Kamala Harris Calls For Marijuana To Be Rescheduled 'As Quickly As Possible'
Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday called on the federal government to move “as quickly as possible” to change the way it officially classifies marijuana, saying that “nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.”
“I cannot emphasize enough that they need to get to it as quickly as possible,” Harris said. “We need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment. This issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently, marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin ― as dangerous as heroin ― and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair.”
Marijuana is currently listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration. That classification designates it one of the most dangerous drugs possible, with no medicinal uses. Other substances in the same category include heroin, ecstasy and LSD. Marijuana advocates have been pushing for years for the federal government to either reschedule marijuana to a different category or deschedule it entirely.
As the political winds blow with her I guess. At least it's a positive change.
Eh.
That was when it went from jail to a fine though.
So lots of people stopped giving a shit and started smoking publicly.
And she's been pro legalization for years now.
There's lots of shit to criticize Biden and Harris on, but Harris's time as a DA and her cannabis conviction just isn't a good one.
"Under Harris, the D.A.'s office obtained more than 1,900 convictions for marijuana offenses, including persons simultaneously convicted of marijuana offenses and more serious crimes.[73] The rate at which Harris's office prosecuted marijuana crimes was higher than the rate under Hallinan, but the number of defendants sentenced to state prison for such offenses was substantially lower.[73] Prosecutions for low-level marijuana offenses were rare under Harris, and go her office had a policy of not pursuing jail time for marijuana possession offenses."
From her Wikipedia page (the reference is pay walled and im not invested enough to figure it out).
As an AG, it was her role to uphold the law and bring forward prosecutions.
I'm recognizing positive change, which is an option now with her new role
Edit I'll also acknowledge it's an election year and this is a popular topic TOO
As an AG it's her role to use discretion in bringing forward cases based on her interpretation of her mandate. That's why it's a political position.
They campaigned on this 4 years ago. They've done plenty of good things, but this one turned out out to be an empty promise.
Yea just ignore that Biden directed the relevant federal agencies to get this done and the HHS has already made the recommendation to move it to schedule 3.
Oh and damn, look at this: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahsinclair/2024/01/18/dea-considers-rescheduling-cannabis-what-this-means-for-us-and-global-reform/?sh=2ce8efef743f
The gears are still moving and the DEA, the agency with the final say according to the legal framework within the controlled substances act, is working on it with the executive branch is actively pushing to have it reclassified.
It’s almost like a bunch of you who are making brand new accounts to make these posts about broken campaign processes have no fucking clue what you’re talking about because, at the very least, you’re not paying any fucking attention.
Buddy, Obama campaigned on this. So in our minds it's been 12 years they've fucked around on rescheduling and legalization. 4 of those years Democrats held a majority in congress. We have every right to be furious with these corrupt pieces of shit.
Oh fuck off.
Don’t blame Obama’s failure on the person that wasn’t president at the time.
Admit that there’s finally some fucking progress on this and stop being so petulant about how it hasn’t happened fast enough for your sensibilities.
Of course it’s idiotic that this hasn’t been done yet, but good god damn it’s getting done but that’s just not good enough is it? May as well protest vote in the election and get trump back in office who, last I checked didn’t make any efforts toward this when he held the office.
THIS ISN'T FUCKING PROGRESS. NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
You're the one who needs to fuck off. You're celebrating like they crossed some kind of goal line because they talked about it? And then you lecture me for pointing out it's been talked about for at least 12 years? STOP TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A FUCKING SOUND BYTE AND FUCKING GET IT DONE.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahsinclair/2024/01/18/dea-considers-rescheduling-cannabis-what-this-means-for-us-and-global-reform/?sh=3b06c3c6743f
This is the definition of progress you wet fart.
Why the hell does following the legal framework not count as progress? Why does the thing have to be finished for it to be progress? I guess at work you don’t keep track of your larger projects to show your progress when your boss comes knocking because unless it’s finished it’s not being worked on?
What the hell do you expect to happen in these cases? Do you expect the king president to wave his staff and decree it so?
Democrats held the majority in congress for four years while Obama was in office. I expected them to get it fucking done. No, when someone repeatedly fails to deliver I don't celebrate status updates because I can't trust the status updates.
We’re talking about Biden’s presidency. Stop bringing up Obama. It’s immaterial because Biden wasn’t president, in case you missed that.
It’s happening now. Stop being a baby and screaming about bygones that can’t change. And when it comes around I expect you to eat some fucking crow. Though I’d bet you’ll just pretend you were never such a whiny child about how progress isn’t good enough because it’s not done
They lied before. They lie now. Stop giving them the benefit of the doubt.
It's not even half done. Or a quarter. Or 1% it is 0% done. 0. You are fucking delusional.
It’s in the final stage with the DEA deciding. How many times do I have to say it. It’s almost done. And it has never gotten here before either. Jfc
If it's money for extra bombs for Ukraine or if it's bank bailouts it can happen really quick. Stop putting people in jail for weed, enh, we'll get it done "right away".... sure you will.
Don't forget that bipartisian effort to block the rail strike that flew through the senate with 80 fucking votes.
They have time for what they want to have time for. Everything else is just lip service.
Amen. Fuck these liberals acting like Dems do anything they promise.
A campaign promise is very different than a statement from a sitting official.
This is not an excuse for it not being descheduled yet.
Sometimes a hypocrite is just a man in the process of changing.
I kind of want to create an unexpected Sanderson group…
If they’re going with the crowd, that’s societal inertia or peer pressure, not change. Harris is not making a big controversial stand, a majority of Americans want legalization - across demographics, political leanings, and income.
Now if she was advocating heroin prescriptions as a harm reduction, or expunging her own convictions for possession, or a systemic reevaluation of our drug law and enforcement approach? THAT’S a change that shows she understands how the law is bad, not this new political posturing to win votes callously
That's honestly better I think. If she doesn't personally believe it, but is expressing support for it politically, that means the topic is winning.
Or you're being suckered again.
That's obviously not what's happening here. These people are scum.
This view is close minded.
Any other view of the Demcratic party and the corrupt pieces of shit in it is burying your head in the sand.
Ok comrad
Or this is what she wants the law to be, that was what she did when her job was to enforce the law that existed back then.
DAs always have discretion in what cases to drop or move forward, along with being able to offer plea bargains. They aren’t legally required to prosecute everyone who smokes weed, it’s just good optics to a certain political class to do so. And that political class was a much bigger tent even 10-15 years ago.
Also, they talk about marijuana every time there’s an election, then don’t actually change it.
Not really a change, though, Biden asked for rescheduling years ago.
"nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed"
-The person who made a career putting people in jail for smoking weed
Harris has been pro weed for years now. One of the foremost issues with our political system in the US is that these people are elected by a constituency that demands a job be done in a way that they want. (I am purposely ignoring the corporate donor aspect for this statement)
The locality (and the era) demanded drug dealers go to jail, so she did her job. Where Harris has floundered is how she talks about it and attonrs for it today.
You can be outspoken about a politicians past, but it's disingenuous to ignore that a politician has changed, especially so if they have changed with positive progression.
Hey now, the hate boner doesn’t get off on logic, it gets off on mindless hate.
I wouldn't call being angry at a prosecutor putting innocent people into prison blind hate exactly. Certainly I wouldn't accept the logic that the constituency wanted to put innocent people in prison and that's why she did it, even if I believe that I would still find that morally repugnant.
I more mean that there are a lot of new accounts coming in and plastering this hate all over the place, and their reasoning is always “once a hater always a hater.” They aren’t here genuinely, or they are extremely ignorant of how humans work.
I know there's been a big too-do about lemmy and it's modding tools (or lack there of) but I worry that this is a major concern for the platforms long term viability. With reddit, we could restrict posting from accounts with less than whatever karma, I don't know if that exists with lemmy communities.
I'm sorry I don't take your meaning. In response to a comment about people disliking Kamala Harris for her record as a prosecutor, especially when she knowingly withheld evidence and secured the imprisonment of innocent suspects, you just decided to talk about how hate is bad in general? Seems odd. Don't know why you make the comment in that exact spot if it is nothing to do at all with the topic. Kind of confusing.
I’m saying that the intentional burying of head when it comes to her slow shift to supporting it being rescheduled, is hating for the sake of hate.
She did her job, and yeah her view was shit at the time. But she did what we all say we want people to do, and changed her tune. But somehow we still hate her?
You can hate past actions, but she either saw the light, or saw that her views were shit and is acting against her own views in support of the will of the people. A “yeah but” thrown on top is just trying to divide.
I'm sorry what? Where are you getting that she's changed her tune? She isn't up there talking about judicial reform or changing the way prosecutors work.
She moved from “I’m prosecuting these petty drug crimes” to “I believe we should reschedule this substance.”
How is that not changing her tune?
The problem people had with her wasn't merely that she was Prosecuting drug crimes. Did I not make that clear with the whole putting innocent people in prison knowingly thing?
Innocent in popular opinion is different than innocent by law. People did things they knew they could go to jail for, even if the majority of the country was of the opinion that it should be legal.
No I mean innocent by law. Are you being purposely obtuse here? I'm not talking about drugs in the fucking least.
Except being a politician is also about image as much as we may not want it to be. Biden being the champion of student loan forgiveness while also being the champion of making student loan debt almost impossible to discharge earlier in his career doesn't really feel all that great ya know? Same shit with Harris.
Yeah. Can't trust'em as far as you can throw'em.
I unironically think that if marijuana should be banned, then so should alcohol
If they were both first introduced today alcohol would definitely be the one people would want more restricted.
Alcohol can kill you pretty quickly if you're not careful, IMO it probably should be more restricted than weed.
It's too easy to make, and weed is too easy to grow, so neither should be restricted since they're part of our culture and will be consumed anyway. Broadly true for other drugs as well since they can be got, but it's not like just anyone can make MDMA (which, if taken in a pure and controlled dose, is safer than both cannabis and alcohol incidentally, with therapeutic benefits too).
Absolutely not true.
As soon as republicans discover it's easier to convince underaged girls to fuck them if they're drunk, it's going legal.
This behavior is not limited to republicans.
Maybe try reading about the 1920s attempt and get back to us on if you still feel that way.
The difference is I don't think either should be banned, really. But mainly because the bans just don't work.
Yeah but this is lemmy, so as soon as you come out with a ridiculous take to satirize the topic at hand, whackos and edgelords will crawl out of the woodwork to support your ridiculous take.
“Somebody ought to do something about this ASAP,” says one of the only people on the planet actually capable of doing something about it for the last 4 years. OK.
Elections are coming up so it's time to talk about it and do nothing else that would make it happen
Lemmy sees something good happen:
"Not good enough!"
We all know it should have happened before, but dismissing that the vice president just publicly called for this is silly
Biden campaigned on rescheduling it so this is just nakedly trying to boost their pre-election popularity. They could've done this day one. They didn't. They won't.
Web archive of Biden's campaign site, September 2019: http://web.archive.org/web/20190723224533/https://joebiden.com/justice/
Decriminalize the use of cannabis and automatically expunge all prior cannabis use convictions. Biden believes no one should be in jail because of cannabis use. As president, he will decriminalize cannabis use and automatically expunge prior convictions. And, he will support the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes, leave decisions regarding legalization for recreational use up to the states, and reschedule cannabis as a schedule II drug so researchers can study its positive and negative impacts.
I’ll drop this here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahsinclair/2024/01/18/dea-considers-rescheduling-cannabis-what-this-means-for-us-and-global-reform/?sh=2ce8efef743f
Note the date. This is the final step in rescheduling marijauna.
And look at this. Pardons, wow: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/12/22/a-proclamation-on-granting-pardon-for-the-offense-of-simple-possession-of-marijuana-attempted-simple-possession-of-marijuana-or-use-of-marijuana/
Biden: Holds the trump card that is almost guaranteed to get him reelected
Yall: WhY dIdN't He UsE iT sOoNeR
He started the work in 2022. You think he just started it? Did you not read the links I provided?
I didn't say he just started. Thanks for putting words in my mouth. I said he knows that if he made weed legal too early the stoners would forget about it and potentially not vote.
Playing the trump card right before elections? Everyone is in a super high (lol) and is super in the mood to vote.
Cannabis prohibition is still harming the communities it was designed to disrupt.
But none of the people in those communities matter. Let them needlessly suffer for our stupid timing games.
I also never said it was the best course of action for the betterment of people. Just politically. Which I don't agree with but understand
But please, keep painting me as terrible
The problem here is that this isn't even a consideration.
pol·i·tics /ˈpäləˌtiks/ noun: the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.
from the Greek poli meaning many and tick, a blood sucking parasite.
Obama campaigned on this so it's been 12 years they've fucked around on it. People need to stop defending the Democratic party for being corrupt pieces of shit.
They've been "calling for it" since Biden campaign. And reschedule? It should be descheduled.
And the DEA is actively working on it, which just so happens to be the final step in rescheduling a drug.
I work in the space industry and this just reeks of the "hurry up and wait" that I live in. If the right pressure was there, it'd be rescheduled already. I'm 50/50 on if they are actually working on it or if feet are being dragged due to institutional friction.
They're doing as little as possible to say they're working on it.
I hate it here for that reason. With this being the last option, I've reverted to Google News, NYTimes and SF Chronicle apps. Lemmy's inability to feel joy has helped me ditch social media most of the time.
Reddit very seriously had the same problem.
The under current of negativity seems a bit stronger here though imo.
I guess when you have a huge portion of posters that self-selected to leave a platform in protest you get population predisposed to protesting and complaining about things.
It gets a bit tiring to hear people see incremental change but shit on it because it's not perfect or "it should have happened sooner". I wonder if these people would ever be happy with anything?
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today. If they get this rescheduled that would be a huge win.
They won't. They've been fucking around on this for at least 12 years.
I hope they do just to shut up a bunch of people up but that part definitely won't happen.
That's a poor attitude.
You'd know about those I suppose.
Oh sure, every 4 years Lucy comes out with the football and taunts you to take a run at it and I’m the one not being realistic. It’s total horseshit to disappear on an issue every 4 years except when you think it might help you in an election to wave it around.
It’s not “Lemmy sees something good happen”; nothing good has happened. The same platitudes have been trotted out for the 78th time. But maybe this time…!
It isn't good enough... we have fucking nothing and there's been chat about this for close to 2 decades.
The words of a politician are not accomplishments.
If it ever gets descheduled, it'll be an accomplishment. I'm not going to treat announcements as accomplishments.
Public discourse from a sitting executive politician represents progress. It is not enough yet, but it is progress. In years past such statements would have been massively disruptive, and via speech like this the topic is being normalized.
It's not enough yet. We arenf done
Stop expecting me to believe that politicians' lies are progress just because you believe them.
It's not an accomplishment until it's accomplished.
Just because you don't understand the power of normalized discourse doesn't mean I have some obligation to you.
I'm just telling you how reality works.
Edit im proud to hear more discussion of climate, LGBT, drug decrim and other issues, at increasingly public and increasingly executive levels.
I know the difference between hot air and accomplishments. You're not going to gaslight me into accepting the former as the latter. All you're doing is convincing me that you prefer words to accomplishments.
50 years ago a woman, non-white politician wouldn't have been a common thing. Part of how we got to where we are today is via public, popularized discourse.
The same occurs in this article and the speech that lead to it.
It doesn't mean the world is changing in an active sense, but it does mean the conversation is happening. This is part of the power of executive office.
I'm sorry you had to learn about this from me.
We lost roe because we only talked about codifying it.
We GOT roe because we discussed it.
Edit auto
We got roe because we had a court willing to do it.
We don't anymore. Accepting talk instead of accomplishments has lost us ground. And since all Democrats do is talk, that loss is permanent.
You're missing the point.
The point, for your roe v Wade example is that at one point speaking of abortion in public, let alone politically was unthinkable. Due to some brave people, and eventually people in political office, SPEAKING ABOUT the issue made it viable.
Of course there are many other factors, and many other brave and impactful people.
But speech is political action, no question.
But it's not enough, on it's own.
Biden could order cannabis descheduled ( what his campaign program was) and if agencies don't listen, fucking fire the agency heads and hire someone that will. It literally one of the handful of things he could do himself.
But somehow it's 3.5 years into his first term. And Biden has apparently compromised even more with himself and we won't get his original compromise of descheduling.
When a president acts like this right before their next election, lots of voters rationally stop believing any of their current campaign promises.
What do you mean? This is standard political fare… most of the population has the memory of a goldfish, so popular shit like this always waits until the election cycle.
Additionally, an executive order, or changing the chief of the DEA, are probably the least effective ways to handle it. All it would take is a republican administration to undo it all. The way that sticks best is legislation.
Your boat is leaking.
Do you either bail out the water, or try to get into port so you can fix it.
Or maybe, you do both. Biden can reschedule…. Today. He could have done it 3.5 years ago.
He hasn’t. He probably won’t.
You’re right that legislation is a more permanent fix. No question there. Doesn’t mean you don’t work the other, faster, solution to get something good enough for the time being done.
I’m not convinced they’d even try passing the legislation once some executive order was issued. It would be touted as a victory for the Biden Administration, and then forgotten about until 2028…
God damnit, when did I become so cynical?
You’ve seen the world we live in.
Cynicism is just a prudent reaction to reality.
Biden cannot just wave a wand. Learn the fucking truth before you spout nonsense like this.
He’s been following the framework of the CSA since October 2022 with this: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/06/statement-from-president-biden-on-marijuana-reform/
And it’s currently in the final stage, sitting with the DEA. It’s getting done.
You consider a press release from the guy slow walking this to be a reliable source.
Following tue legal framework to get this done is slow footing it? Are you aware it’s in the final stage before getting rescheduled?
Claiming that slow walking it is following some fictional legal framework is just an excuse for slow walking it.
I'm not buying any bullshit about it being the final anything.
If you want me to treat it as anything more than a filthy lie, democrats should have been taking their campaign promises more seriously.
Let me guess. We're in the final stage of passing the public option, the minimum wage increase, codifying roe, and closing gitmo as well. I'm sure we're in the final stage of passing BBB and reforming our out of control police too.
After decades of lies, you expect me to buy that Democrats are telling the truth about wanting to do the right thing?
What unmitigated hogwash.
Fictional legal framework? Lmao
Go read up on the CSA hon.
The decision is resting with the DEA now, who are the decision makers.
So quote it. Quote the law that is preventing Biden from descheduling cannabis.
Not a press release, not an op-ed, the actual law.
Chuck Schumer was saying Biden should deschedule back in January. He knows more about the process than you do.
EDIT: and just like that, the condescension and the excuses for prolonging the racist drug war stop.
Stupid uninformed people...
Most of them vote R or not at all.
But neoliberals refuse to acknowledge people who aren't ignorant and do care.
"Because what are ya gonna do, vote Republican?"
It doesn't work.
Maybe we try helping people? Worst case scenario, Dems actually help people when they're in office.
Isn't that the whole point of electing Dems? Isn't that better than just stalling the Republicans destruction of our country?
I completely agree… but that’s how this shit goes. This is definitely one of the situations where both sides pull the same shenanigans. When was the last time you heard Kamala Harris open her mouth? Granted, she’s been busy in a divided Senate, but Dan Quayle was more visibly present during the elder Bush’s administration than Kamala has been during Biden’s. Now she crawls out of the Senate chambers to talk about cannabis? Better late than never I guess.
It’s not like Biden’s administration hasn’t been doing anything useful. But these wildly popular policy initiatives that would do a lot of good often wait for politically convenient moments when it’ll be fresh in the electorate’s memory.
Which is the exact danger of running neoliberals that only care about being elected.
The only thing making this "how shit goes" is both parties get money from the same donors who don't want anything fixed.
It's not like how the sun sets everyday and there's nothing we can do.
So telling people "that's the way she goes" isn't helping and is only hurting turnout.
Ok… so how do we run people genuinely interested in fixing it? How do we make this not how shit goes? I can’t argue that it’s really disheartening, but the idea that any party is going to run anyone primarily interested in anything other than getting reelected is absurd. The National Committees for each party would never give them a platform. Running third party is suicide here.
The real change that needs to happen is election reform to provide more transparent campaign financing and moving away from a First Past the Post voting system. That’s how you get people in who can actually fix the issues we have in a constructive and positive manner. It won’t be perfect but it would be helpful. Then we’d have a flourishing of different political parties emerge and voters would have actual choice.
“That’s the way she goes” shouldn’t hurt turnout. The reality is we’re facing the single greatest threat to the basic ideals of the American Republican Democracy. Bigger things are afoot than cannabis policy. I’ll take this political grandstanding from the Biden administration 10 times out of 10 than one more day of a Trump administration.
Ranked choice voting! Then, aside from the stupid money and power the two party system has, you can make your voice heard. You can actually say “I don’t want Biden, but I’ll take him if my candidate doesn’t win.” That will make the neo-libs move the needle. Like everything else, though, it will probably happen state-by-state.
All of those are good ideas to fix it, but we can't make those changes with the system as broken as it is.
I think the biggest thing to help turnout would be acknowledging that nothing is going to get done, and that we want a government that just makes nice noises since we clearly can't get one that actually works. Like you said: You'd take this sort of grandstanding over Trump any day.
It's like a mechanic putting in some Sea Foam cleaner to get rid of the knock over doing a full engine rebuild, which we can't afford. Yeah, it's gonna break down eventually but at least you don't have to deal with the noise. It'll break down eventually, but for now you can at least hear NPR.
Undo citizens united would be a great first step...
Something that the majority of Dem voters agree with.
Without those donations and the obligations they come with, neoliberals would stop winning primary elections, and the ones still in office would stop having a reason to oppose progress.
I didn't read anything else you typed after that, because if you didn't understand that already, I don't see how anything else you could have said was in any way relevant
Not very wise in the ways of the legislative beach, are we?
Ah… so you’re not interested in discourse. I see.
Citizens united was bullshit and never should have gone the way it did, but more could be done.
And as another user mentioned… undoing settled case law is a terrible way of doing things… look at RvW…
I guess pardoning all federal possession and use convictions isn’t helping people eh?
He attempted to forgive student debt (which was in his right to do so as head of the executive branch) and got swatted down by the corrupt Supreme Court. What do you think will happen if he rescheduled marijuana?
He waited 2 years till he lost the house, made a half assed attempt he knew would fail, then said:
And voters remember that when it's two years later and he tries to tell them elections are important and if Trump wins suddenly the president is all powerful.
Neoliberals do the same shit as republicans. They need their voters to believe that when the other team is president, the president is all powerful. But when their own team is in power, the president can't do shit, so it's not their fault campaign promises aren't kept.
The student loan forgiveness was swatted down because he technically didn't really have the authority to do so, Congress typically holds the power of the purse. Rescheduling isn't at risk of violating the separation of power as the DEA is under the purview of the executive.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 grants a presidential administration via the Education Secretary, authority to "enforce, pay, compromise, waive, or release" government-held federal student loans.
At least until the Corrupt Supreme Court said differently.
Source for where Biden called for it to be descheduled?
I can’t find it.
https://thelemmy.club/comment/9206748
So you don’t have one?
He didn’t campaign on DEscheduling, he campaigned on REscheduling. Which just so happens to be in the final stage of happening.
I think this was always back-pocketed for right before the election if he thought it'd help push him over the edge.
It might be a smart political move to do it right before the election so it's fresh on all of our goldfish brains.
Yeah I agree, they’d be better not even bringing it up instead of walking around campaigning on something they should have done years ago.
It’s honestly just insulting at this point. Deschedule the fucking plant already, you doddering old fools.
When you’re done, we can have a frank conversation about the number of people directly killed by alcohol each year. (It’s literally infinitely more compared to marijuana.)
Man I think you have way too high of expectations for the actual powers of a vice presidency.
You can tell there's an election coming up.
On today's episode of "don't bite the hand that feeds" we reclassify marijuana.
For the, "why are you doing it now, convenient!" crowd - first of all yes, that's how politics works. Trump is a constant heartbeat of bullshit and you need to have strategically timed news and events to stay in people's short term memories for voting impact - especially the committed stoners :)
But also, Biden admin has been working towards this for years. He is not the most progressive anything, but he's doing more than his predecessors on either side (and the pathetic gop alternative) and that's progress.
You don't make major legislative change by firing a cannon at the front door - you set several small fires at all the other exits on the building and then when all that is in motion, you just knock on the front door to warn everyone about the fire and they walk out willingly.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/06/statement-from-president-biden-on-marijuana-reform/
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/06/politics/marijuana-decriminalization-white-house-joe-biden/index.html
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/22/1221230390/biden-pardons-clemency-marijuana-drug-offenses
On December 2, 2022, Biden signed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act - "the first standalone marijuana-related bill approved by both chambers of the United States Congress"
Biden approved the Viktor Bout–Brittney Griner prisoner exchange work Russia on December 8, 2022 which involved an American WNBA athlete being convicted of cannabis possession on Russian soil and being held in Russian prison.
None of this matters. This could all be over tomorrow if Biden gave orders to the dea. Pretending this even has anything to do with Congress or the courts is a joke.
This is purely a scheduling issue.
I thought we didn't want presidents with absolute power ?
Anything he orders can be unordered...
So we should never do anything.
Except sell weapons for genocide.
It's like you guys don't understand how governing actually works.
You just want your guy to get in there and do the things you want him do with zero understanding of the realpolitik involved.
Easy for you to say. Your guy is in there doing the things you want him to do.
I wouldn't really call Biden "My guy" or say he's doing everything I want done but I understand incrementalism.
It took the rightwing 70 years of concerted effort to hijack the judiciary and local offices and get to where they are today. I don't expect the left will be able to undo it in any less.
So do I. It's a transparent attempt on the part of Democrats to turn decades of inaction into a virtue.
It took Biden no time to sell weapons to Netanyahu. He didn't need decades of doing fucking nothing first. He just did it.
This is a childish view... You can TECHNICALLY do a lot of shit with a snap of your fingers, but there are major consequences if you don't prepare for major shifts in the status quo gradually.
For example, say a child's parent dies in a car crash, you can take them away from the hospital to get some ice cream, have their grandparents there, and say together, "So mommy isn't going to be coming home now, Billy. She was very sick and the doctors tried to help her get better but she died today. She loved you very much and I still love you and your grandpa and grandma are here and they love you and we're going to adjust together and remember mommy as a family" or the doctor can just come out of the operating room covered in mommy's blood and say to the kid, "your mom had her head chopped off by a train, kid. You need to get out of the hospital now. This isn't my problem"
Both are technically the same action of informing the kid of some significant news/change.
Just so everyone knows, the DEA is actively reviewing a report from the Department of Health and Human services where they recommended to reschedule weed to a schedule 3. Biden had directed HHS to research to see if it should be rescheduled, so while biden hasn't unilaterally legalized weed (something that would quickly be challenged in court since presidents don't usually have unilateral power for most things), he has definitely been pushing it not be schedule 1. Which, while not legalization, would be a huge step for not just the industry but for all the medical patients out there who have had their doctors refuse to treat them because they use weed for pain.
A very important part of this is it allows for federal studies into the benefits of marijuana which is not allowed under schedule 1 status.
So instead of descheduling it, he's looking into maybe one day thinking about starting the process of still keeping it illegal, but not as illegal.
Biden cannot de-schedule it. At most, he could issue an executive order telling the DEA to stop pursuing marijuana charges. Even if he did, the next president could just undo that. Biden is doing what he can which is calling for the AG to reschedule the drug.
There are only two ways weed can be de/rescheduled. First, is for congress to pass legislation doing so which then would need to be signed by the president. Congress is not going to do that. It's been attempted multiple times and has never come anywhere near passing. They pretty much all died in committee.
The second way is the way mandated by by the Controlled Substances Act. That laws states that, first, someone must file a petition with the attorney general, or the AG could initiate the process themselves. The AG then sends the request to HHS Secretary to start a scientific and medical evaluation of the request. HHS and FDA then conduct an assessment and sends a recommendation to the AG. Meanwhile, the AG/DEA conduct their own review of the request. Assuming everyone agrees, the AG then initiates the standard rule making process following the Administrative Procedures Act and the White House, after it's own review and the change can be made.
This article has a lovely, if disheartening flowchart of the process. It is a convoluted bureaucracy, but there is hope since the process was started in 2022 when President Biden instructed HHS to conduct a review into rescheduling marijuana.
HHS has since completed their review and sent a formal recommendation to the Attorney General on August 29 of 2023 recommending that marijuana be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III. The ball is currently in the DEA's court. They have to conduct their own review and rumor has it that there are those within the DEA who disagree with Biden's push to reschedule weed. Still, with at least half the states allowing some form of legal access to marijuana, and the FDA having approved at least one drug derived from marijuana, they will be hard pressed to find some compelling reason to go against the HHS recommendation.
Of course, I think it's only too clear that the DEA is likely to strongly oppose this change and there are rumors that this is the case. Now it's just a matter of the DEA dragging it's feet before making an official announcement.
Odd. Chuck Schumer seems to think he can.
Then if he doesn't hate the minority communities that the racist drug war was designed to disrupt, he should have done this on day 1.
We should never do anything because Republicans might undo it.
That process sounds like complete bullshit from top to bottom when compared with the process needed to sell weapons for the genocide all centrists love.
Nope, the process to reschedule has been started, it'd be changed to schedule 3, which, unless you think tylenol with codeine is illegal, it wouldn't be illegal anymore.
Which is just another way of saying "we're looking into it."
I mean technically yeah, but that's just updating the citizens that the process is actively rolling. I'd rather be updated that things are happening as opposed to radio silence and thinking the administration is ignoring the issue.
They're pretending that something is happening when it won't. Some stupid bureaucratic hurdle will come up that they could circumvent if they wanted, but they'll gleefully announce that their hands are tied.
And people like you will buy it immediately. I'm sick of the endless lies and bullshit. I'm sick of being ordered to be happy because we're totally working on something until we get in our own way and stop it again.
That's literally the first step that needs to happen to reschedule it.
And the only step that's gonna happen.
Care to wager on that?
I never thought it'd be legal in my deep red midwestern state but I can go to the weed shop and buy it OTC now, they're packed every time I go. Not sure why you think a sitting president (who's shown signs he wants to listen the fringes of his party) wouldn't push for rescheduling, it's an easy win frankly. I'm pretty cynical and even I'm not that cynical.
I mean, you'll count his next "we're looking into it" as full recreational legalization nationwide, so no.
No. No it's not.
This time for sure.
Take a civics class.
Stop accepting excuses because you like the lack of results.
Why would I like him slow walking descheduling? You don't even make sense, you're just saying things to score imaginary points in your head.
If you want a dictator with dictatorial powers, boy have I got a political party for you.
Everyone who isn't happy with Democrats' deliberate uselessness must be a trumpist who wants a dictator.
no, we live in reality. reality is we have two choices and a potential catastrophe rapidly approaching - don't give ammo to the chuds who genuinely would like to see this wild, flawed but genuinely amazing in principle enterprise we call governance - the "America!" experiment - replaced with a trumpocratic shitocracy that empowers the worst of the worst.
We have a choice of fascism or deliberate uselessness in the face of fascism.
If you want me to shut up and be happy with deliberate uselessness in the face of fascism, tough shit. Democrats need to stop using looming fascism as an excuse to be second worst.
Second worst is not up to the task of defeating fascism. It's not even up to the task of preventing its spread, as we're seeing.
that's good, youk keep empowering fascists with this shit while thinking your edgelord stance is making a difference.
Meanwhile in the real world, we're gonna try to have a democracy after november which mean electing biden. wake the fuck up
I'm voting for Biden. He should deschedule cannabis and stop supporting genocide. You don't want anyone to say the second sentence because you don't want it to happen.
You want a President to take actions that he's legally not allowed to take.
So no, not everyone.
But you? Absolutely.
Schumer thinks he can take those actions. Is Chuck Schumer a Russian Chinese Trumpist tankie shill bot child too?
No, he's just a politician. He wrote a letter to the DEA, which has ultimate authority over the drugs scheduling. While the DEA is part of the Biden administration, there are limits to what Biden can do. He can pressure them, but going beyond that is pushing the law.
Schumer is trying to pressure the DEA, and trying to pressure Biden into pressuring the DEA. But that's all they can do, whip up public opinion.
Not to mention the politics of endorsing a statement they know will go nowhere, but their voters don't. Politicians do it all the time.
Either Schumer or Biden is mistaken or lying.
And you trust Biden because he supports genocide for you.
You know, this is a pretty smart way to approach the political side of this tactically.
Biden can't say deschedule it outright without offending at least some borderline fence sitters and the elder crowd indoctrinated with the old propaganda that made it out to be among the most terrible things.
By having the younger VP who wouldn't really have direct authority to have it changed but is directly I'm the same circles, it gets the idea out there as a 'very strong unofficial stance'.
Next step, the 'cool grandpa' moment when Biden gets to make a gesture for the younger crowd by having it pulled from the schedules. Financially the feds have undoubtedly been eyeing the income (and lack of incarceration costs) brought into states with legal sales for a while and would like a piece of it too.
Biden already ordered his health secretary back in 2022 to begin descheduling, he hasn't been playing it safe here
Biden needs to roll up a fatty and smoke it with those aviators on. Preferably at the top of the stairs to Air Force One.
So lies and deception? I don’t know who is left to deceive when this sounds like the position the WH had two decades ago (when Biden was in Harris’s exact role). Since then the only changes have been brought about by State’s thumbing their nose at the Federal Government. I can honestly say the argument for “State’s Rights” hold more promise for marijuana legalization than Harris’s words.
Neoliberals dont want elected to help people, they want to get elected.
It's why they can see something like this where a president could do something day 1, but waits four years before doing it, and call it smart strategy. Even when it's not a political.process and the president can do it on their own.
It's why there's always the focus on "stopping by the republican".
That's all neoliberals want to accomplish, get in office and hold on as long as they can.
Progressives want to get elected to help people, and have faith if you help people they'll vote for you.
There's no sane reason for neoliberals to be running the Dem.party on national and state levels, but it's a private party and they get an absolute shit ton of money from billionaires and corporations. So it's very hard to kick their old asses out of power while also fighting off conservative extremist Republicans.
But when the neoliberals wins, nothing gets fixed. Their dogs chasing a car, if they catch it they dont know what to do, so they lay down and wait for another car to drive by.
Progressive idealism is all well and good, but without acknowledging the realities of a highly polarized world and the balances of power in play all it will ever be is idealism, never realized fact.
Many of the broader growths in society didn't have a defining 'flip the switch' moment and instead where the result of small changes that then where the building blocks to bigger ones after the smaller steps where accepted as normal parts of society.
Is made up.
No progressive says we can't address a problem until it's 100% solved.
That's what neoliberals say for an excuse not to make any improvements.
It was literally Biden s excuse last primary for why he wouldn't address student loan debt. He said if he forgave all student loans debt it wouldn't matter because new students would still need loans.
So Biden said his priority would be first lowering the cost of college.
Then he got elected, never mentioned that, and forgave almost enough to be a rounding error in the trillion of dollars in student loan debt and demanded applause.
Recall that the SC blocked him on some of that (reminder that elections have consequences) and there were efforts to reduce costs for future borrowers too.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/
"They wait 4 years to accomplish their policy proposals, this is evidence they never accomplish any policy proposals"
Don't act like they've accomplished them.
You have to realize that there's a certain element of theatrics to politics right? With the flood of information thrown at people everyday the population has the attention span and memory of goldfish often as not. Had they done some drastic change day one (if it could even pass congress/courts without being killed) it'd be long forgotten old news by now.
Yes, it's much better to drag it out until the very last possible second, since it's not like people are suffering due to the deliberate prolongation of the racist drug war.
It's still disrupting the communities it was designed to disrupt, so let's talk about how great it is that we're trying to game the timing of fixing this. I'd ask if it's possible to be more cynical, but I already know it is because we're playing the same timing game with Netanyahu's genocide.
Yes, it's theatrical. And people are being used as props.
Didn't say it was good, but it's reality. The alternative of attempting to do everything you have on a wishlist with no compromise or negotiation, and thus getting nothing is hardly better. Had it been tried to push everything to max results day one would at best, in some imagined place get all that in, be forgotten 3 years later as 'what have you done for me lately' and caused the opposition to be energized en masse to put their guy in and rip it all back out the next day.
A small win that's held is worth far more than a massive one lost shortly after.
Neat false dichotomy. Enjoy the drug war dragging on for as long as possible and hurting communities in pursuit of putting on a good show.
EDIT: Thought better of that one.
But seriously, stuff treating millions of people's lives like a fucking game. You disgust me.
The problem is that this is potentially the only positive change they could make in people’s lives that might actually make money, so once they’ve done it, there’s nothing else that lines up with both the interests of the party and their voters. Even prison reform as a whole might be a net loss in spite of the current system’s incredible cost to taxpayers due to the chilling effect it has on social mobility and the slave labor that the bourgeoisie can profit off of.
Exactly. Why would they actually move on it, if it’s the only bargaining chip they’re willing to use? The republicans fucked up by doing that with abortion, though because that oppresses people instead of liberating them, the gop is doubling down on it. Dems don’t have the option to do that, so we’re left with easily actionable campaign promises going unfulfilled for four years.
Just another thing they pretend to do to get elected but Don't actually accomplish anything.
I grew up straight edge in a religious household. I was so afraid of getting into trouble, I didn't even drink as a teenager even though all my friends did.
Now my work depends on me keeping away from illegal drugs. Seeing as my family's livelihood depends on that, it's a pretty straightforward decision to never cross that line, ever. So I say this as a 30+ yr old who's rarely drank and never done drugs of any kind that weren't prescribed.
If this changes, and it's confirmed that my livelihood wouldn't be threatened for trying it, I would absolutely partake.
I hope you have a hell of a good time when this happens
As with all things go slow till u know ur limits greenouts aren’t too bad but they happen and better off nodding off in your house that at like work. Also anxiety and paranoia can happen with stronger strains or strong edibles so take it slow
I’d never suggest getting high at work. You’re just asking for trouble, even if it’s not legally a problem. I’d also never suggest drinking at work, to put that into context.
And god forbid you get in an accident while drunk/high, your job will definitely be over, and you’ll more than likely be footing the bill on your own.
Unless you're gonna get fired for taking a piss test that comes back positive for weed, just try it. It's really not that big a deal. For a first timer, you might not even get high because your cannabinoid receptors have never been used before. I'd describe it as a pleasant light/cloudy feeling, and you may feel compelled to stare at mundane objects for a long time and think about existence. You might also start liking Pink Floyd randomly.
Cannabinoid receptors never been used before? You've got no idea what you're talking about. We don't have structures just for doing drugs, those receptors are for chemicals prdocued within the body naturally (endocannabinoids) that also respond to ingested molecules.
I don't meant to be rude but this is terrible advice.
I'm not stupid enough to be moved by this but others reading should not risk their livelihoods for a high.
zzzz Wake me up when they actually do something
This is so cheap. They want the credit for fixing something without the effort of getting it done
If it happens, it will almost certainly be around oct. No use blowing such a popular move in the middle of an election year.
Big IF. Talk is cheap.
I barely touched weed my whole life until I got medical access ~5 years ago. I was also never a big drinker or user of other recreational substances.
The stuff helps me so much that I use my vape or edibles almost every single day. That plus the margin of safety makes it downright cruel in my eyes that it’s prohibited in so many places.
But I guess given the racist motives of the anti-marijuana push 40 years ago, maybe the cruelty was the point.
I'm glad they want to change that. I hope they do. Far too many people, especially minorities, serving sentences for weed. It does feel like a bit of a hollow victory when women's rights are being rolled back to the 19th century, though.
If democrats can't get this done ahead of the election it will be criminally negligent
They've had 4 years, it's already negligent
Donald Trump came into office and had both Houses.
Never even mentioned weed, unless it was to talk about how users should be executed.
But I'm sure he'll change next time
Hahaha right. "But I swear guys he'll do the right thing this time!!!1!". Dictator day 1
Who said anything about Trump?
Talking about US politics and not mentioning the GOP is impossible.
It sure seems like it was possible, at least until you showed up.
Who was it who said that Twitter was great because they could tell you all they knew about any subject in 140 characters?
I did.
At least it is if you can't defend Democrats' deliberate uselessness.
What makes you think there's a giant majority of the country begging for a hard Left party?
Every poll I've seen puts 'Socialists' at about 6% of the population.
Do you have better data?
Poll on the issues and policies instead of the labels and you'll get wildly different results
I agree 100% That's one of my biggest beefs with my fellow Progressives. I once got into it with someone. I said the only thing we should be saying is "Tax the rich." He spent hours explaining why we had to educate the workers into Marxism before we could do anything meaningful.
It's too bad we don't vote on issues and polices; we vote on politicians and the Right knows how to find pretty faces who know how to sound good.
Well, about this particular issue, 70% of the US wants what neither conservative party is willing to ever do.
The title of the article is that the current, Democratic Vice President is calling for it to be rescheduled.
Biden pardoned all pot smokers back in 2022.
You tried to move the goal posts and failed.
And apparently you agree that less than 10% of the population is 'Socialist.'
Fruitless words are not accomplishments. If we accept the former in lieu of the latter, we will not get the latter. I'm sure that's fine with you.
No, he pardoned the tiny fraction of pot smokers who are convicted in federal court. I'm not faulting him for not pardoning the others, as he cannot pardon state convictions.
I don't care what your made up statistics are, you were trying to divert from the subject at hand.
As I see it, the 'subject at hand' is that it's hard to get all fifty states to agree on something like this.
A lot of voters adamantly oppose any changes, and they have a right to be heard too, even if you don't like it.
I mean, it's still illegal, so they are heard. I have every right to be upset, even if you love the current status quo.
Or they felt confident that they would get a free win, and delayed it until the election news cycle. It's likely a bit of both.
Both are bad
Does it require Congress, including Republicans, to do it?
Not in all cases. There are different types of legalization.
Rescheduling is probably the better way forward because it would allow for medical use within the healthcare system.
No, the relevant agencies (I think FDA?) control how drugs are scheduled, so essentially it's just a case of that agency making the change. I don't even think the President needs to be involved in that.
If it comes down to pretending it does versus letting up on the racist drug war, Democrats will need congress.
It's not like it's something they want to do, like supporting the genocide every last centrist has always wanted. Don't need congress for that.
Well I don't do drugs but she could schedule it for tomorrow after breakfast. I know my neighbor smokes it after work for example. 😂.
How about 4:20 this afternoon?
April 20th isn't that far off either, and is conveniently before the election too
Honestly, there are many other substances that need to be changed as well, but they need to start somewhere. The War on (Some) Drugs is and always has been a complete farce.
LSD and mushrooms too. MDMA is a bit sideways but psychedelics in general should not be illegal
I agree, drugs (basically all drugs) should not be illegal IMO.
The overconsumption of certain ones might be a public health issue but I don't think drug use or even addiction should be a criminal issue in the slightest.
I think if Biden and Harris were to officially endorse decriminalizing or legalizing recreational marijuana, we'd see a Democrat landslide. But that would require some actual common sense from Congressmen.
Once again, Biden already did the good thing, but you people never heard about it
It’s wild that this is still even needing to be discussed.
Endless discussion is what Democrats do to pretend they're making progress on shit they never have any intention of ever doing.
"oh shit! They're onto us about the TikTok thing! Quick! Bring up weed! The zoomers and millennials love that shit!"
Too late. I am never voting for my rep again, I won't vote GOP but I won't vote for someone who thinks Tik Tok is the priority
And yet beer is more dangerous than weed
Just a reminder, until 2014 Hydrocodone was a schedule III drug.
Cocaine and meth are still schedule 2
This being published at the Huff Post is quite hilarious.
In a single motion they could cut off an enormous source of cash for the traffickers and hard drug dealers.
https://www.propublica.org/article/chinese-organized-crime-us-marijuana-market
She’s correct. It’s a completely right ridiculous policy based on a century of racism.
Ok, I used smoke a power of weed. I do not anymore. I do not wish to partake at all to be honest. Yet I think criminalisation of ‘the culture’ makes it both more lucrative to criminal elements who also do much harm in other sectors, and make it even more attractive to youth who might try and quit it sooner.
I’m not saying it’s all bad. I’m saying it’s over-romanced by criminalisation.
I don’t think it should be championed while legal though. I’ve seen two delusional breaks correspond to heavy usage. It also doesn’t help your IQ.
Legal sure, but careful please. Make sure you know why you’re using the drug. The withdrawals, while not as bad as Alcohol (which can be fatal), are real and difficult. Cannabis abuse is also a real disorder.
I’m happy it’s legal, but let’s not forget our common sense. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-treatments/post-acute-withdrawal-syndrome
Alcohol is legal
Energy drinks
The legality is a whole other thing than how careful you need to be with it
You honestly need to be more careful with ethanol and shit it's one of the least important substances to be careful with on the planet
Drinking water in excess can also kill you. Everything in moderation people.
Yes. I have also seen close friends become fucked up due to cannabis. Genetics is a bitch.
As quickly as possible....now that we've done nothing about it for nearly four years, but we have to win another election soon.
"Done nothing about it" are you an actual child or do you just have a child's perspective on life? We can't have nice things if some of you don't put in the basic effort to think a bit. Biden is not the most progressive anything, but he's doing more than his predecessors on either side (and the pathetic gop alternative) and that's progress.
You don't make major legislative change by firing a cannon at the front door - you set several small fires at all the other exits on the building and then when all that is in motion, you just knock on the front door to warn everyone about the fire and they walk out willingly.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/06/statement-from-president-biden-on-marijuana-reform/
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/06/politics/marijuana-decriminalization-white-house-joe-biden/index.html
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/22/1221230390/biden-pardons-clemency-marijuana-drug-offenses
On December 2, 2022, Biden signed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act - "the first standalone marijuana-related bill approved by both chambers of the United States Congress"
Biden approved the Viktor Bout–Brittney Griner prisoner exchange work Russia on December 8, 2022 which involved an American WNBA athlete being convicted of cannabis possession on Russian soil and being held in Russian prison.
Shame you can't make a point without being a cunt about it.
Only difference between blue and red maga is the tone eh? Red maga sounds like a gleeful psychopath, blue sounds more like a business schooled middle-manager on a power trip but both of them prefer ad hominem and sneering.
Funny how tribalism do lol. Most people have no chance of defeating their baser instincts. But they can sure feel smug about it lol.
Thanks, that’s just what I was going to bring up. Here we even have a short history of this being a several years effort, right in the article, yet there’s always a “they’ve done nothing all this time” post.
Are these political trolls/misinformation, or honest responses by misinformed people? And who benefits? Repugnicans? A foreign country? A self-righteous bubble of people with the attention span of a gnat?
She made her career out of prosecuting people for possession. And Biden played a big role in creating the laws she enforced. They're all scumbags.
I mean to be fair people can change, but this is obviously not a case of having a change of heart its because she thinks it will increase chances of winning lol. They are all scumbags though for certain.f
Politicians are cynical, they will do what they need to do to get votes. So we have to be cynical as well, vote for people who will do more of the things we want even if they're not perfectly doing everything what we want.
Until you can figure out a way to change humanity, you've gotta play the game even if you find it distasteful because the alternative is much, much worse.
They have been pushing this since their first year in office. They were pushing this before Biden even thought he would run again for president. "They are only doing things to get people on their side" is also how a Democratic Republic works. Their administration hasn't broken from Israel, but they aren't scumbags for doing what the people want. Many of us hate that we did not stop supporting Israel but I still have not seen a poll that shows over 50% of the U.S. wanting to stop supporting Israel. Blame it on news channels, media, propaganda in general, or just peoples outlook, but their job is to represent the majority of U.S. peoples opinions. We need to get more people speaking up against it elsewhere.
Example from USA today:
"Nearly half of American voters, 45%, believe Biden should pressure Israel to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, an exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll shows."
That is from a news source that supposedly leans left for American news. 45% isn't the majority of voters, although it is finally getting close.
A lot of the fediverse is in an echo chamber where America is actually a progressive country. It hasn't been, at least since Reagan but probably since Nixon or even Eisenhower.
Sorry, you must have had your head buried as the GOP's war on WOKE meant much of the focus was dealing with BS like book bans, women care, human rights, fucking basic shit like voting.
Oh wow, you maybe might possibly might think about trying to potential maybe do something. And just in time when you need support, how coincidental. End the drug war. Give us healthcare. Provide education and forgive the previous loans taken in order to do so. Fucking do something.
"Move as quickly as possible " it is imperative so I can get reelected!
Let's hope more politicians don't do things that the majority of the people want in order to be reelected, what a terrible world that would be.
My point is they haven't done it already because their doners want people in their prisons. It is the same reason it will never pass and they know it. She is just saying words. That's it. Pandering to people dumb enough to believe them. Just like their spill about taxing the rich and student loan relief. It goes directly against the interest of the people that got them where they are. The half ass attempts are to make us think they tried and the big bad Republicans stopped it. It's all theater.
Every four years it seems. Language has gotten stronger though lately. Hoping they can pull it off with a strong showing this time around.
I know I am fully opposed to weed being scheduled at all, and would appreciate the, albeit slow progress. But...
$10 says she has a drug test coming up
Smartest thing she ever said.
“Quick, our ‘blood for the blood god but we’re sad in public’ approach isn’t working on the youth vote - what do my fellow kids want?”
Multiple Democratic supermajorities, several unified governments, and a president who admitted to being a past user. It’s not a priority for the DNC, even as the general population (including the right) year by year more and more wants legalization.
Until big ag and big pharmaceutical want it, it will remain illegal
Multiple democratic supermajorities? There hasn't been a democratic super majority since Ted Kennedy died in August of 2009. Which was before anyone had even legalized for recreational use. I'm not saying the DNC hasn't been dragging its feet, but they have not had a super majority to just do it themselves unilaterally.
But it’s not a new issue. The harm of the war on drugs - and its disproportional harm - has been known for decades. We are now speed running legalization and/or decriminalization at the State level via ballot and primary legislation, because there has been no Congressional action.
Decades of research into harm, medical use, safer administration, etc denied at a Federal level before you even get to law enforcement, and the ripples through society. And as a consequence we’ve seen some legislation rolled back in scope, because it is such an uncharted territory - DUI ‘testing’ for cannabis is a perfect example, or cash-only legal dispensaries facing armed robbery because they are shut out of the Federal banking system.
Yes, the democrats and republicans supported the war on drugs for decades, but just because those things happened doesn't mean they'll continue to happen. Democrats have been leading the way most of the time when it comes to legalization and other weed related issues like banking or drug testing, even in congress with multiple legalization measures introduced and even passed by the democratic house despite the senate not picking it up. The party wasn't for legalization back when they had a super majority, that sucks, and it's okay to be angry that that didn't happen. But it's being worked on now, and the present is just as important as the past. Rescheduling would be a first step that can really help the industry and consumers and patients. It's not the last step, there has to be more done to help undo the disastrous effects of the drug war, but it is a first step. We have to remember that the democrat party is not the party from back in the day, even from 2009 when they last had a super majority, it's changed a lot. For instance, changing their stance on gay marriage and other lgbt issues, that was fantastic and while it should have happened sooner, it still happened and that's important. Also I think it's important to remember that despite there being a level of bipartisanship when it comes to legalization outside of congress, the republican party has devolved into the "stop everything democrats want to do" party, so full legalization could take a while since they're so fucking hell bent on breaking congress and the federal government. Unless democrats get another super majority in the senate, something that isn't likely, legalization through congress is next to impossible.
Multiple Democratic supermajorities?
Jesse what the fuck are you talking about?
Several time the Democratic Party has held a 2/3rds majority in the House and/or Senate. It’s still the same Schedule. “They’re working on it” I know with the review process, but it’s now a calculated win politically that’s been withheld purposely. All while the known and acknowledged harms to society at large goes on.
At this point it’s become a bipartisan conversation among voters, and not long before the power structure on the right co-opts that into action - likely empowering corporations in the process.
Literally the last time the Democrats had a super majority in the senate was 1967, almost 60 years ago....
I know, let's try to ban the most popular social network among the youth!
It's legal in most places under the 2018 farm bill that Trump signed.
It's not, unfortunately. Anything with more than 0.3% delta-9 by dry weight is still "marijuana".
Hilariously, the farm bill did open the doors for legal delta-8 and delta-10 products -- which was certainly not their intention. A lot of states quickly closed that "loophole" though.
Delta 9 only has to test below .3% pre-harvest. Thca is totally legal. There are about 6 states that have specifically restricted it. I get it delivered to my house on a monthly subscription.
Pretty sure she put a ton of people in jail for this in Washington state. If that's really how you feel where was the leniency then?
Tell me more about her history in Washington state, please.
Not sure why the downvotes but it's true. I don't have case specifics - just google around a bit.
In what capacity did she put people in jail in Washington state? Let's follow this thing through to the end.
Have to admit this made me laugh lol.
Right? Like it's my job to research his claim that he's "pretty sure" about.
Wrong state. Close enough though, like it fucking matters and is totally irrelevant. If you want to be a contrarian I promise you you're going to find a fight wherever you look. Don't get so bent out of shape over a factoid because at the end of the day you're creating the arguments you're having here.
Give him a break... At least acknowledge she did put people in jail for it.
No because he's just parroting a talking point that he's heard here without even being accurate.
He could at least acknowledge that her position has changed and we're close to progress.
Her positioned has changed? If you want a politician that is true to their beliefs then you elect someone like Bernie. If you're okay with someone that will revert course again when they want to fill their pockets with more private-prison money, but at least they're not Trump, then you go with Biden/Kamala.
Or, and hear me out on this, her position truly changed.
I used to think billionaires were cool. Now I think they're detrimental to society and represent a lot of what's wrong with wealth inequality in this country. People learn, opinions change - we should welcome that.
Yes, we should welcome people's opinions changing. 😄 So you're saying that you'd trust and vote for Trump if he changed his opinions? C'mon, people's opinions may change but that doesn't mean that we should entrust them with our safety and security. I mean, do you really want past-pedos working at daycares cause they've changed their opinions? The justice system sucks, but I think you'll find historically that people's opinions/actions.. especially when they send people to jail for marijuana, says a lot more about their long-term character than you think.
Can’t wait to pick between blue maga, red maga, and an actual candidate..
Former cop desperate for relevance. Maybe do the right thing before you ruin lives and not as it becomes acceptable and politically convenient.
How many pot smokers do you think she sent to prison as a DA?
And all those teenage “super predators” that Joe, Jack and Bill sent to prison
More than 1900 pursued, that's for sure.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/11/kamala-harris-prosecuting-marijuana-cases/
Imagine prepping up past assholes as the bar 🤣
It's like the DNC hiring previous lobbyist from companies like Uber, Lyft & Airbnb to define union policies.
That's what I dont get when people criticize Harris...
Biden literally sponsored the two crime bills back in the 90s that have caused 30 years of bullshit.
Harris as prosecutor was very outspoken about how stupid that shit was and didn't follow the "three felonies = life in jail" bullshit.
If people want to talk about poor policing oractices, Biden is hands down the person most responsible in the Dem party. And all his "I can compromise with republicans" is how he got Dems to support such backwards legislation.
Harris was a DA, she wasn't setting national procedures and passing laws
Biden sucks on this policy as well. Happy?