DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is up for re-election and proudly touting her stance that marijuana is a ‘gateway drug’ — all while accepting large campaign contributions from alcohol PACs.
When asked in an interview with The New York Times why she opposes cannabis legalization, Wasserman Schultz said, “I just don’t think we should legalize more mind-altering substances if we want to make it less likely that people travel down the path toward using drugs.” Bafflingly, she follows up this statement by saying, “There is a huge heroin epidemic” — as if there’s a connection between them.
Contrary to what Wasserman Schultz believes, heroin addiction usually starts with prescription pills. The representative’s own state of Florida is, in fact, known as the epicenter of trafficking in illegal narcotics — and the DEA has flubbed its response to the crisis, making it difficult or impossible for legitimate patients to acquire pain medication.
In the interview, Wasserman Schultz goes on to call young women of today “complacent,” and confesses that her voting record on criminal justice is “perhaps not as progressive as some of my fellow progressives’” — which isn’t surprising, considering her tone-deaf stance on cannabis.
The Intercept reports that Wasserman Schultz has received $18,500 in campaign contributions from alcohol-industry PACs, including Bacardi USA, the National Beer Wholesalers Association, Southern Wine & Spirits, and the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America.
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that “excessive drinking was responsible for one in 10 deaths among working-age adults aged 20-64.”