qualified residents of the state.

Photo by Lucky Photographer/Getty Images

The cannabis industry entered the fall with high hopes after a painful few years. Consumer sales continue to skyrocket, the Biden administration finally made a move to restructure debt, and the Senate voted to draft the SAFER Banking bill after the House of Representatives had already passed a similar bill seven times. But the results of the House Speaker election have rattled the industry, with several industry leaders worried about the outlook.

Johnson has made it clear that he is not a fan of legal marijuana. Johnson voted against the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law late last year. He also voted twice against the bipartisan SAFE Banking Act, the predecessor to the SAFER Banking Act, in 2019 and 2021.

RELATED: Exclusive: No. 3 Senate Talks on SAFER Banking

He is a Southern Baptist evangelical and has said, “My faith informs everything I do.” This could be a key concern when it comes to cannabis. Southern Baptists are not big fans of alcohol because it is an intoxicant. The irony is that he represents a state known for its drinking culture.