More Republicans are raking in money from cannabis industry

The cannabis industry is pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into campaign finance accounts of lawmakers and political action committees.

But, for the first time, more of that money is going to Republicans than to Democrats, according to survey by the Center for Responsive Politics commissioned by USA Today.

The biggest beneficiaries are states’ rights Congressional Republicans who are trying to stop the Trump administration from targeting marijuana businesses and whom the industry sees as its best allies while an administration hostile to cannabis is in power.

The biggest donors, according to USA Today, are industry groups with political action committees, such as Marijuana Policy Project, NORML and the National Cannabis Industry Association.

Those groups combined have donated about $327,000 to candidates over the past three Congressional election cycles, the newspaper reported.

By comparison, the National Beer Wholesalers Association donated about $1.5 million to candidates in the past years alone, USA Today reported.