President Trump’s campaign in Mississippi told one marijuana advocacy group to stop saying the president supports a ballot measure that would legalize medical marijuana in the state.
Mississippians for Compassionate Care is the group promoting Initiative 65 to legalize medical marijuana across Mississippi, NBC News reported.
The group paid for a letter signed by notable Republicans in the state, and the outside of the envelope reads, “Join President Trump and 3 out of 4 Mississippi Republicans who support medical marijuana.”
The letter also added, “President Trump Supports Medical Marijuana … and allowing states to decide on that issue.”
Chief operating officer for the Trump campaign Michael Glassner sent a cease-and-desist letter to the marijuana advocacy group on Oct. 12, with opponents of Initiative 65 releasing Glassner’s letter Tuesday.
“This unauthorized use of the President’s name in support of your group’s cause is unfair to Mississippi voters who may be led to vote ‘Yes’ on Initiative 65 on the false belief that President Trump supports the measure,” Glassner wrote.
“Therefore, let us be clear about this: President Trump has never stated his support for passage of Initiative 65 or the legalization of medical marijuana in Mississippi,” the letter affirmed.
Jamie Grantham, communications director for Mississippians for Compassionate Care, argued in a statement Tuesday that the marijuana advocacy group accurately portrayed Trump’s medical marijuana position.
Grantham said “politicians and bureaucrats” against Initiative 65 had “clearly orchestrated this letter from the Trump campaign.”
“It’s just the latest example of the lengths to which they will go to prevent any form of medical marijuana in Mississippi,” Grantham said. “President Trump himself has said he supports medical marijuana and is letting the states decide.”
If passed, Initiative 65 would allow patients to use medical marijuana to treat debilitating conditions under certification by physicians.
An alternative to the measure, Initiative 65A, would also allow patients with debilitating conditions to use medical marijuana, though it says Mississippi would create a program based around “sound medical principles.”
On Election Day, voters will be presented with a two-step process for voting on 65 and 65A. The ballot instructs people to “vote for approval of either, or against both” and then says, “And for vote for one” — either 65 or 65A.
The Hill reached out to the Trump campaign but did not immediately receive a response.