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veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana?
#27510742 - 10/19/21 11:07 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? Reason Magazine - November 2021 Issue By Jacob Sullum
Democrats need to decide whether they want to legalize marijuana or just want credit for seeming to try
The House of Representatives made history last December by approving a bill that would have repealed the federal ban on marijuana. Senate Democrats made history again this summer by unveiling legislation that would do the same thing. But both bills are chock-full of unnecessarily contentious provisions that make you wonder whether Democrats are serious about ending the war on weed.
The Respect State Marijuana Laws Act, which former Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R–Calif.) first introduced in 2013, consisted of a single sentence that would have made the federal marijuana ban inapplicable to people acting in compliance with state law. A bill that simply removed cannabis from the federal schedules of controlled substances would be similarly brief, even allowing for conforming amendments.
By contrast, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which passed the House last year with support from just five Republicans and never had a chance in the GOP-controlled Senate, was 87 pages long. It called for new taxes, spending programs, and regulations that were apt to alienate Republicans who might otherwise be inclined to resolve the untenable conflict between federal pot prohibition and state laws that allow medical or recreational use.
The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) presented in draft form on July 14, doubles down on that approach. It is nearly twice as long as the MORE Act.
Under Schumer's bill, state-licensed marijuana businesses, which already are regulated by state and local governments, would also be supervised by the Food and Drug Administration, the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and the Justice Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The bill envisions detailed rules dealing with production, storage, transportation, packaging, labeling, advertising, and sales. It would establish a minimum national purchase age of 21, meaning states would not be free to set a lower threshold.
The bill would impose a federal excise tax on marijuana starting at 10 percent and rising to 25 percent by the fifth year, which would be in addition to frequently hefty state and local taxes. It would spend the resulting revenue on three new grant programs aimed at helping "individuals adversely impacted by the War on Drugs" as well as "socially and economically disadvantaged individuals."
Politico called Schumer's bill a "long-shot bid for legal weed," and it is not hard to see why. His overly prescriptive and burdensome proposal makes an already iffy effort even more quixotic. Democrats need to decide whether they want to legalize marijuana or just want credit for seeming to try.
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nektar61
Into SporePlay
Registered: 07/04/20
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: veggie]
#27510923 - 10/20/21 04:52 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Only when it's at the point that it will tip elections.
If any politicians were really cool, they would have pushed for this decades ago.
As for voters, I'm amazed how many people whose entire life is pot want other drugs to still be illegal.
What's that quote? "All elections are advance sales of stolen goods." (I'd add "and rights.")
And anyone who says with a straight face "Hey, let's legalize, tax, and regulate" anything is a shit.
I mean, it's better than throwing people into prison. But why is property in your home any business of anyone else?
If Schumer and friends were sure they'd gain more power from making possession of a single joint punishable by the death penalty, they'd push for it.
-------------------- -NEW? Start here.
Edited by nektar61 (10/20/21 05:01 AM)
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QM33
(NOT A PUPPET!) ❤❤❤❤❤
Registered: 04/09/20
Posts: 4,739
Loc: Oregon
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: nektar61]
#27510990 - 10/20/21 06:36 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Well this seems like some right wing propaganda.
So althought the democrats are the only ones supporting these legislations, they shouldnt get any credit why?
This really has nothing to do with democrats.
What credit are they taking?
Nektar... you should reread what you just said. It doesnt even make since.
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Holybullshit
Stranger
Registered: 01/06/19
Posts: 1,562
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: nektar61]
#27511161 - 10/20/21 09:34 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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We have one party actually interested in governing right now, I may not agree with all their members on every issue, but it's undeniable which party is at least trying to govern and which one is in campaign made 100% of the time and is more interested in power for power's sake.
Edited by Holybullshit (10/20/21 10:06 AM)
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QM33
(NOT A PUPPET!) ❤❤❤❤❤
Registered: 04/09/20
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Loc: Oregon
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: Holybullshit]
#27511165 - 10/20/21 09:38 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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I wouldnt go that far ha.
I just think its some right wing propaganda, and the demacrats, for whatevwr motives, are the ones if any that will change the laws at this point.
Fuck the feds, but but get those paper signed!
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Holybullshit
Stranger
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: QM33] 1
#27511197 - 10/20/21 10:11 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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I would and I did...the GOP has no interest in governing. They had been heading in that direction for a while now and have now fully arrived...they never leave campaign mode, when they have power they use it to enrich themselves and their cronies and destroy the federal governments ability to function, when they aren't they practice non-stop obstructionism and would rather play culture war games intended to turn us against one another than address any of the actual problems we are facing...and are now waging a war against Democracy itself. The GOP campaigns on the idea of "bad government", and once elected, they definitely deliver.
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QM33
(NOT A PUPPET!) ❤❤❤❤❤
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: Holybullshit]
#27511254 - 10/20/21 11:00 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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Idk i dont keep up with most politics/politicians. Moreso legislation i guess... sometimes parties just seem to stand out. Idk i wouldnt even say the democrats are doing this. Ide say NORML for example made this happen. The big/federal politicians/politics are just the gatekeepers, the reason were in this mess to begin with.
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theRealrollforever
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: QM33]
#27511331 - 10/20/21 12:08 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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It's a democrat issue because they are including other things in the bill to further their political agenda. To be fair though I'm sure the republicans that are shooting it down would legalize in a heartbeat if they had some "right wing" provisions in the bill. It's basically just two parties using an issue (justice+Weed) to further their power, or they vote to nix it. It's sad really.
-------------------- sunshine said: The order has to be secret and no one is sure.
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QM33
(NOT A PUPPET!) ❤❤❤❤❤
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Loc: Oregon
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I agree. Just let everyone habe theor weed back man
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Holybullshit
Stranger
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It's not "just" that. One ends with the GOP trying to bankrupt the US government with tax cuts for the rich, not to mention generally pilfering US taxpayers. The other with paid family and medical leave, money for health insurance, until Manchin money for climate change.
Yeah, you can acknowledge that politician suck, on both sides, but the parties aren't equitable at all.
One(if we could get more seats) gets you voting rights...the other, get you shit like this.
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Failboat
Fuck Up
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: Holybullshit]
#27512338 - 10/21/21 11:05 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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If you want to make a difference look in the mirror and be the change man, go run for office with a cohort of colleagues with intent to change the party from within.
If you could get enough "republicans" to join the bandwagon for profit then you can get marijuana legalized. Don't make it about civil rights, let that occur naturally. Give them just enough to be happy, don't try to change their mind about the other side of the coin, they are not children anymore.
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durian_2008
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Posts: 17,593
Loc: Raccoon City
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: veggie]
#27513030 - 10/21/21 11:30 PM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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This reminded me of the work program, in our highschool, that turned-down high-achievers, who wanted to earn some extras.
Quote:
It would spend the resulting revenue on three new grant programs aimed at helping "individuals adversely impacted by the War on Drugs" as well as "socially and economically disadvantaged individuals."
They're not going to allow you to participate, unless they have reason to believe that you're defective.
Several of the portable farms and crypto kind of schemes, which I have researched, had these same strings attached.
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Failboat
Fuck Up
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Re: Are Democrats Serious About Legalizing Marijuana? [Re: durian_2008]
#27513408 - 10/22/21 09:42 AM (2 years, 5 months ago) |
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That's because everyone else can just buy some equipment and do the work on their own, this is America.
In all fairness I haven't read his bill, but I think a fair and regulated industry wouldn't need these additional grants and shit.
Stop giving money to private companies, just establish government options in the market. If businesses can compete with the government run company then it's grat for the consumer should everyone be within regulations. If not then the government buys them out like any other business would. Start with raw materials, hospitals, utilities, agriculture, and vehicles. We're not socializing, just embracing Capitalism!
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