Here’s Yet Another Issue Where Bernie BLOWS Hillary Out Of The Water: Marijuana Reform

[Segami]

"...marijuana legalization is a logical first step. And Bernie Sanders is the only major presidential candidate to support it. It’s something worth discussing at the next debate..."

In late October, Bernie Sanders called for the end to federal prohibition of marijuana, which would free states to legalize pot (or not) without fear of federal intervention and allow state-legal marijuana businesses to participate in the formal banking system.

“Too many Americans have seen their lives destroyed because they have criminal records as a result of marijuana use,” Sanders told enthusiastic crowd of students at George Mason University. “That’s wrong. That has got to change.”

Sanders’ support for marijuana legalization is a momentous but not very surprising occasion. After all, the majority of Americans now support legalization and it’s no longer fashionable for Democrats to be diehard drug warriors, at least when it comes to pot. Yet Sanders’ opponent, Hillary Clinton, has not embraced eliminating federal marijuana prohibition. Instead, she announced on November 7 that she supports watering it down by changing marijuana’s federal classification from a Schedule I to a Schedule II drug. That could make it easier for scientists to research, and could open the door to medical marijuana being regulated by the FDA (and that, as this Brookings paper argues, could actually lead to new restrictions on current state systems). Clinton has also said that the federal government should not intervene to block states from legalizing.

This has become a predictable campaign season pattern: Clinton moves toward Sanders’ leftist stance on any given issue but does so in an either less convincing or less thoroughgoing manner. In this case, however, Sanders is also a pretty late convert. After all, 58 percent of Americans now support legalization of recreational marijuana, according to Gallup. Supporting marijuana legalization in October 2015 does not make anyone a pathbreaking visionary. That said, the differences as they now stand between Sanders and Clinton are signficant. Sanders would give a green light to legalization in Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Oregon and Washington D.C., and to the other states that will no doubt soon follow. Clinton’s light is yellow: the schedule change aside, it basically maintains the Obama Administration’s status quo of tolerating state-level legalization but offers nothing in the way of solid, statutory relief.

“Sanders has come out in favor of marijuana legalization and put forth a very substantial position that’s backed up by legislation,” says Michael Collins, speaking for Drug Policy Action, the political arm of the Drug Policy Alliance. “Clinton has been a little bit more slippery on this.”

cont'

http://www.salon.com/2015/11/12/heres_yet_another_issue_where_bernie_blows_hillary_out_of_the_water_marijuana_reform/

[sabrina 1]

1. Bernie just introduced Legislation himself to end the Federal Ban on Marijuana!

Matching his actions to his words, as always!

[firebrand80]

2. I disagree, I think caution is the better approach

Not sure if that makes me a third-wayer

[Segami]

5. We are way past the time....its time to move forward.

"...In reality, imprisonment for marijuana use is not that common. What is common, however, is marijuana arrests: more than 700,000 last year, mostly for possession. And they disproportionately impact black people. Without legalization or decriminalization, arrests for marijuana users will continue. And they will continue to constitute one of law enforcement’s most persistent violation of civil rights...."

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Define "caution"

For the sick people still being thrown in prison for smoking pot, there isnt a ton of time for caution.

Not only have 4 states fully legalized for recreational use, half the states have legalized for mmj- both are in conflict with the feds as things stand.

It's time to reconcile that and do what is right.

[firebrand80]

14. I'm nor certain I agree with making it easier

For children to get access to

[Warren DeMontague]

16. You're kidding, right?

In many places -under prohibition- it's easier for underage people to get access to pot than it is alcohol, because alcohol is regulated and legal. This is documented.

Youth marijuana usage has gone DOWN in states where it is legal- this, too, is documented.

Pot prohibition is insanity, it is morally wrong, it cheats the states out of literally BILLIONS in potential tax revenue, it forces otherwise legitimate businesspeople (aka "job creators&quot to exist in the shadows, and most importantly IT DOESNT EVEN WORK.

[jberryhill]

28. Like alcohol?

So we need to spend billions locking people up and tying up the entire law enforcement apparatus over this? Why not spend those resources keeping it away from children?

[Warren Stupidity]

38. Clueless.

Any high school and probably middle school anywhere in the country you can buy pot. Right now.

[Ken Burch]

42. I'm a little confused, here.

Why do you have a Bernie avatar AND the Third Way symbol in your posts?

[immoderate]

7. 'Caution' implies more vigilance, and less 'life in prison,' dontcha think?

--imm

[frylock]

20. Just another 50 years of research?

[Volaris]

21. On this particular issue it doesn't make a difference which path is taken...

What I will NOT tolerate is a policy that ends with Phillip-Morris or Glaxxoc-Smith having 'Rights' to overcharge me for a quarter (or its chemical equalivant)
but my buddy down the block who grows his own is 'regulated' into county jail because his herb isn't produced in a factory-lab, or his friend who ends up in State because he didn't have a prescription.

[bahrbearian]

23. I agree Drink Up

Have another and another another


Hey its legal

[RoccoR5955]

32. And I say caution, but a different kind of caution

the caution to get rid of laws that should not have been put on the books in the first place.
the caution to get more people better without the use of expensive pharmaceuticals.
the caution to let adults use this in a recreational way, because they already are, and shall continue to do so.
the caution that there have been ZERO overdoses on marijuana, as opposed to deaths because of alcohol, and/or tobacco.
the caution to grow a crop with so many uses, from textiles, to paper, to fuel, to many other things.

That is the kind of caution I want.
Legalize marijuana NOW, it's long overdue!

[Todays_Illusion]

39. I think it means you are not looking at the results in states that have legalized medical marijuana

like California with population of 38 million, and almost twenty years (1996) now and soon to have legal outright, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Alaska.

Can you list bad effects of those states making marijuana available to people who want to use it?

ps, It is not very hard to get a card in California.

[tecelote]

3. OMG

Yes. Pot being schedule 1 of the controlled substances act is simply to increase prison profits, uh, er, population.

The war on drugs does not decrease drug use, it simply destroys lives. How much more proof do we need that it has failed?

Our tax dollars should be helping instead of incarcerating.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Kick and R. Aside from being the right thing to do, it's POLITICALLY smart.

Colorado is a swing state. 4 states have legalized for Recreational already, CA probably will next year.

The people who cluck and bleat about "too soon" need to get out of Manhattan occasionally.

[beam me up scottie]

8. One claimed that legalization would lead to corporations preventing us from growing our own weed.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. 11 million dollars in legal sales the first week in oregon, beating out both CO and WA

And that's in a state with arguably the most progressive legalization law to date, which allows all households to grow 4 plants.

Legalization works and is working. The facts are undeniable.

[beam me up scottie]

10. Deniers are impervious to facts.

And someone actually tried to tell me that there's no such thing as conservative Democrats.

What else would you call those who are in favour of more sentencing, more prisons, more lives ruined?

[merrily]

12. I know what I call them.

[beam me up scottie]

13. Now, now merrily - remember the tos!

[Warren DeMontague]

17. I can get you a toe, dude.

[Segami]

18. lol...one of my favs...

[beam me up scottie]

22. Her life was in their hands. Now her toe is in the mail.

[merrily]

11. Gee, the conventional wisdom is that there's no longer any difference between Hillary and Bernie on

issues, so all he has left to say in the next debate is "I got there first." Chris Hayes and others have actually said this. SmartpPeople who literally get paid to know better about this kind of thing. Hayes also bloviated the other day about journalists alleged having no bias other than how newsworthy something is in the eyes of their audience.

Chris honey, and the rest of you, many of us were born at night, but it wasn't last night. You're not fooling us.

[tishaLA]

15. No doubt. He is significantly better on this issue

And the half-way covenant proposed to change it to a schedule 2 drug isn't even half way. It's a microscopic change.

[Scuba]

19. Alternate headline: Sanders attracts new voters while Hillary shuns them.

[Android3.14]

24. ...shuns them to support for-profit prisons

Half measures, empty gestures, and the cynical expectation she will pivot to the right as soon as the primary is over, how can anyone with a good conscience support her?

[JoeOtterbein]

25. Too little, Too late...

...as always from Hillary. She needs to be as brave as she is against Bernie, against the GOP. If she is half as good as advertised, she needs to take the GOP on directly now.

[pnwmom]

26. That position won't help him in the general election. nt

[jberryhill]

29. Because 40% wins elections?

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1657/illegal-drugs.aspx

[pnwmom]

30. Interesting. Living in my WA bubble, I didn't realize the rest of the country

was starting to catch up.

[Warren DeMontague]

33. Baloney.

Not only is Colorado an important swing state, legalization- full legalization, mind you, not just long overdue descheduling- is supported by a majority of Americans.

Perhaps you have heard of the state of California. 34 Million people. Will probably have legalization on the ballot next year, and it will probably pass.

It won't help him in, say, Alabama. You got a candidate that is going to win Alabama?

[azmom]

27. Hillary won't take on big pharma. N/t

[AzDar]

31. K & R

[postatomic]

34. And Senator Sanders would do this...........how??

Let me preface my post by saying that I am what is called an experienced marijuana user, otherwise referred to as a Stoner.


Have you actually read his "bill"? It requires the approval of the Senate and the House, and does not remove the inter-state transporting of weed part. It's still a State thing, which it is now. I'll put the chances of this "Bill" being passed at right around 0%.

This is one of things that bothers me most about Senator Sanders. Here he is being incredibly disingenuous with his supporters by using a "Bill" as a Campaign Poster. It. Is. 100% Politicking. And that's cool. He is a politician, first and foremost. He is not the leader of a populist revolution. He is a fucking politician.

[eridani]

35. By getting a lot of currently alienated voters involved in politics

Sanders keeps telling people at his rallies that he absolutely will not get anything done without people staying involved.

Clinton has zero appeal to the 63%.

[dreamnightwind]

36. +1

[postatomic]

37. Quite a few Sanders supporters are political virgins

I think it's incredible what Senator Sanders has done. Where we differ is on some of his methods. Getting people engaged and involved is great, but when he dangles a Plastic Carrot to appease his supporters and appeal to others......

Oh, and while I appreciate your reply I'm still waiting on the specifics of how Senator Sanders will accomplish this. The people really involved would be in a variety of Government Agencies and the Senate/House.

[eridani]

43. During the New Deal era, there were huge masses of people pushing for change

That is what we need now as well. Sanders says himself that nothing will happen without it.

If Clinton's campaign is about telling people to quit wanting serious changes in income and wealth inequality, it has lost no matter what happens.

I'm waiting to hear why you think that Clinton telling the banksters to cut it out is going to accomplish anything.

[Romulox]

40. Under the Controlled Substances Act, Drugs can be rescheduled unilaterally by the Executive Branch.

[postatomic]

41. Yes. Yes it can.

But some people misread this and assume that the President can do this with just the sweep of her Pen. It would still require that certain Executive agencies be on board and if she did this without the blessing of the Attorney General and the Justice Department it would seen as rogue act and an abuse of the office of the Presidency. Then there's the shit Congress could stir up.......

The best path isn't always the fastest. Some times you have to take the slower trail. When more and more States come online it will force the people in Washington D.C. to revisit this.

Oh, and the Sanders "bill" wants to take this directly to the Senate/House. What was his thinking on this? I can only see it as a Campaign Poster.