As super controversial as it may seem, there’s just no dancing around the issue anymore. Polls show that marijuana initiatives built into a democratic candidate’s platform and campaign are becoming the no-fail ticket to winning an election. Much like a gay marriage ban or abortion ban have long been a conservative republican’s ticket to winning favor in the party, so now is a pro-marijuana slant to a democrat’s constituents. Why is that? Maybe it’s that our country, now largely ruled by liberal leaders, is just leaning further left than ever before. Or maybe, in our seemingly stagnated economy, where jobless claims are climbing dangerously close to the ten percent mark, people are beginning to think outside the box in terms of job creation and revenue building. Maybe it’s a combination of these, or maybe there’s an entirely different explanation.

Despite the reason for this surprising shift in America’s public view of marijuana, one issue becomes increasingly clear: marijuana equals money. And right now, America needs money. It really IS that simple. Fourteen states (and the District of Columbia) have already legalized medical marijuana – and its use is on the rise in every one of those states. Come November, Republican-run California will vote on a similar initiative to legalize and tax the sale and recreational use of the drug – and recent polls show almost 60 percent of Californians are in favor of the bill. For an explanation of this strange shift in opinion, look no further than California’s bankruptcy filings. The state is currently in financial dire straits, and perhaps Democrats and Republicans alike agree that in this case, money’s money, honey!

Certainly, this is a galvanizing and polarizing subject, and one that will no doubt only become louder and demand more attention as we approach November’s election season across the country. America is headed into uncharted territory this year, and it will be fascinating to see where we land on the recreational marijuana tolerance map. Especially for democrats – whose success may lie solely in a marijuana initiative – it will be a wild ride. Just don’t forget the Doritos.