Alabama GOP candidate for governor pushes marijuana legalization

Dave Thomas says he is encountering “moral support” on the campaign trail for his message of legalizing recreational adult use of marijuana.

That was especially true in downtown Mobile on 4/20 during a celebration and educational event in a city park on the universal and unofficial holiday that celebrates all-things marijuana.

“The voters are speaking loud and clear,” said Thomas, 56, mayor of Springville in ruby red St. Clair County. “And while they may not use cannabis, they agree with freedom of choice to make an adult decision.”

Thomas is running as a Republican in a crowded field for Alabama governor on a platform that is arguably more suited for Democratic candidates. He is also up against candidates who are attempting to outmuscle each other on conservative stances such as LGBTQ rights, election security and gun restrictions.

Thus far, Thomas’ candidacy is languishing. He’s polling at around 2%.

State records show he’s raised only $3,300, which is among the lowest of the candidates who have entered the race. Support from outside pro-legalization groups, which Thomas thought he might have attracted, has yet to come to fruition.

“Much to my surprise, there hasn’t been an outreach from the national or regional or state (organization),” said Thomas, who last ran for statewide office in 2002 and narrowly lost the Alabama Secretary of State general election to Democrat Nancy Worley. “This is pretty much a grassroots groundswell.”

He added, “Maybe it will materialize. But as of yet, it’s been quiet on that front.”

Southern push

National proponents for the legalization movement say that Thomas’ candidacy is symbolic and significant as states around the U.S., including the Deep South, weigh the prospects of full-scale legalization.

“It’s really a sign of the times that there is a Republican primary contender who is prioritizing the issues of cannabis reform,” said Josh Glasstetter, spokesperson with the U.S. Cannabis Council, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group that consists of legalization advocates.

“This is something that we are seeing in states across the country, and it doesn’t follow the stereotypical script,” said Glasstetter. “Cannabis reform efforts in 2022 in America is just as active in red states as it is in blue states.”

Indeed, some red states are seeing movement even as marijuana possession remains a crime.

• In Arkansas, one of only two Southern states that allow citizen initiatives to directly amend its constitution, an effort is underway to allow voters in November to decide if marijuana use should be allowed for people over age 21.
• In Louisiana, Gary Chambers — the leading Democratic candidate in the U.S. Senate race against Republican incumbent Senator John Kennedy – ran a campaign ad this week showing him smoking marijuana.
• South Carolina and Louisiana state lawmakers are moving ahead with legalization medicinal use of marijuana. Mississippi lawmakers also moved forward with medical marijuana earlier this year.

Alabama, among the most conservative states in the nation, approved a medical marijuana program last spring. A rollout of the is still in the works, and the licensing of would-be distributors is months away from happening.

Medical marijuana proponents in the Legislature have also been adamant: In no way was the approval of the new statewide program a gateway to recreational legalization.

Thomas is undeterred. He is campaigning on a more libertarian, pro-freedom message on the issue in which he wants the government removed from what he says would be “overreach” on continued outlawing of marijuana.

“We on the right point our fingers at the left and scream, ‘tyranny and overreach,’” said Thomas. “But when its coming from the right and it’s about imposing will on your neighbor, that’s tyranny, nonetheless.”

He added, “As long as we are responsible, our freedom should not be impeded. It’s a commonsense approach to the cannabis question and refusing to perpetuate the propaganda.”

Republican opposition

Polling suggests that most Americans are behind Thomas’ views, but Alabamians are slower to come aboard.

A whopping 91% of Americans say that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use, according to a Pew Research Center poll taken last year. Only 8% of those polled said it should be illegal.

In Alabama, a poll taken in late March by Emerson College Polling/The Hill showed that 47% of Alabama voters oppose legalization, while 42% support it.

Broken down by age ranges, among those who are ages 30-49, 60.3% support legalization while 32.2% are against. Among those 65 and older, 69% are opposed.

Jess Brown, a retired political science professor at Athens State University and a longtime observer of Alabama state politics, said he was surprised that more than 40% of state voters backed legalization.

“The fear of marijuana instilled mostly by federal law enforcement authorities 30 years ago is dissipating quickly,” Brown said. “I think we’ll live to see the day when criminalization of social and recreational use of marijuana will be completely abolished.”

Thomas, though, appears to be a lone solider fighting legalization battle ahead of the May 24 GOP primary.

One of this rivals, Tim James, claimed during a town hall forum in Daphne last month that state officials are creating a “drug cartel” by implementing the state’s medical cannabis program.

The Alabama Republican Party is also not backing Thomas’ platform. In a statement to AL.com on Wednesday, party chairman John Wahl said the party supports “traditional family values.”

“It’s important to us that our society and our families stay safe, strong and healthy,” Wahl said. “The recreational use of marijuana does not encourage these principles.”

Wahl’s comments came in reaction to the Alabama Democratic Party, which earlier in the day launched the “Free Weed” website to promote the legalization effort in Alabama.

Thomas said he feels that his position could help Republicans expand their tent to include moderate Democrats and Independent voters.

“Because of the stigma, career politicians worry about careers and political longevity, and they don’t want to touch that hot potato,” said Thomas. “If nothing else, that separates me from the rest in the Republican primary.”

Hometown hesitancy

The pro-legalization position is also causing Thomas some headaches back home.

The Springville City Council, in January, backed a resolution in support of law enforcement. The resolution stated that “selective” enforcement of the laws is inappropriate “in a civilized society and can ultimately lead to anarchy.”

Thomas was not named in the resolution, but timing of it occurred shortly after he announced his candidacy for governor and his background in smoking marijuana.

“He basically said, ‘I smoke marijuana,’” said Springville City Councilwoman Katrina Hennings. “In Alabama, that is not legal. We just wanted to have a resolution stating that we do not support breaking the law.”

She added, “I do not support his platform, but that’s all. For the citizens of Springville, I do not think from the phone calls we’ve gotten that he’s had a lot of support on that platform.

Ren Wheeler, chairman of the St. Clair County GOP, said he has not spoken to Thomas since he announced his candidacy for governor.

“I guess his splash hasn’t been large enough to excite Republicans,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said he doesn’t believe Thomas’ position is supported by St. Clair Republicans who, in 2020, backed former President Donald Trump with 81% of the of the vote over 17.4% for Democratic challenge Joe Biden.

Three years earlier, during the special Senate election that was won by Democratic challenger Doug Jones, Republican challenger Roy Moore was backed by St. Clair County voters with over 70% support.

‘Ahead of his time’

Brown said he believes Thomas “is ahead of his time” with his governor run. He also said Thomas is probably more suited for Republicans vying for office in Western states where there are more libertarian politicians.

“It’s not an issue I would have chosen in 2022 to run in a Republican primary for governor,” said Brown. “It might play in the states in the far Northeast, like Maine. But in Alabama in 2022 in a Republican Party? No.”

Thomas said he just wants to differentiate from the others, while also clinging to an issue that has shown a rise in economic impact in states where legalization has occurred. Eighteen states, Washington, D.C. and Guam have legalized recreational use of marijuana.

“Jumping into a race and looking and sounding like (the other candidates) without the same access to those resources, you need to be smart about it,” Thomas said. “Here (legalization) is controversial and hopefully we’ll get the headlines and make a splash.”

He added, “The country is starting to wake up, state by state, and Alabama doesn’t have to be the last on board.”