Current Events > Biden administration plans to reclassify marijuana, easing restrictions nationwi

(+) Yeah! (+)

Win for Biden?

President Joe Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services in October of 2022 to review marijuanas classification. Federal scientists concluded that there is credible evidence that cannabis provides medical benefits and that it poses lower health risks than other controlled substances.
Biden even made history at the State of the Union address this year, for the first time referencing marijuana from the dais in the House chamber and making note of the federal review process. No one should be jailed for using or possessing marijuana, the president said during the speech.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/biden-administration-plans-reclassify-marijuana-easing-restrictions-na-rcna149424

The Biden administration will take a historic step toward easing federal restrictions on cannabis, with plans to announce an interim rule soon reclassifying the drug for the first time since the Controlled Substances Act was enacted more than 50 years ago, four sources with knowledge of the decision tell NBC News.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to approve an opinion by the Department of Health and Human Services that marijuana should be reclassified from the most strict Schedule I to the less stringent Schedule III, marking the first time that the U.S. government would acknowledge its potential medical benefits and begin studying them in earnest.
Attorney General Merrick Garland submittedthe rescheduling proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday afternoon, a source familiar with the situation confirmed toNBC News.
Any reclassification is still months from going into effect. After the proposal is published in the Federal Register, there will be a 60-day public comment period. The proposal will then be reviewed by an administrative law judge, who could decide to hold a hearing before the rule is approved.

What rescheduling means
Since 1971, marijuana has been in the same category as heroin, methamphetamines and LSD. Each substance under the Schedule I classification is defined as a drug with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule III substances include Tylenol with codeine, steroids and testosterone.
By rescheduling cannabis, the drug would now be studied and researched to identify concrete medical benefits, opening the door for pharmaceutical companies to get involved with the sale and distribution of medical marijuana in states where it is legal.

For the $34 billion cannabis industry, the move would also eliminate significant tax burdens for businesses in states where the drug is legal, notably getting rid of the Internal Revenue Service's code Section 280E which currently prohibits legal cannabis companies from deducting what would otherwise be ordinary business expenses.
The Department of Justices rescheduling decision could also help shrink the black market which has thrived despite legalization in states like New York and California and has undercut legal markets that are fiercely regulated and highly taxed.

Only because it's an election year. Strange how he wants to do that now, especially after the Tiktok ban issue.

Still vote for him over Trump but I hate this two-party system. It's absolute shit.

PoIkan posted...

Only because it's an election year. Strange how he wants to do that now

WingsOfGood posted...

President Joe Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services in October of 2022 to review marijuanas classification

2022 was an election year?

PoIkan posted...

Tiktok ban issue.

this has been talked about since like 2019

metralo posted...

this has been talked about since like 2019

Does Biden even have anything to do with TikTok ban? Pretty sure congress is pretty unified there but I guess he could have vetoed it.

I look it up on google and find:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_TikTok_in_the_United_States

Trump administration
This section is an excerpt from Donald TrumpTikTok controversy.[edit]
In 2020, the United States government announced that it was considering banning the Chinese social media platform TikTok upon a request from then-presidentDonald Trump, who viewed the app as a national security threat.

and Biden

Biden administration
On June 9, 2021, the Biden Administration issued Executive Order 14034, "Protecting Americans' Sensitive Data from Foreign Adversaries" ("EO 14034"). EO 14034, overturning three Executive Orders signed by Donald Trump: Executive Order 13942, Executive Order 13943, and Executive Order 13971. Despite revoking these Executive Orders, the Biden Administration's EO 14304 has called upon other federal agencies to continue a broad review of foreign-owned applications set to continuously inform the President of the risk that the applications pose to personal data and national security.[4] The White House said that, "The Biden Administration is committed to promoting an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet; protecting human rights online and offline; and supporting a vibrant, global digital economy."[5]
In December 2022, Senator Marco Rubio and representatives Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi introduced the Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party Act (ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act), which would prohibit Chinese- and Russian-owned social networks from doing business in the United States.[6][7]

So once again Biden blamed for a thing that is more Trump? Sure I guess he could have vetoed it....

Reclassifying marijuana is a good thing but the anti-Biden bros will still cry about Biden and swear he's as bad as Trump.

Yeah, he could have, but to act like this is related to the middle east at all is comical when its been talked about for a long time.

metralo posted...

Yeah, he could have, but to act like this is related to the middle east at all is comical when its been talked about for a long time.

???

wrong thread?

grateful dead albums back on the charts baby

WingsOfGood posted...

2022 was an election year?

I mean technically yes, it just wasnt a presidential election year

Should have gone for outright descheduling (which would have made cannabis, from a federal standpoint, exactly as legal as alcohol and tobacco), but at least with rescheduling, there should be fewer and smaller speed bumps in legalizing medical use in states that don't already have it, and it's possible that from there, more states could then legalize recreational use and provide further pressure to deschedule it completely.

Or, you know, the Republicans could win (or "win") in November, and promptly flush every last bit of progress that's been made on this issue (and several others) right down the toilet.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Wonder if Snoop Dogg will vote Biden now

I do not understand why people keep underestimating Biden.

Hes got a 40+ year streak of wins going and he whooped Fat Donnies ass without even campaigning.

Trump blurts brain farts whenever they occur to him.

Biden plans things out for maximum effect.

WingsOfGood posted...

???

wrong thread?

The tiktok ban. Lefties are convinced this is only happening to hide whats happening in Gaza. Mb, I shoulda quoted some of it.

metralo posted...

literally never heard that take before

PoIkan posted...

I hate this two-party system. It's absolute shit.

What have you done about this?

WingsOfGood posted...

literally never heard that take before

Because its not a thing.

divot1338 posted...

I do not understand why people keep underestimating Biden.

Hes got a 40+ year streak of wins going and he whooped Fat Donnies ass without even campaigning.

Trump blurts brain farts whenever they occur to him.

Biden plans things out for maximum effect.

I was skeptical on him in 2018/2019 but the guy's a winner tbh

Won the primary when everyone thought he was out, defeated an incumbent president, passed the several major bills with basically a 50/50 split in Congress, had a historically good performance in a midterm, etc.

Never gonna bet against him again

Doom_Art posted...

What have you done about this?

What could I do about this? Should I, I dunno, buy an American Airlines round trip to DC, walk into the White House, write my name on this magical piece of paper that's awaiting my signature there to make things better?

I mean, what am I supposed to do? I'm allowed to hate it.

divot1338 posted...

Because its not a thing.

I mean if you just search tiktok ban gaza you will see it all over twitter lol

Just to mention I wasn't biggest Biden fan. That should be obvious that I align more with what Bernie wanted to do. But Trump is so destructive that Biden looks amazing beside him. In case anyone would argue I am just googly eyed for Biden.

Also Doom_Art, thought you were always big on Biden. At least back when people bemoaned Bernie not being picked as the candidate.

PoIkan posted...

What could I do about this? Should I, I dunno, buy an American Airlines round trip to DC, walk into the White House, write my name on this magical piece of paper that's awaiting my signature there to make things better?

I mean, what am I supposed to do? I'm allowed to hate it.

I mean politics is local. Start in your community, get involved in a third party in your town/district, work with advocacy groups for electoral reform (states like Maine and Alaska have implemented ranked-choice voting in recent years) or if you live in a state that hasn't ratified the National Popular Vote Compact then that's another thing to look into.

Or just complaining "two party system bad" online works too, whatever

WingsOfGood posted...

Also Doom_Art, thought you were always big on Biden. At least back when people bemoaned Bernie not being picked as the candidate.

Bernie or Warren were my preference in the 2020 primaries, but when it became apparent Bernie would not be the nominee it was time to move on.

Also to mention Biden at first wasn't going to forgive student loans and I made a thread about it complaining.

Later he did it, he actually did it and keeps doing it.

Lost tiktok, get weed? I will take that trade any day

Doom_Art posted...

I mean politics is local. Start in your community, get involved in a third party in your town/district, work with advocacy groups for electoral reform (states like Maine and Alaska have implemented ranked-choice voting in recent years) or if you live in a state that hasn't ratified the National Popular Vote Compact then that's another thing to look into.

Or just complaining "two party system bad" online works too, whatever

With what time? I vote and have a life with my commitments. I also work through the night and sleep during the standard 9-5, so it isn't like I could do anything there anyways. I bring awareness to situations to locals I can but I am not nor do I have any time to canvass. Also, my state said 'fuck you' to Ranked Choice Voting in 2020, and that annoyed the Hell out of me. (Because of course, had a governor who vocally went against it, so he clearly knew better!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Massachusetts_Question_2

10% gap. That's still a lot. People hate change.