Depending on whom you ask, Charles Koch will be called the titan of the industry, the monetary gray cardinal of politics, or Marcus Aurelius of the libertarian movement. But soon Koch may be known as the billionaire who convinced Republican and Democratic opponents to legalize cannabis at the federal level.
While Koch himself does not use weed, he has publicly stated his long-standing belief that cannabis should be legal throughout the country. So he is using his name and nearly $25 million of his $45 billion fortune to influence criminal justice reform and the legalization of marijuana by the end of 2021. Brian Gooks, Koch’s right-hand man, says it’s worth the money already spent on how much Koch and his network of like-minded people are willing to spend. Over the past two years, the total amount is $70 million.
Violation of Rights or a Destructive Government Policy?
As an ardent libertarian, Koch considers banning cannabis in any form — joints, Delta 8 sprayed flower, or vape — to be a violation of personal freedom, as well as a destructive government policy that only worsens the problem of mass incarceration in America. He says the United States must learn a lesson after the “horror” of the alcohol ban a century ago.
Koch isn’t the only one who thinks so. About 70% of Americans now believe that cannabis should be legal. Eighteen states now allow adults to use marijuana, and 37 states allow medical hemp consumption. That gives the industry more than $17.5 billion from the sale of legal cannabis products, and that figure is expected to grow to $100 billion by 2030.
More Supporters
After Koch has expressed his support for cannabis, other people who have hidden their views on legalization have come out of the shadows. The fact that Koch is doing this “calms people down.” In June, Amazon announced that it would lobby for the legalization of cannabis, and other companies, including Altria, Brink?s, and Molson Coors, created a panel of experts to propose federal marijuana laws.
Violation of Rights or a Destructive Government Policy?
As an ardent libertarian, Koch considers banning cannabis in any form — joints, Delta 8 sprayed flower, or vape — to be a violation of personal freedom, as well as a destructive government policy that only worsens the problem of mass incarceration in America. He says the United States must learn a lesson after the “horror” of the alcohol ban a century ago.
Koch isn’t the only one who thinks so. About 70% of Americans now believe that cannabis should be legal. Eighteen states now allow adults to use marijuana, and 37 states allow medical hemp consumption. That gives the industry more than $17.5 billion from the sale of legal cannabis products, and that figure is expected to grow to $100 billion by 2030.
More Supporters
After Koch has expressed his support for cannabis, other people who have hidden their views on legalization have come out of the shadows. The fact that Koch is doing this “calms people down.” In June, Amazon announced that it would lobby for the legalization of cannabis, and other companies, including Altria, Brink?s, and Molson Coors, created a panel of experts to propose federal marijuana laws.
Moreover, the following millionaires and billionaires have joined the movement for cannabis legalization:
- Jeff Bezos. Before Bezos retired as Amazon’s CEO, the company announced it would lobby to accept the federal legalization of cannabis;
- Bill Gates. In 2014, the Microsoft co-founder revealed that he voted to legalize weed in his home state of Washington;
- Dustin Moskowitz. The Facebook co-founder has been supporting legalization since 2010 when he donated $70,000 to a failed initiative to vote on the status of cannabis in California;
- Sean Parker. Napster co-founder and first president of Facebook donated millions to Proposition 64, a 2016 initiative to vote in California to legalize the free use of marijuana in the state;
- Boris Jordan. The head of Curaleaf, one of the largest cannabis companies, became the first person to make a billion on cannabis in 2019;
- Jay-Z. The upscale marijuana brand called Monogram sells premium handmade joints for $50.