Citizens United
Maine Lawmakers Target Medical Marijuana and the Poor
The poverty rate in the United States is set to reach its highest numbers in 50 years. During an election the assumption would be that both candidates running for president would champion the cause of reducing poverty. While we have heard about job growth, we do not hear the “p” word much, as both candidates are likely hoping poor people just goes away. Perhaps a sitting president and one of the richest men in America just cannot relate.
Unfortunately, this election season has taught us that there are other priorities. Millions of dollars have been spent on political Super PACS. These outside groups that are allowed to spend as much secretive money as they want on campaign ads thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizen’s United v. Federal Election Commission case. The result is a political mess that focuses much more on large donors than the working class who is in dire need of help.
In a move that mirrors the greater social shift in ignoring the poor, Maine lawmakers have decided its time to target those who do not have Super Political Action Committees to fight their battles. By a vote of 4-3, members of Maine’s Housing Board decided that medical marijuana is banned from all section 8 housing. This builds on momentum from other states who have tried to enact drug testing for welfare recipients. The idea sounds great from the surface, but it also costs significantly more in tax revenues to do so and seems specifically targeted at lower income families. While critics say it is fair because government money is used supplement section 8 housing, we have to wonder why this is not across the board. Will the government start to drug test seniors on Medicare, or the elderly who live in government supplemented retirement homes?
Medical marijuana has become a reliable and more cost effective solution for many who simply cannot afford traditional modern medicine. While this may score points with many in Maine, the policy seems specifically targeted toward those who are unable to fight back in world of corporate politics.