U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was confirmed as the speaker of the House of Representatives Wednesday in a 220-209 vote over Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) following weeks of deliberation after Kevin McCarthy became the first person in U.S. history to be removed from the position.
The election of the conservative congressman from Louisiana to the leadership role does not bode well for the various cannabis reform bills that have fought their way into the halls of Congress, especially the SAFER Banking Act, which passed in the Senate Finance Committee in September.
Johnson, vice chair of the Republican conference, has consistently voted against most all cannabis-related legislation, including the cannabis banking reform and research ...