Friendly reminder that literally all legalization legislation and referendums have come through the Democratic party.
Biden already pledged support. He needs youth vote. There's literally no reason he wouldn't unless he was blocked by Republicans...
... Which he is.
Yeah but some white kid doesn't get to blaze it with their free unicorn pony so end of democracy over it we get!
Fuck ur logic! We want outrage! D:<
The legalization of cannabis in my state was brought about by activists, not Democratic Party members, and was passed by the public, which is made up of a majority of unaffiliated voters. Our Democratic governor vehemently opposed the measure. He did implement it when it passed, which Republican legislatures and governors have not done when similar bills were passed by the public in Republican states, though.
Curious of the state but I'm willing to bet money >90% of those activists were, conveniently, voting Democrats or of the Democratic coalition.
This is generally reflected in public polling: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/03/26/most-americans-favor-legalizing-marijuana-for-medical-recreational-use/#:~:text=62%25 of conservative and moderate,Democrats (84%25) say this.
Finally, conservatives are starting to come around but they're always behind the curve.
Friendly reminder that literally all legalization legislation and referendums have come through the Democratic party.
https://www.kiplinger.com/politics/red-states-embrace-marijuana-the-kiplinger-letter
Red states are poised to increasingly embrace weed. Ohio is the latest, becoming the 24th state to legalize marijuana for recreational use via a voter referendum. This follows successful efforts in the past two years in Montana and Missouri. Fourteen states have legalized marijuana for medical use only.
Yep, you can thank blue states and democratic activists for paving the way years ahead of anyone.
... Eventually reds trail behind.
Edit: Also I'm willing to bet those referendums in those red states were petitioned largely by left-wing Democratic-caucus members.
Then why is one of his campaign promises written as: "As president he will decriminalize cannabis..."
Is his campaign promising things he doesn't have the power to do?
Yes this is literally par for the course for every single presidential campaign in history.
They promise what they'll do. They don't say try to do because that's been tested in marketing and certainty sounds better. Nevertheless it's not Biden's fault his agenda for what he's been voted into office on is being blocked by the opposition for poor reasons.
The question isn't why isn't Biden doing this, the issue is why are Republicans blocking it and why aren't you trying to convince them and their supporters?
Is his campaign promising things he doesn’t have the power to do?
A president can do almost NOTHING unilaterally. What they're promising you is what they'll support if it makes it to their desk. This is how checks and balances work... if you want to vote for someone who has sworn to be as shitty as possible because the guy who swore to do things you want can't just snap his fingers and make it happen, I guess nobody can stop you...
What you're finding is that the Democratic party is still interested in a functioning government where people don't just vote the party line like a borg - which results in more difficulty passing legislation. Unfortunately, "both sides same" isn't remotely accurate which you're finding out.
Memory of a goldfish.
Friendly reminder that mass incarceration was a bipartisan effort going back 4 decades.
You're not allowed to talk about the '94 Crime Bill. You're certainly not allowed to talk about the War on Drugs or the privatization of the modern prison industry.
Nobody ask where Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, and Tip O'Neal were when any of this shit got passed.
Absolutely and under no circumstances should you google who gave Strom Thurmond's eulogy.
He pushed a recommendation for it to be rescheduled to the DEA like two years ago and they've been stonewalling?
Oh so he actually did something? Almost like OP is big fat phoney.
Before one of OP's other posts on this topic was removed as misinformation, I asked under that post what Biden could possibly have done aside from pardoning all federal convictions for possession, requesting the DEA to reschedule marijuana, and introducing a bill for full federal legalization which the Republicans defeated (all three of which happened).
Crickets man. (I actually learned since then that it's a little more complex -- it actually seems like maybe Biden was opposed to the full legalization bill that Schumer was pushing, and there was definitely some level of Democratic opposition in the senate. So maybe that piece of the criticism is legit, IDK, but OP never brought that stuff up to me when I asked what Biden should do.)
That conversation was actually the exact point that I became confident that OP's just here to shit on Biden and specifically Biden for whatever reason, and any concordance that emerges between what he's saying and the truth is purely accidental, and he knows it.
(Also, fun fact Matt Gaetz switched sides to join with 2 other House Republicans to vote for weed legalization.)
Eeyy everybaudy thiz guys a fhooneey!!
This is correct. The HHS recommended rescheduling, and the DEA hasn’t responded to the recommendation. They’re probably concerned it’ll affect their budget having fewer criminals to pursue.
This is the relevant bit from the article:
In late 2022, President Joe Biden issued an executive order directing HHS to review marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, while giving a recommendation on whether it should be rescheduled. After a roughly year-long review, HHS sent a letter to the DEA in August requesting that they move marijuana to Schedule III.
They had their own review and recommended that Cannabis be moved from Schedule I(Drugs with no medicinal value and a high risk of harm/abuse - heroin,LSD,etc) to Schedule III(Drugs with low risk of harm/abuse and clear medicinal value - cough syrup,Ketamine,etc).
The Controlled Substances Act which established all our current drugs laws states that ONLY the DEA has the power to ultimately change the classification of any controlled substance. If the DEA does not feel inclined to change this, then nothing will happen with the recommendation. Biden can always play political hardball since the head of the agency is an appointed position, but it would still need to be confirmed by the Senate in the end.
I wouldn't expect to see a drop to schedule III, but I think in the next five or so year we may see it become schedule II. Progress is progress I guess.
Tying law enforcement funding to their arrests is just the most idiotic idea and I am shocked at how few Congress folks have been speed trapped if they actually can't see why
Plus, the potheads are probably easier to catch.
Exactly, was looking for this exact comment,
So many children are just learning about politics and don’t yet understand that things normally don’t just happen when a president doesn’t abuse executive orders
stuff like this needs some weight behind it to pass, not just a one and done recommendation.
Then why is one of his campaign promises written as: "As president he will decriminalize cannabis..."
Is his campaign promising things he doesn't have the power to do?
No one politician has the power to do anything directly, really. That's how the US system of government works. It's fundemantal to how it operates that no one politician can promise to singlehandedly do anything. So, since everyone understands that, they say what they intend to do.
It definitely needs to be decriminalized but that’ll actually take an act of Congress. Public pressure needs to be applied but let’s not pretend Biden can do this on his own
It definitely needs to be decriminalized but that’ll actually take an act of Congress
There's other ways to try, Biden just won't.
Although the President may not unilaterally deschedule or reschedule a controlled substance, he does possess a large degree of indirect influence over scheduling decisions. The President could pursue the appointment of agency officials who favor descheduling, or use executive orders to direct DEA, HHS, and FDA to consider administrative descheduling of marijuana. The notice-and-comment rulemaking process would take time, and would be subject to judicial review if challenged, but could be done consistently with the CSA’s procedural requirements. In the alternative, the President could work with Congress to pursue descheduling through an amendment to the CSA.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10655
But the House passed a bill to deschedule in 2022, and Biden's whole deal in the last primary was how well he could get Republican senators on board with Dem legislation.
He couldn't.
But going back full circle:
Why did Biden promise to deschedule if there's no way he can deschedule?
Wait, but he did the things you mentioned in the first part. That doesn't fit with "but he won't".
To the full-circle thing, I'm not sure what the point is. There was no explicit deadline. Promises by politicians to assert their position have been used since forever. It doesn't change the fact there are obstructions to their good intentions. If I promise something and someone blocks me from viably pursuing it, that's not on me, that's on them: Republicans.
And if they approach it the wrong way, as quoted material suggests, it risks being thrown out by the conservative court making future attempts possibly more difficult.
He definitely over promised on the schedule 2 reclass; because of the congressionally mandated process for reclassification, it takes about 9 years from formal proposal to the DEA being allowed to reschedule.
Fun fact: Biden has already pardoned thousands of people with marijuana convictions. Asking him to pardon EVERYONE when they may have had marijuana as a minor add-on to other criminal charges is a bit silly of an ask.
Biden doesn't run the DEA and can't force them to reschedule the drug. This is almost as dumb as the conservatives saying Biden needs to do something about border security then not being upset the Republicans have voted against every effort to do something about border security before it makes it to Biden's desk.
*the number of people in this country who think the President is a dictator and can literally just make up laws on his own is terrifying.
Biden doesn’t run the DEA and can’t force them to reschedule the drug.
Who appointed Anne Milgram?
President is King of Oosa. He make law. Me talk about president. Me listen many podcast. Me give much opinion. Me not know state rep. Me vote every 4 year. Me mad at gas price. Bad president.
The number of people in this country who want the President to be a dictator and literally just make up laws on his own is also terrifying.
Democrats said their hands were tied for decades. But Biden's hands weren't tied when he got to support Netanyahu's genocide.
I don't know about anyone else, but I cannot trust that when a democrat says their hands are tied, it's actually the case, instead of just what democrats say about shit they don't want to do.
Asking him to pardon EVERYONE when they may have had marijuana as a minor add-on to other criminal charges is a bit silly of an ask.
This would be pardoning the mary jane offenses but leaving the others
Biden doesn’t run the DEA and can’t force them to reschedule the drug.
Still a campaign promise
It was one of the campaign promises. Is it wrong to hold the president accountable for what they've said?
And even if he doesn't have the authority to force it on his own, he still had enough influence to make it happen. Obama gets a lot of credit for "Obamacare," even though it wouldn't have happened without majority support in both the house and senate.
Dasvedanya comrade but can I remind you that despite being a lifelong liberal Donald Trump is committed to maximum jail sentences for drug crimes?
This rage bait smells like it was posted by a Trump supporter.
I wonder what they think Trump will do as far as marijuana legislation. Hmm.
Everyone to my left is all the way to my right.
You must have a lot of trouble driving. Seriously though I have no idea what you're talking about.
Have a nice day.
Is this something that he can just make happen with an executive order or does he need approval from the rest of the government? Can't really be upset about things that he can't simply snap a finger and make happen.
He needs congress. He has pressured the DEA to reschedule it which is about all he can do without congress
Something something infrastructure week
PSA: Decriminalization is not legalization. It just means it's no longer a criminal offence.
Then what is it?
It's still illegal and you get a fine instead of thrown in jail.
Civil offense. Usually a fine or penalty.
Not paying penalties eventually can result in a criminal charge.
Laughs in 5 year old Canadian legislation.
More BS caused by (R) obstructionists.
Oh so we're fighting for Christmas that's what we're gonna do?
I remember something around when he pardoned federal weed offenses related to him saving a bigger play on this for a date closer to the "attention span of voters who care about this" range
I don't know how likely it is but I know it'd be fucking hilarious to watch Republicans start blaming Trump losing on the weed vote.
Democrats when Democrats don't use their powers to do what they promised: "Um akshully it has to pass congress and guess what all dem republicans are blocking the bills so really biden's hands are tied and it's your fault for not voting enough"
Also Democrats: "lmao lets shove thousands of bombs to Israel and run security defense exercises against the Houthis without congressional approval"
Meanwhile Republicans: "executive privilege and unconstitutional orders go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"
Trump really showed us the only thing stopping the President from doing whatever they want is the President.
*Politicians don't use their powers to do what they promised.
"Push Biden Left"? The only thing that'll change a geriatric mind like that is a visit by 3 ghosts.
Funny considering how many positions Biden has changed once he learned more about the issue. From bussing to economics and even health care he's shown the ability to put ideology aside to do what's right for the Americans people.
After the daily trump tantrums Biden has been 4 years of sensible non stories for the most part.
Not once did he tank the market with a tweet.
It's fucking insane how many "moderate" Biden supporters are blaming red states for not just ignoring federal law...
Like, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
The decades of this bullshit "solution" is going to come back and bite us in the ass when it's used as precedent to say state laws matter more than federal.
Anyone that claims the current SC wouldn't go along with this has to be willfully naive, like, you can't make that suggestion unless you haven't went a single thought past "defend Biden at all costs".
And that's why the modern Republican party is so fucked up.
Prediction: I will find some factually inaccurate bullshit within the first 5-10 posts of the "PushBidenLeft" account
Edit: It took two posts. The first one was clearly a bunch of shit but not factual enough to really qualify, but the second one that showed on my feed was:
Today is the 1st day that Biden has chosen not to cancel all student debt.
