House to take historic vote on federally decriminalizing marijuana

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

For the first time in congressional history, House Democrats are poised for a vote Friday on a long-shot measure that would decriminalize marijuana use at the federal level -- months after pulling the bill amid worries the controversial vote could cause some lawmakers to lose tight races in November.

The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act would also mandate a reassessment of prior marijuana convictions, invest in services for people caught up in the war on drugs and open Small Business Administration funding for legitimate cannabis-related businesses.

Despite widespread support from Democrats in the House of Representatives, the bill stands almost no chance of becoming law in the current session of Congress due to a Republican firewall in the Senate and President Donald Trump still occupying the White House. Biden campaigned in favor of decriminalizing marijuana.

But even after President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated in January, Democrats would have to pass the measure not just through the House again but also clear it through the Senate. The upper chamber’s majority control is still up for grabs -- with two runoff elections in Georgia are scheduled early next month -- but the legislation would be subject to a 60-vote threshold to advance through the Senate and on to the Resolute Desk.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-historic-vote-federally-decriminalizing-marijuana/story?id=74521976&cid=clicksource_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

[Drum]

1. Fingers crossed!

🤞

[Phoenix61]

2. Awesome timing.

Any bets on how this polls in Georgia? How about with getting young folks to the polls?

[PatrickforO]

11. Legalization of marijuana is a WINNING issue.

For sure.

[alittlelark]

3. ........

[BootinUp]

4. Just Do It.

[RussBLib]

5. Please do it. Texas is too retarded to get it done.

Shit, we have medical weed in OKLAHOMA! Toke-la-homa, that conservative bastion.

We have recreational weed in Colorado. Medical weed in New Mexico. Recreational weed in Mississippi!!! (just passed)

And soon, the nation of Mexico is going to legalize it!

Texas will be totally surrounded by states and nations make tons of tax cash off of weed, but Texas? No, we just sit here like a stupid, spoiled child. Sitting in our little puddle of oil, farting natural gas.

No doubt it has SOMETHING to do with the DECADES of Republican rule in Texas. Dems have not won ANY statewide seat since the 1990's.

To make it harder, we, as citizens of Texas, cannot contribute a referendum for the ballot. No, the only way Texas will change is if the State House and Senate approve it and the Governor signs it. Or, the US could legalize it. I think that's even further away than Texas legalizing it.

[Polybius]

6. It will pass the House without a problem

Getting it to a vote in the Senate will be tough though.

[PatrickforO]

10. If our guys win in GA, the constitution says the VP is 'president' over the Senate.

Kamala could get in there and supersede McConnell and at least get legislation to the Senate floor for debate and vote. I would love to see it.

It is looking like Harris is going to have a pretty expanded role as VP.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. If we are able to get the 2 seats in GA

then Democrats would be considered the "Majority party" (because the "President of the Senate" is the VP and our party's VP would automatically be in that role effectively giving Democrats the "majority", which would include the 2 Independents that caucus with Democrats) and thus we would take over the Majority Leader position (i.e., Schumer, assuming that is who would continue in a "leadership" role).

The last time this happened was in 2000 with the election of Shrub and Darth, and the back and forth between Lott and Daschele as Majority/Minority Leaders (depending on who was caucusing with who during a couple year period).

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. Is a simple majority enough?

Won't it take sixty votes to get this through the Senate?

Or can they make it some kind of "reconciliation", like Mitch did a few times?

[BumRushDaShow]

20. That has been the debate of late

whether to get rid of the filibuster, which is a Senate Rule change that only needs a simple majority to execute. It was already removed for confirmations.

However invoking cloture as it stands for other legislation like this, is still in effect and it would require 60 to move past that procedural hurdle, but if it did, it could pass with a simple majority for the final vote.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

21. I think Manchin said he was against removing the filibuster, so ...

... at least one Republican would have to agree to its removal.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Sometimes the GOP is willing to play the long game

and if they did lose the majority (barely) this go-around, they would probably feel comfortable waiting 2 years to go all-in to regain it and then retain that no-filibuster option to jam every draconian thing they could think up, down our throats.

However the one important "check" on that strategy would of course be a Democratic President who can get his veto pen ready, because they would need 67 votes to override, and that ain't happening.

So it's one of those things they would probably be mentally working through to decide whether to go for it or not!

[disalitervisum]

7. 18th century country in a 21st century world

Please let this disgusting murderous species extinguish itself before it infects the entire universe.

[mahina]

12. Walk me through the how we would do that.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Sadly the main way (let tRumpanzees go maskless & gather) has collateral damage to innocents. nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. 21st century country led (mostly) by unpopular 18th century RepubliCONs. Need Electoral Reform

Also need greatly increased education in critical thinking, recognition of propaganda, and civics.

USA is demographically, and by polls, largely progressive, liberal, and Democratic. RepubliCons depend on dirty tricks, gerrymandering, voter suppression, and over-weighted conservative courts to achieve the level of control they have in the Senate and state legislatures.

Biden has two years to make substantial electoral reforms and possibly a sliver of a window after the 2022 midterms.

[TeamPooka]

8. Prohibition is a failed public policy, again...

Legalizing cannabis turns a money pool controlled by cartels into a revenue stream of jobs, incomes, and taxes that benefit all citizens.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. +1. Much less destructive than alcohol, too, and some users will switch to cannabis. . . . nt

[Warpy]

9. Yes, please

but I wish they'd wait until Dumdum is out, until the GA Senate runoff is over. It has no chance of success right now.

I wish the NM lege would decriminalize it, we've got a governor who has said she will sign it.

[tavernier]

17. I know I'm going to sound stupid

but aren’t there one or two things that the Congress should be addressing right now that might be a tiny bit more important?

[cannabis_flower]

18. You mean....

The lives of people who use marijuana and could be sent to jail, be exposed to Covid-19, possibly lose their job, have them be on probation and pee in a cup every month for a year or two aren’t important?

[orangecrush]

25. Exactly

[tavernier]

26. I have nothing against marijuana. I've used it both

medically and recreationally. I just can’t get over the fact that there are families who are standing in food lines and losing their homes in this country and congress does not consider this a necessity for a vote before other things.

[RobinA]

27. Yeah, Legalized

opiates. It's the 12th month of 2020 and cannabis just isn't cutting it anymore.

[Nitram]

23. Won't pass the Senate, but that puts GOP on record as troglodytes. Again.

[raccoon]

24. Doncha Know that a lot of those Republicans will vote against it,

And in real life they themselves use it?

[RobinA]

28. Why The H*ll

is this psychoactive leaf still even an issue? Legalize and move on. Like should have happened in the '40's.

[Hekate]

29. This is a big step forward, DUers. The people are leading on this one, as it gets put to the vote

...state by state by state. By the time medical pot came up on the ballot in California, there were a dozen states already — and I knew then that we were going to get those malignant federal laws off the books, and Marijuana would be taken off Schedule 1.

Not today. But the fact that Mme Speaker is sending up a bill is huge.

So much is going to hinge on the 2 Senate seats in Georgia, and so much will always hinge on Mitch McConnell until he does us all a favor and retires to spend more time with his money vault.

But here is where skilled old Senators have an edge. Even though Joe modestly admits that the players have changed since he was last in the Senate, his instincts are good. Gods willing the Democratic Caucus is sending out feelers right now, asking what Repubs want in exchange for this vote. They have the list of which states have already changed their laws right at their fingertips.

Here’s hoping.

[TexasBushwhacker]

30. I would think some farmers in red states would be happy

to grow marijuana. Does it even need to be an act of Congress? It has no business being a Schedule 1 drug, with heroine and LSD.