Culinary Union endorses legalized recreational marijuana measure

Nevada’s largest labor union announced its support of the Ballot Question 2 initiative Monday, in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational adult use.

Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which represents more than 57,000 workers statewide, endorsed the initiative on the basis of taking marijuana out of the black market into tax-paying businesses, said Yes on 2 spokesman Joe Brezny.

“The people who care about good jobs, safer communities, and money for schools believe that voting Yes on Question 2 to regulate marijuana is the far more sensible choice,” Brezny said in a statement.

Several Nevada politicians in support of Question 2 — including state Sens. Aaron Ford and Tick Segerblom, as well as Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton and Assemblyman Nelson Araujo — praised the labor union for its support, calling it “good for Nevada.”

Opponents of Question 2 include Gov. Brian Sandoval, Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchinson, Attorney General Adam Laxalt, U.S. Sen. Dean Heller and Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Catherine Cortez Masto.