Politics California Teamsters to Oppose Cannabis Legalization in November Leafly Staff May 23, 2016 Share Twitter Facebook Share Print

A new BuzzFeed News report highlights some of the hurdles faced in the fight to legalize cannabis in California in November.

Barry Broad, a representative from the California branch of the Teamsters union, tells BuzzFeed that the union was set to oppose legalization in the Golden State because of concerns around how cannabis would be transported and distributed. The Teamsters want it to be handled in much the same tightly regulated way as alcohol is now in California, he added.

The Teamsters union predominantly represents truck drivers and warehouse workers, with around 1.4 million members across the country.

Broad cited logistical concerns with the current proposal, and told BuzzFeed that the union could potentially endorse a legalization proposal if it were restructured. “We could be supportive of an initiative if the regulatory structure was one that we thought appropriate,” he said.

The Teamsters’ opposition joins police and prison guard associations, as well as the California Small Farmers Association, in opposing the legalization proposal and instead donating to John Lovell’s Coalition for Responsible Drug Policies.

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