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.
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.
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?
If I can’t believe any of the good campaign promises from biden because everyone lies, why should we take the scary campaign promises of republicans seriously?
It really leads to apathy in the voter base.
I’m really struggling to understand how you don’t understand how this works. I have to conclude you’re doing this in bad faith, given you implied your age is pretty high.
What part do I not understand?
That they aren’t promises but goals. The Biden administration (and about every administration) works towards everything they say they’ll do, how much they get done is determined by their majority and the willingness of the opposition to work with them.
That they aren’t promises but goals.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/biden-promise-tracker/?ruling=true
Why use the word “promise” then? Is this Newspeak?
For the same reason we take Biden seriously: Legalization has progressed in universally all blue states, has it not?
Ergo, you answered your own question: promises often come to fruition.
So let’s not risk letting Republican promises become reality, such as the promise of overturning Roe… Righhtttt?
promises often come to fruition.
It’s more like he’s bandwagoning something that now has popular support, without actually accomplishing much.
If he was serious he could reappoint DEA and other positions. Or an executive order to be challenged in court, etc.
Both Biden and his VP are on record as being anti marijuana before this last campaign. Biden as recently as when he was VP himself.
Bidens campaign has also fired or removed staffers for prior marijuana use.
Let’s review this as I’m seeing goalpost moving and circular reasoning present, forgetting curiously strange double-standards in where one directs their attention:
- I highlight the fact that all Marijuana legalization, decriminalization initiatives, referendums have come under the Democratic party with Democratic states being the trailblazers
- You ignore this fact.
- You Pivot to why Biden is making promises he can’t keep
- I point to the fact that this is universal and the promise would be kept if it wasn’t for Republican Obstruction
- I ask why you concern yourself so much with Biden and not the obvious Republican obstructionists and their base whom you would be better served convincing in their comment threads.
- Again, you ignore this inquiry.
- You pivot to downplaying Trump’s bad promises because they MIGHT be obstructed (rightfully so) by Democrats. (Forget the fact that one GOP/Trump Promise of overturning Roe came to fruition)
- I thus this proves my point.
- You, again, ignore this, then circle back to why Biden isn’t trying harder. This is ostensibly victim-blaming. In other words, “Why isn’t the hero of the story not doing MORE to overcome the villain!?”
It’s more like he’s bandwagoning something that now has popular support, without actually accomplishing much.
Yes, it’s pretty normal that popular things are often adopted by Presidential candidates. Kind of a no-brainer, don’t you think? As I said before: (1) It’s popular, and (2) Biden needs those youth voters. If it’s so popular, why isn’t Trump doing it? Why are Republicans so opposed? This finally begs the question: Why WOULDN’T Biden support it if he could? The answer is: there is no valid reason, which means Republicans are largely to blame while the workarounds are cumbersome and even run the risk of wasting time in front of the conservative Supreme Court, jeopordizing future attempts at decriminalization.
Politicians change minds. Legalization has become far more popular in recent times. At the end of the day, like it or not, Democrats and Biden are still the best pathways toward decriminalization. We certainly won’t get anything out of Trump and Republicans (which it strikes me as odd you tried to downplay Trump above).
At this point if it looks quacks and acts like a duck it probably is one. To bystanders reading this thread, this user demonstrates all classic signs of a right-wing operative intending to gaslight, sow defeatism, and wedge-drive Democrats.
You will see more of this, sadly.
- I highlight the fact that all Marijuana legalization, decriminalization initiatives, referendums have come under the Democratic party with Democratic states being the trailblazers
- You ignore this fact.
Because its not true. There’s a Republican led bill introduced as recently as 2023.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5977
youre trying to make yourself sound rational here and its really starting yl break down, dude.
Well, I don’t have a study backing me up, but in my experience, promising what you can’t deliver often results in being called a liar.
I really don’t know why “other candidates do it” would be an excuse. The whole pitch for voting for him is that he is supposed to be better than the other candidates. Seems like whataboutism.
I get what you’re saying on principle, but the reality is that the world does not work like that. There’s a reason populism is often a quick way to get to power, because you just promise whatever people want to hear so you could be elected. People don’t vote based on logic, people vote based on emotion, which means people don’t consider what is realistic, they consider what speaks to them.
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.
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.
Yeah but some white kid doesn’t get to blaze it with their free unicorn pony so end of democracy over it we get!
I am lost at what you are trying to say here. Check the end of the sentence.
Phlubba might be referring to right wing youths who would hypothetically vote against Biden or not vote at all, cascading into a loss of US Democracy and eventually the fall of NATO and potentially democracy across the world as a whole. I don’t think our situation is necessarily that bad, but it’s definitely one of many possible futures.
What does this have to do with free unicorn ponies or the discussion at hand?
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.)
It’s too bad that he’s just trying to shit on Biden. I have always been pro legalization.
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?
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.
Adderall is schedule 2
You’re right, I edited that bit to replace it with Ketamine!
Schedule III(Drugs with low risk of harm/abuse and clear medicinal value - cough syrup,Ketamine,etc).
The same cough syrup that contains codeine, an opiate and creates a very strong physical addiction? The same that killed Juice WRLD and Pimp C? The one that almost killed Lil Nas and Macklemore?
The fact that marijuana is right now considered as more harmful than this and should be lowered to this kind of level is just fucked up
dude can’t even say genocide is bad.
Biden has taken a very strong and outspoken position in opposition to certain instances of genocide.
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”
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?
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.
If I promise something and someone blocks me from viably pursuing it, that’s not on me, that’s on them: Republicans.
If I promise my kid a trip to their favorite amusement park and then don’t get the big bonus I expected from work to afford it, it’s not my jobs fault the kid didn’t go to the park. It’s my fault for making a promise and not finding a way to follow through.
If I promise my kid a trip to their favorite amusement park and then don’t get to go because Republicans blew up every bridge along the way to the amusement park, which also flooded because of Climate Change, then that’s on Republicans, not me.
Nice stealth edit, because you realize what you say is ridiculous.
You’re borderline obsessed with a boogie man. Take some personal accountability.
If you want to use your example that’d be like knowing those bridges were scheduled for demolition, and still promising to drive over them the next day anyway.
Stealth edit? Sorry, I corrected a typo. What did you think I did? LOL.
Like knowing those bridges were scheduled for demolition,
Except in your terrible analogy, this is amplifying momentum for people to vote, which could’ve inevitably changed the outcome of who controlled the House and Senate. Therefore, Biden couldn’t have predicted those bridges to be blown up because it was quite possibly people would make the sensible choice and not put these demolitionists back in Congress.
Republicans have nothing. You will lose.
Biden couldn’t have predicted those bridges to be blown up because it was quite possibly people would make the sensible choice and not put these demolitionists back in Congress.
If he ignored the entire history of the party and voting base. Why is it not his own fault for being able to understand that water is wet?
This is the reality of the situation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
