No longer just a cheer for storied ‘Bama football, Arch conservative Kay Ivey signs medical cannabis bill into law.
If you didn’t read Kay Ivey’s wiki page, you might guess her previous career was “Mrs. Claus”. With the soft features of a grandma in a Norman Rockwell painting, the second female governor of Alabama has a deceptive appearance. She is an ardent conservative, doesn’t suffer liberal nonsense lightly and has no issue signing legislation to that effect, even if it violates federal law. Don’t be fooled by the kindly cookie baking appearance, Ivey is as tough as they come for a red state governor.
Ivey left Alabama in the late 60s for arch nemesis, liberal bastion, California. Without much detail available, where she apparently learned to disdain liberal ideology at an even deeper level because she headed back to dear old Dixie the second her marriage unraveled. She had a brief career in banking after teaching then began to negotiate the treacherous waters of the good ‘ol boy run Alabama state house, ultimately landing in the head office where she has been putting the ball into play implementing policy tinged with that old time religion. Among her pet projects has been: a bill to speed up executions for death row inmates, a bill to arm teachers in public schools, a bill banning trans girls from competing in women’s sports, and the most stringent restrictions on abortion in the country (that was overturned), also a bill that forbids the removal of civil war statues from public spaces. The short version of Ivey’s legislative agenda is if CPAC and Fox News had a baby, it would be Kay Ivey’s platform. All that took a head turning “wait, what?” Yesterday.
SB 47 allows for the distribution, sale, and taxation of cannabis for medical purposes. Yawn. We know, so? Except that this was done in Alabama by the most conservatives of conservatives. True or not, red state America thinks of cannabis as a coastal hippy thing. It often makes no more sense to them than hot yoga or an oat milk latte. It’s for hippies, leads to crime, and the usual reefer madness nonsense that has been disproven by science and logic decades ago. Still, that attitude lingers but in a surprise move, Governor Kay made Alabama the 37th state to have legal cannabis. Is this relevant? It is for a few reasons. The aid and comfort of people in Alabama is a big reason but larger than that is the messaging. Clearly we are in a new era of cannabis policy. If Alabama can have medical cannabis, can federal legislation be far behind? Chuck Schumer (D, NY) has made concrete statements about federal legislation for cannabis, should it pass the house— would historical drug warrior, President Biden, sign it? If Kay Ivey can evolve, so can President Joe. Typically speaking, conservatives don’t take much notice of something until it impacts themselves personally. Could it be that the good Governor of Alabama is finding help with arthritis with a pre-rolled?? Certainly better than a shot of moonshine, Governor.