Following the Money: Is Cuomo Softening His Stance on Marijuana?
*By Amanda Weston*
A report released this week claiming that New York gubernatorial incumbent Andrew Cuomo accepted more donations from the cannabis industry than his re-election campaign disclosed has raised some eyebrows about the Democrat's views on marijuana.
"Cuomo's not coming out in full force of endorsing legalization," said Alyson Martin, co-founder of CannabisWire, the publication that released the report. "But he is accepting money from the cannabis industry and from big players in the cannabis industry."
Cuomo has been [notoriously inconsistent](https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/politics/albany/2018/05/25/andrew-cuomo-marijuana-timeline/632312002/) about his position on pot. He once called it a "gateway drug," but has also said that medicinal marijuana may be [acceptable](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/13/nyregion/marijuana-new-york-cuomo-legalization.html) in some cases.
But CannabisWire will continue to follow Cuomo's money, Martin said.
"Part of the reason that CannabisWire is looking into the flow of money from the Cannabis industry to political candidates is because, as we all know, elected officials may say one thing but the money tells another story."
[The site reported](https://cannabiswire.com/2018/08/29/cannabis-in-the-ny-governors-race-big-donations-and-a-big-debate/) that Cuomo accepted about $150,000 from large cannabis companies. CannabisWire found a $50,000 donation linked to a non-profit Christian mission actually came from MedMen, a cannabis company, meaning the sum wasn't properly attributed to its real source in Cuomo's disclosure. The company later claimed the incorrect listing was a clerical error.
Whether the news will actually sway Cuomo's chances against political newcomer Cynthia Nixon, though, is unclear.
The actress and activist has been a strong advocate of legalizing marijuana. She, like many other liberals, considers it a racial justice issue, since [more people of color](https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2018/02/13/racial-disparities-continue-in-new-york-city-marijuana-arrests-248896) are arrested for marijuana offenses than Caucasians.
Cuomo admitted during the televised gubernatorial debate on Wednesday that he believes the benefits of legalization outweigh the risks but was not as forceful as Nixon.
But Martin thinks his donors are hoping he'll eventually become a proponent for cannabis legalization .
"I certainly think that it's a strong shove in that direction," Martin said. "These are not the mom-and-pop companies that are supporting candidates. These are bigger companies."
Cuomo's campaign did not respond to CannabisWire's request for comment. Martin doesn't think the Governor has violated campaign finance laws, but her outlet is continuing its investigation.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/cannabis-disclosures-play-into-new-york-governor-race).
Inflation in the U.S. is only getting hotter. The 12-month inflation rate for December 2021 was the highest in nearly 40 years - continuing the trend seen at the close of 2021.
The Consumer Price Index increased 7% in the 12-month period ending in December, marking the fastest increase since 1982. Scott Wren, Senior Global Market Strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, joined Cheddar's Movers for more.
If President Biden runs for re-election in 2024, he may not have anyone to debate. The Republican National Committee sent a letter to the commission on presidential debates, saying the RNC will require candidates to pledge not to participate in those general election debates. Paris Dennard, RNC national spokesperson, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Student loan collection company Navient agreed to cancel $1.7 billion in debt and paid more than $140 million in other penalties to settle a lawsuit over abusive lending practices. Josh Shapiro, the attorney general of Pennsylvania who led negotiations in the settlement, joined Cheddar to go over the details of the company's predatory lending. "What Navient would do is charge [borrowers] these exorbitantly high rates, even though they knew people couldn't pay them or they would likely default on them," he explained.
The January 6 committee has subpoenaed four tech giants for more information on what they did and didn't do leading up to last year's deadly Capitol insurrection. Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit were asked to assist the investigation in August, but the committee says their responses have been 'inadequate.' Craig Timberg, a national technology reporter at the Washington Post, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more details about the subpoenas, why this is happening now, and how it might impact social media companies moving forward.
With the Australian Open set to begin on Monday, Novak Djokovic is once again being threatened with deportation from Australia after his visa was briefly reinstated and revoked again over alleged discrepancies. Djokovic’s team will sit for an Immigration hearing on Saturday.
Makena Kelly, politics reporter at The Verge, joins Cheddar News to discuss what's next for net neutrality as Biden's other nominee for the FCC, Gigi Sohn, awaits votes from the committee and Senate.
Jewell Jackson McCabe, chair of the Keep Love Alive Campaign and founder of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and Marvin Owens, chief engagement officer of Impact Shares and former senior director of Economic Development at the NAACP, join Cheddar News to reflect on racial issues still prevalent in America.
Hagar Chemali, Host of 'Oh My World' on Youtube and Former Spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the UN, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to share her expert insight into what the future of diplomacy could look like as the Russia-Ukraine crisis deepens.
Markets opened higher on the first trading day of the new year as investors continue to watch inflation and the rapid spread of the omicron variant in the U.S. Frances Newton Stacy, Optimal Capital Dir. of Strategy/Market Analyst joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
