Phil Lewis: WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Department formally moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in a historic shift in US drug policy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Department formally moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in a historic shift in US drug policy.

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Justice Department formally moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in historic shiftapnews.com The Justice Department has formally moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in a historic shift in generations of U.S. drug policy.

Great! I'm not especially interested for myself, but this is overdue.

Just ignore the active ethnic cleansing going on, I'll reschedule weed instead

You do realize that more than one thing can happen at a time, yes?

The administration sure hasn't been doing anything material to actually stop Israel from doing what they are doing, have they?

Doesn’t make the fact that something materially good happening because of the administration doesn’t exist.

I don't follow your logic here.

I know.

Yes, actually, they have. They've been exerting extreme pressure behind the scenes, so much so that when Israel objected and started leaking about it Biden had to come out and formally declare that most major weapon shipments were on hold (and had already been so for a while).

can you link where he said that? i heard a single shipment was paused, and then the State Dept began a request for another arms deal like 4 days later

also, if they want voters to give them credit for something, probably shouldnt do it "behind the scenes"

He's categorically paused large bombs & certain kinds of ammo that would cause massive civilian casualties, but is permitting tank ammo & mortar rounds. The GOP is trying to pass legislation to force all transfers to resume. apnews.com/article/us-i....

Biden administration is moving ahead on new $1 billion arms sale to Israel, congressional aides sayapnews.com It’s the first arms shipment to Israel to be announced by the administration since it put another arms transfer on hold earlier in the month.

'Extreme' pressure. Yeah sure. We have provided cover for Israel through this entire process and have not allowed them to face the consequences of their actions at any point in this process. We literally defunded the UNRWA which was giving aid to Gazans because Israel said so.

Yes but the point is this is a cynical attempt to claw back favor with voters while doing nothing to actively address the ongoing genocide. While it is of course a good thing I still personally find stopping the enabling of genocide far more important.

This was something Biden directed to happen in 2022. It takes a long time to go into effect and had nothing to do with events happening two years later.

But something bad is happening somewhere else in the world, so we can’t acknowledge good things on this side of the world. You see.

Must be so delightful to live in your liberal bubble where you can champagne toast dog and pony show "progress" while maintaining an abstract glibness towards the dire violence and misery being perpetrated by the people you're golf clapping for.

"you must buy my vote!" ... "how dare you try to buy my vote!"

Literally no lol. More like they have vastly underestimated how their actions affect the price of my vote. But you go on with your bad faith interpretations king.

ha sure bud :)

I refuse to stop acknowledging major progress on domestic issues of import just because there are bad things happening elsewhere.

Ok 👍

👍

What genocide?

Clearly, they can make attempts to gain favor and support genocide at the same time.

Yeah but if you think the one thing cancels out the other thing, maybe you shouldn’t be calling others’ thinking into question

Is it exhausting being this tedious?

If I don't want people being ethnically cleansed by weapons my government is supplying, then I suppose I am tedious.

Very few people do! It’s just that most people don’t make it their entire personality, to the point that it Must Be Mentioned At Every Opportunity Regardless Of What The Topic Of Discussion Is. Hence, my tedium question.

Sat on this too, for re-election purposes 🙄

Oh really? When did they begin this process?

This is all bullshit until they make it recreational and release everyone in prison for weed/backpay them for every second they got due to marijuana charges

They need Congress to pass a law to make it entirely legal. And since the Republicans control the house, it ain't gonna happen. Probably wouldn't happen with the Democrats in control either, cuz too many Dems in districts where the voters wouldn't like it.

Little known fact: When forming the DEA, Nixon pushed for schedule 1 status because he saw it as revenge for the hippies causing so much trouble over the Vietnam war, despite it not meeting the schedule 1 definition in any way. Bad policy can span generations.

one of 3!!! ( part way, I want full legalization) bsky.app/profile/surl...

If the Dems want to ENSURE a win they need to promise ( and deliver on) these 3 things IF they have a supermajority. A ) enshrine federal protection of the right to abortion. B ) pass a federal law allowing the recreational use of cannabis. C ) commit to expanding the Supreme Court to the …

It’s not even part way though… “The plan approved by Attorney General Merrick Garland does not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.” Instead of calling it super dangerous, it’s just dangerous Part way would be decriminalizing

Right, but this is what they can do without passing legislation. It's an interim step until they can get the votes. And it IS major because it will allow for proper studies of cannabis for medical and veterinary use and studies to establish medication interactions.

For example, I do not personally know if I can safely indulge in cannabis because I am on maintenance medication. I don't know if it's safe, not safe at all, or safe if I don't use it within 4 hours of my meds. When it was schedule 1 *they couldn't legally do a study to find out*.

Now do alcohol though

I won't argue that ..... but ALSO nicotine.

An interim step would be calling for legalization/decriminalizing along with this, and hiring back the five staffers they fired out the gate This is pandering

Decriminalizing like saying “no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana” and issuing pardons? Maybe paired with beginning this rescheduling process? https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/06/statement-from-president-biden-on-marijuana-reform/

And the Democratic House did pass a legalization bill (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55191808) and a similar bill was introduced (by Leader Schumer among others) in the Senate this year. The Dems are there. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4226/all-info

I said I want them to get to full legalization for recreational use.... HOW we get there is another argument.

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