By Jeff Siegel
These days, it’s hard to find issues that can unite this country.
But a couple weeks ago, we got one after the United States Anti-Doping Agency suspended Olympic hopeful Sha’Carri Richardson for one month after testing positive for cannabis.
Once this news broke, Americans from both sides of the aisle and all political and social ideologies took to social media to vent their frustrations.
How is it that a gifted Olympic-level athlete could have her dreams demolished because she consumed a plant that is legal throughout most of the country?
Moreover, where’s the compassion for this woman?
Turns out Richardson had consumed cannabis in an effort to cope with the unexpected death of her biological mother while she was in Oregon for the Olympic trials.
So when I saw the outpouring of support for Sha’Carri Richardson, I was beyond pleased — not just because it was deserved but because it provided further evidence that the majority of people in this country oppose the prohibition of cannabis.
We already knew this to be true, but to see so many Americans become so vocal about it really sent a powerful message to lawmakers. And those lawmakers took notice, with politicians from both major parties opining on the matter.
From New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Texas Republican Dan Crenshaw, there was a rare instance of bipartisan agreement centered around Richardson’s suspension.
And what’s particularly exciting is that this will absolutely carry over into the next election cycle.
Bottom line: Americans are fed up with the prohibition of cannabis. It’s irrational, nonsensical, and a wasted opportunity to help build local economies while serving as a catalyst for real criminal justice reform.
While I don’t know what Richardson’s future holds, I do know that her suspension only helped to expedite the descheduling and federal legalization of cannabis.
This is good for society, this is good for our economy, and this is good for investors who have some portion of their portfolios dedicated to the cannabis sector, which will only continue to become more and more valuable as the weeks, months, and years progress.
While there are dozens of cannabis stocks to choose from, I remain particularly bullish on Curaleaf (OTCBB: CURLF), MariMed (OTCBB: MRMD), Red White & Bloom (OTCBB: RWBYF), and Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE: IIPR).
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