101 posted on 11/20/2016, 5:45:07 PM by The Iceman Cometh
Posted on 09/11/2020 8:07:34 AM PDT by NobleFree
Democrats are taking an unprecedented gamble this month: voting to legalize cannabis at the federal level.
The MORE Act would remove the penalties for marijuana, erase some criminal records and create grant programs for people hit especially hard by the war on drugs.
Democrats say the timing is perfect: Support has been building for loosening marijuana restrictions over the last decade, with the most recent Gallup poll showing 66 percent of Americans favor legalization, including more than half of Republicans.
The demands for racial justice that have ratcheted up following the killing of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd gave the bill the final push it needed to get a floor vote.
“You have sort of a convergence of all of these movements and issues and hype,” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), a co-chair of the cannabis caucus. “I think this is the perfect time to move it onto the floor [and] over to the Senate.”
But the vote comes with risks. It’s landing in the midst of a stalemate between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House over a new coronavirus aid bill, raising worries about the optics of focusing on marijuana during a pandemic.
A historic House vote on marijuana legalization will take place later this month. We break down why Democrats are voting on the bill despite the fact that it'll be dead upon arrival in the Senate.
Republicans mocked Democrats at the Republican National Convention for declaring cannabis businesses essential enough to remain open during the early days of the pandemic, and repeatedly ridiculed them for including a provision to give banks legal cover for serving the marijuana industry in their most recent coronavirus relief bill.
“I do find it ironic that the only small businesses the Democrats seem to be worried about are cannabis shops,” said Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), who cast one of two Republican votes in favor of the bill in the House Judiciary Committee last November. “But I would support this bill whenever it is brought to a vote."
The Trump administration has largely ignored the growing public support for marijuana legalization, and President Donald Trump’s first Attorney General Jeff Sessions actually repealed protections the Obama administration created for states that legalized cannabis. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden doesn’t support legalization, but he backs making medical marijuana accessible and removing criminal penalties for cannabis on the federal level. His running mate diverges: Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) sponsors the Senate version of the bill.
As more states legalize medical marijuana, recreational cannabis, or both — at least four states will put recreational legalization on the ballot in November — over 250,000 people remain in prison for nonviolent drug offenses at the state or federal level. According to the ACLU, Black people are on average four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people — and in some states the ratio is as high as 10 to one — even though studies have shown they use the drug at comparable rates.
House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the bill’s lead sponsor, also said the calls for criminal justice reform pushed the bill from committee limbo to a vote on the floor.
“We always had the intention of doing this,” Nadler said, but “the increasing consciousness of the ... Black Lives Matter movement also helped a great deal.”
House leadership feels confident they have the votes, even from some more moderate Democrats.
But some pollsters say the House vote could muddle the party’s message with just weeks to go before Election Day, especially considering that Biden isn’t on board with blanket marijuana legalization.
“You're harming your ability to defeat Donald Trump,” argued Jon McHenry, a Republican pollster with North Star Opinion Research. “He and his Republican allies get to say, ‘See, Joe Biden's not going to be in control. Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez are in control.’”
Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the National Sheriffs’ Association, said the pandemic, civil unrest and enacting a federal budget are among the more pressing issues for Americans at the moment. “You're telling me that legalizing marijuana is a higher priority than all those things?” Thompson said.
House Democrats argue that the chamber passed coronavirus legislation in May, and Senate Republicans are to blame for the holdup in additional aid. Passing this bill in the meantime, they say, will prove to voters what kinds of progressive legislation the Democrat party can pass and help propel them to take back the Senate.
“It'll become an issue that the Republicans couldn't bring it up, and then you gotta have a Democratic majority to get it to a vote,” said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), a co-sponsor and vocal supporter of the MORE Act.
Republican Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado, Susan Collins of Maine and Dan Sullivan of Alaska are all in tough races in states where marijuana is legal. In Arizona and Montana — where incumbent Republican Sens. Martha McSally and Steve Daines could also lose their seats — legal weed is on the ballot this November.
“I think this is going to be brought up in all these contested Senate races,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.
A spokesperson for the Biden campaign declined to discuss the legislation and instead referred to the nominee’s past statements on the issue.
According to his campaign, Biden believes that “no one should be in jail for using marijuana.” He supports removing criminal penalties and expunging past records, but wants to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act. The Controlled Substances Act is a list of all federally banned substances which became law in 1970, and it has five tiers, or “schedules.” Schedule II drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines are deemed to have medical use, but high potential for abuse.
In July, the DNC adopted Biden’s position on cannabis — a step back from the pro-legalization platform of 2016. But advocates reason now that the former VP's platform is essentially in line with the MORE Act, arguing that both want to remove criminal penalties, expunge records and let states decide how to further legalize.
“He supports ‘decriminalization,’ right?” Queen Adesuyi of the Drug Policy Alliance said. “Where we're in conflict with Biden is his consideration of rescheduling. Technically, on the federal level, decriminalization is what the MORE Act … is doing.”
But Kevin Sabet, president of anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, points out that criminal penalties for marijuana use can be eliminated without turning it into a massive, for-profit industry.
“A lot of people are going to be benefiting from this that are not people of color or poor communities,” Sabet said. “The poorest communities are going to suffer as a result of this. Ask anybody living in a poor community if they think they need more things like liquor stores or pot shops.”
But all these concerns haven’t resonated with Democrats, and even some moderates in tough races are on board with the marijuana vote.
In 2018, Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) squeaked out a three percentage point win in a district which Trump won two years before. Her seat is on the line this year, but she isn’t worried about how voting for cannabis legalization could affect her campaign.
“All three candidates in my race have the same position on [legalization],” said Luria, who is running against former Republican Rep. Scott Taylor and independent David Foster. Luria beat then-incumbent Taylor in the 2018 election. “I think we need to show that we want to take action on this as a priority.”
This thread has rabid pot supporter noblefree working overtime.
So I am making your point when I use a graphic that shows that marijuans like alcohol and tobacco is bad for you also. Anyone who advocates for substances that cause harm to the public is an idiot. The marijuana “industry” in Washington State is now bigger than alcohol and tobacco combined. Billions of dollars worth of a mind altering substance is causing great harm to the public and we have you and others like you to blame.
Fedzilla doesn’t need Constitutional authority.
Fedzilla has highway funds.
That said until we have that national standard for pot, we shouldn’t legalize it.
So do you oppose the legality of alcohol and tobacco - or are you an idiot?
“Fedzilla doesn’t need Constitutional authority.
“Fedzilla has highway funds.”
Take it to DU.
This is what brings out the lib votes.
Wise up Republicans.
Wow you live in a Washington on a differet planet than I do. I in no way see your dark world.
What specifically do you recommend that Republicans do?
Realize the freedom to eat, drink, and breath what you want are as basic of God given rights as self defense.
Personal responsibility and natural consequences are results.
Amen!
So Republicans should wise up by ceasing to oppose natural rights? That I'd heartily agree with.
Thanks for the ping.
Medical cannabis here in Florida proved ALL the naysayers wrong. Crime didn’t develop where dispensaries are opened & kids weren’t being given cannabis candy as the fear mongers predicted.
Cannabis should be legal for any American to have, grow & use if they so chose.
I wish President Trump was on board for ending the federal prohibition. He would win 48 states if he did. He’s still going to win, regardless.
You bitching about someone supporting a favorite cause now?
Been watching you whine & moan for 2 years on this issue & you’ve changed zero minds in the process here at FR.
A closed mind is a terrible waste of gray matter.
Pot is outselling tobacco and booze combined in Washington State. It is causing huge societal, safety, and problems for countless individuals especially vulnerable children and young people. I have witnessed it first hand with family members, firends and the general public. When I first started working as a firefighter the substance abuse problems we faced were mostly caused by alcohol, meth, heroin and other “hard” drugs. These days it is mostly pot.
There are very few Antifa or BLM terrorists who are not pot smokers. Coincidence... I do not think so. The same can be said of the homeless bums that are becoming a larger and larger problem anywhere marijuana is legal or tollerated. The reasons why pot affects the brain the way that it does and results in people who have a disconnect between reality and delusional living are too lengthy to mention in this comment and you and your pot smoking brethren here do not bother to follow any links that counter your world view anyway.
So you have been watching me try to counter the lies being told on this subject for 2 years? LOL!!! Sorry pal, this has been a subject that I have been commenting on, any time it has come up for the last 16 years. It was obvious from my years of work on the streets in the city where I worked as a fire officer that pot users had a much higher incidence of serious psych problems. I could not care less if telling the truth to lies changes the opinion of the potheads and industry shills here. I am not trying to reach those who are pot smoking idiots... I am speaking to the 95% here who really couldn't give a rat's behind about your pet subject.
As far as the progress that I have made here... Many advocates here used to claim that marijuana was completely harmless, even beneficial and should even be given to children and pets. We do not see that as often these days largely because they were countered with actual evidence of harm caused. These days even NobleFree admits that mariuana causes harm... in fact he denies now that he has ever said that marijuana was harmless.
“Not only have I never said marijuana is harmless, I have explicitly said the opposite TO YOU” 9/11/2020, 9:47:20 AM · 41 of 73 NobleFree to fireman15
Your lead advocate has essentially been neutered by people who provide facts in response to his nonsense. In the four years that he has graced us with his presence NobleFree’s only real argument has evolved into... people should be allowed to harm themselves with marijuana because they are allowed to harm themselves with other substances and behaviors as well. Holy cow!!! That is what he has been reduced to. Pathetic... So I have changed "zero minds" here? I have changed you lead advocate's mind. If you have got the time... click back through NobleFree's posting history to when he first showed up here... Then tell me that I have not changed anyone's mind... Ha ha ha!!! He is marijuana advocate that has been kneecapped by myself and others here.
More of your BS - you can't link to a single post where I ever said marijuana is harmless.
NobleFree’s only real argument has evolved into... people should be allowed to harm themselves with marijuana because they are allowed to harm themselves with other substances and behaviors as well.
Close and yet so far. Part of my argument is that if you really believed your argument that marijuana should be/remain banned because it's harmful, you'd support at least in words a ban on the harmful drugs alcohol and tobacco - yet like most of your ilk, you flee from addressing that point as you did most recently in not responding to post #65:
To: fireman15So I am making your point when I use a graphic that shows that marijuans like alcohol and tobacco is bad for you also. Anyone who advocates for substances that cause harm to the public is an idiot.So do you oppose the legality of alcohol and tobacco - or are you an idiot?
Choke on this, liar:
My first post was on 11/10/2016, as can be seen at http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:noblefree/index?more=101952000; 11 days later I posted, "Most if not all mind-altering substances - including marijuana (and alcohol) - are bad for the user."
101 posted on 11/20/2016, 5:45:07 PM by The Iceman Cometh
I posted a graphic that you included in a post from 4 years ago and forgot to include you in the to line.
Which is more than you did before making false claims about it. A man of character would apologize for that; whether you will remains to be seen.
Hey, moron... can you even read???
Quoting myself, “As far as the progress that I have made here... Many advocates here used to claim that marijuana was completely harmless, even beneficial and should even be given to children and pets. We do not see that as often these days largely because they were countered with actual evidence of harm caused. These days even NobleFree admits that mariuana causes harm... in fact he denies now that he has ever said that marijuana was harmless.”
I didn't say that you said that marijuana was harmless... I said that you denied ever saying that marijuana was harmless. Now when did you stop beating your wife? Lol!!!
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