cannabisnews.com: Prohibition on Marijuana Is On Borrowed Time
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Prohibition on Marijuana Is On Borrowed Time
Posted by CN Staff on April 24, 2018 at 09:01:59 PT
By Paul Waldman
Source: American Prospect
USA -- If you're a politician wondering whether you should try pot, I've got news for you: Everybody's doing it. Why not give it a try? You don't want people to think you're square, do you?By "try pot," I don't mean actually smoke it (though who knows what's going on in the cloakroom these days). I mean come out for some form of marijuana legalization. Former Speaker of the House John Boehner recently joined the board of a cannabis company, and last week on semi-official marijuana holiday April 20, certified cool dude Chuck Schumer, the leader of Democrats in the Senate, announced that he will soon be introducing legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. Oh how times have changed.
They're hardly the only ones. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, being pushed to the left by a primary challenge from Cynthia Nixon, now says the state should start preparing to legalize it. Major corporations like HP are inching their way toward involvement in some corner of what is already a multibillion-dollar industry. And President Trump just struck a deal with Republican senator Cory Gardner to pull back on Attorney General Jeff Sessions's plans to crack down on states that have legalized cannabis, like Gardner's home state of Colorado (though if I were Gardner I wouldn't be too quick to take the president at his word).As fast as things have been changing around the marijuana issue, the real change is likely to come three years from now. That's when we may find ourselves with a Democratic Congress and a Democratic president—both of whom would have made a promise to end the federal prohibition and leave the matter up to the states. At that point, Republican opposition may have dimmed to the point where it isn't even much of a fight.Schumer's announcement illustrates that support for federal decriminalization has become the consensus position of the Democratic Party. That isn't the same as support for outright legalization, since there are even some Republicans who think the question should be left to the states, which is a much safer position for even Democrats to take. But every 2020 Democratic presidential candidate is likely to support an end to the federal ban, and you'll probably hear at least one or two of them state their support for legalization more broadly.That's a far cry from 1992, when Bill Clinton said he smoked once as a student but didn't inhale (I actually believe him; even in his 20s, the man was triangulating). Just two years ago, both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders technically supported federal decriminalization, but were plainly uncomfortable about it. Clinton recommended that other states wait to see how things turned out in Colorado and Washington before they decide whether to legalize it themselves.But they aren't waiting. As of now there are nine states plus the District of Columbia that have made marijuana legal for recreational use. Another 20 states allow medical marijuana, leaving only 21 where the drug is still completely illegal. All of those 21 are governed entirely by Republicans, with the exception of Virginia, which has a Democratic governor.Just since 2000, the number of Americans supporting legalization has doubled, going from around 30 percent to well over 60 percent As politicians usually do, Democrats are chasing public opinion. Just since 2000, the number of Americans supporting legalization has doubled, going from around 30 percent to well over 60 percent (see here or here). While Jeff Sessions may go into battle on this issue thinking that he's going to show those dang longhairs once and for all, marijuana is slowly escaping the baggage of the 1960s. Even healthy numbers of Republicans—43 percent in this Pew Research Center poll—are ready for legalization.But the culture war never really dies—especially for the GOP. Republican officeholders know about the generational divide on the marijuana issue, and know that older voters are the core of their base. So even as their position grows more and more unpopular, they won't be able to abandon it completely.Which is why we could well see a similar evolution on cannabis as we saw on same-sex marriage, in which it becomes a reality on the ground, the apocalyptic predictions of opponents don't come true, and after a while Republican objections grow quieter and quieter. If you press a major Republican officeholder on the marriage equality these days they may say they still support "traditional marriage," but they almost never bring it up themselves. They know that public opinion has passed them by and there's no margin for them in fighting about it.You can already sense that they're feeling something similar on marijuana. While the Supreme Court isn't going to declare a universal right to smoke pot, we'll see legalization spread steadily, from blue states to purple states and finally—even if it takes a while—to red states. If the politicians don't do it, the voters will: There are likely to be marijuana initiatives on the ballot in multiple states this November, including even some deep-red states like Utah, where a medical marijuana initiative has likely qualified for the ballot. The opposition of the Mormon church may not be enough to defeat it, given that medical marijuana enjoys overwhelming support, with polls finding as many as nine in ten Americans in favor.There's a good chance that Democrats will take back the House this November, then win the presidency and control of the Senate in 2020. With control of the government in hand, 2021 would see a raft of progressive legislation on a variety of issues, many of which will produce bitter, lengthy legislative battles. But ending the federal marijuana ban? That one will be relatively easy. Source: American Prospect, The (US)Author: Paul WaldmanPublished: April 22, 2018Copyright: 2018 The American Prospect, Inc.Contact: letters prospect.orgWebsite: http://www.americanprospect.org/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/jBVtnaLECannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #15 posted by Hope on June 11, 2018 at 20:52:19 PT
Lol! Rottweiler Lady!
No. I don't see you trading them for chihuahuas either. Take care of yourself so you can take of them. I hope you are doing well. I've been out of pocket so I need to catch up.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #14 posted by FoM on June 06, 2018 at 06:45:15 PT
Girly Girly
Hope you made me laugh. I doubt that will ever happen to me. I am not ready to trade in my eight Rottweilers for 8 Chihuahuas. I am trying hard to be good though!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #13 posted by Hope on June 05, 2018 at 17:11:38 PT
BGreen.
Amen to that!Dear FoM. It sucks not to be able to lift and carry like a longshoreman whenever we think we need to. We both are probably at a point in life we should cut back, at least a little, on that. We both may have to get a little more girly girl in our mature years and get someone else to do some of the heavy lifting. I'm not happy about that. I prefer to do my own heavy lifting. But being bunged up makes you feel old and I don't like that and I know you don't either.Yoga and dumbbells help me. It's not a miracle, but it seems like it... until you slack off. Get well quick. But do the serious resting discipline it takes to get there in fine shape.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on June 03, 2018 at 14:11:24 PT
BGreen
Thank you. I am sure I will. No lifting for 4 weeks over 10 lbs and normal lifting of up to 25 lbs in 6 to 8 weeks. That's hard to do around here but I am being good.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by BGreen on June 03, 2018 at 13:48:37 PT
Wow!
That's intense! I'm so glad you got that taken care of. I'll bet you're going to feel much better overall when you heal.Bud
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on June 03, 2018 at 13:14:18 PT
BGreen
Thank you so much! I haven't felt well for a long time and I was at a dog show a few weeks ago and got very sick so I called the surgeon who did my surgery in 2010 for an incarcerated femoral hernia and he put in mesh and I blew a hole right through the mesh in a different location but it also is an incarcerated femoral hernia. Getting better slowly everyday now.
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Comment #9 posted by BGreen on June 03, 2018 at 12:46:47 PT
My prayers for a quick and complete healing
I'm sorry you aren't 100%, FoM. May the miraculous healing power of our wonderful bodies kick into overdrive, speeding your return to wellness and minimizing your discomfort along the way.I love you, my wife loves you and many, MANY other people love you for the gifts of love and compassion you've shown to so many of us. Love is the most powerful of all of the healing emotions.Take care and keep us informed on your progress.Bud
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 03, 2018 at 07:13:10 PT
Just a Note
Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't found and posted any news for awhile but I had surgery on Tuesday and am not on top of things right now. Have a great day and please keep sharing articles.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by afterburner on May 29, 2018 at 12:20:37 PT
Progressive Conservative Senate Slow Legalization
POLITICS.
05/29/2018 10:34 EDT | Updated 2 hours ago.
Senate Committee Tweaks Marijuana Bill So Provinces, Territories Can Ban Home Growing.
But an amendment about addressing Indigenous communities' concerns didn't pass.
Joan Bryden, Canadian Press
https://m.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/05/29/senate-committee-marijuana-bill_a_23445970/Banning home growing is one way to keep the black market strong and allows corporate interests to dominate the market and set unreasonable prices.
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Comment #6 posted by John Tyler on April 29, 2018 at 10:11:34 PT
poor Virginia
Virginia is slow to the cannabis side of history, but as of sometime in early 2018 the VA Democratic governor did get the Va legislature to make medical cannabis legal for any medical condition that any doctor recommended it for. That is great and a huge step forward, however, there is not distribution system in place yet.
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Comment #5 posted by Soup herb on April 24, 2018 at 13:30:56 PT:
South of Miami
My brothers wife is working for a company near Homestead that was granted a cannabis growing license and finished their first grow a month ago. That's all I know as of now but things, to my surprise, are moving forward and should never had been illegal in any way shape or form as my mother use to say...
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Comment #4 posted by Had Enough on April 24, 2018 at 13:22:50 PT
Opps...
I was reading another article...posted the wrong link...A very good friends wife just passed away from that disease...But anyway...The critters in Tallahassee have been dragging their heals...sometimes to the point of plain ole stonewalling...They can't except the fact that the voters put this on the ballot and passed it...So now they are making it as difficult as they can...
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Comment #3 posted by Soup herb on April 24, 2018 at 13:18:24 PT:
My Great Grandfather...
Had a farm and the Government made him grow Hemp to pay taxes on his property...I new and met my great G. and he smoked it as well. I only new him in his 90's but he lived to be 97...was born 1873.
Anyway, if Schumer has success I will just sit down and cry with happiness that there may be once again sanity has emerged from under the thumb of big business oppression.
I always vote but now I am praying...
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Comment #2 posted by Had Enough on April 24, 2018 at 13:12:52 PT
Florida...first medical license issued...???
These guys really got this all mucked up... Blessing in disguise...maybe...Silver lining...It's angered enough voters that will soon shake up that bunch in Tallahassee...you can see already starting...and someone running on the ballot to fix this stuff will be voted in office... https://fibromyalgiaresources.com/licence-medicinal-cannabis/
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Comment #1 posted by afterburner on April 24, 2018 at 11:50:14 PT
MMJ, not Panacea, but Does Seem to Look that Way
What’s Next for Cannabis?
By Dr. Frank - Special to Cannabis Culture on April 18, 2018
https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2018/04/18/whats-next-for-cannabis
CANNABIS CULTURE – I often tell people that “medical marijuana is not a panacea – it won’t necessarily help or cure everything.” However, I take a look at all the conditions that cannabis could be helpful for, and I start thinking, “maybe cannabis isn’t a cure-all, but it does seem to look that way!”...Many treatment options where allowed by law!
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