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.
“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.
Removed by mod
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.
Removed by mod
I know, let’s try to ban the most popular social network among the youth!