Legal Marijuana Now Party

Legal Marijuana Now Party Establishment and Expansion:

• Established in Minnesota in 1998 to oppose marijuana prohibition.
• Began expanding to other states in the 2010s.
• Gained ballot access in Minnesota and Nebraska as of 2024.
• Platform includes abolishing the DEA and legalizing hemp and marijuana.
• Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party petitioned for major party recognition.
• Volunteers submitted 9,000 signatures in 2016 but fell short of the required amount.
• Planned to collect 15,000 signatures for the second attempt.
• Legal Marijuana NOW Party gained official recognition in Nebraska in 2021.

Legal Marijuana Now Party Political Activity:

• Dan Vacek’s 2014 candidacy in Minnesota led to party recognition.
• Minnesota Legal Marijuana Now candidates gained ballot access without petitioning.
• Party’s 2020 U.S. Senate candidate received the most third-party votes in the U.S.
• Paula Overby’s nomination in 2022 led to unique circumstances after her death.
• Party’s efforts influenced the Minnesota Democratic Party’s stance on cannabis.
• LMN candidates in Minnesota received varying percentages of votes in federal and statewide elections.

Legal Marijuana Now Party Electoral History:

• Notable candidates include Dan Vacek, Susan Pendergast Sindt, and Michael Ford.
• Dennis Schuller and Sarah Wellington ran for U.S. Senate in 2018.
• Kevin O’Connor ran for U.S. Senate in 2020.
• Richard Reis ran for U.S. Representative in 2022.
• 2022 U.S. Representative, NE-03: Mark Elworth Jr. received 13,015 popular votes, 5.90%.
• 2022 Nebraska Attorney General: Larry Bolinger received 188,648 popular votes, 30.27%.
• 2022 Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts: L. Leroy Lopez received 120,986 popular votes, 19.32%.

Legal Marijuana Now Party U.S. Presidential Candidates:

• Dan Vacek and Mark Elworth were 2016 presidential candidates for LMN in Iowa and Minnesota.
• Rudy Reyes was nominated for Vice President in 2020.
• The campaign was postponed until 2024.

Legal Marijuana Now Party Platform and Leadership:

• Advocates marijuana and hemp legalization.
• Supports home cultivation of marijuana and expunging past cannabis convictions.
• Seeks to abolish the Drug Enforcement Administration and ban employee drug testing.
• Decisions made by a leadership Head Council.
• Council consists of party members with at least three years of participation.
• Krystal Gabel appointed national chairperson in 2021.
• Rudy Reyes became party chairperson in 2024.

Legal Marijuana Now Party Data Sources