Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: Joe Biden Is Coming for Your Legal Weed [View all]PatrickforO
(14,604 posts)And now, I cannot understand why he'd come out with this. It is bad policy.
The writing is on the wall. Hemp has been legalized. There are presently only 10 states where marijuana is fully illegal. There are ten states where it is fully legal, and the rest have either partly legalized or decriminalized.
In my state, which dramatically limits the power of the state legislature to raise taxes without a popular vote, the marijuana tax money is going to education and into the breech on other shortfalls.
It is sold from dispensaries that are heavily regulated, clean and because of the federal government's stupidity, deal in cash only.
Now, he wants to put it on Schedule 2? So it is under strict FDA controls? By prescription only? Years of expensive clinical trials?
It saddens me because to put it on Schedule II is a major step backwards. It has parallels to the approach the anti-abortion people are using in some of the southern states - They are trying to reduce the number of abortions by strangling the service supply.
And, NO, I AM NOT BASHING A DEMOCRATIC FIGURE. I am merely pointing out that the policy approach is similar between the two situations - if you don't want recreational marijuana to be obtainable, even in states where the voters have legalized it, then this is the way to go.
But again, it is VERY bad, VERY UNPOPULAR policy that will cost him many thousands of votes in the primaries, and will tend to keep younger people away from the polls. Really bad move.
I am not sure Biden has thought this out. What I believe is that he's consciously trying to play to the center and is taking policy positions he thinks will appeal to that group. But again, you have to watch for those unintended consequences.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden