“‘Cause I got high, because I got high
Because I got high” – Afroman – ‘Because I got high’ (2000)
“As I’ve said before, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana.
Today, I’m taking steps to end our failed approach. Allow me to lay them out.
First: I’m pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden.
Second: I’m calling on governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses. Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely for possessing marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.
Third: We classify marijuana at the same level as heroin – and more serious than fentanyl. It makes no sense. I’m asking Secretary Becerra and the Attorney General to initiate the process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. I’d also like to note that as federal and state regulations change, we still need important limitations on trafficking, marketing, and underage sales of marijuana. Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives – for conduct that is legal in many states. That’s before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs” (Biden, 06.10.2022).
President Joe Biden has come with a real surprise to many today. He has finally stopped the drug-war on marijuana, which has been failed by the authorities and the government as a whole. His a man who has fought for these strict rules and legislation in the past. So, when it was his turn to be in the highest office, suddenly things has changed. There must be a reason for it and sooner or later this will be part of society at large.
With these pardons and the planned evaluation of marijuana. Expect it to be soon taxed federally like alcohol or in the realm of that. President Biden really came with shocker and it was a blunt out of nowhere.
This sort of war has lasted for ages and been a concern for several of administrations. It has been a battle it cannot compete with. That’s why the states like California has sort of made legal medicinal marijuana and such. Now, there can be expectation of more and positively in the ways of liberal Netherlands on that matter. Because, the pardoning and possible changes of law will be a game-changer. It can also free state authorities resources to look at bad law-offenders and not only capture people with possession of marijuana.
Certainly this move will be popular ahead of the midterms. It will also be a vital legislation ahead of the polls. He would have this one and the student debt forgiveness. He is following to actually do favourable acts in office. The Office of President has delivered here and showed finesse. The democratic party can get a boost over this and show it’s a total difference than the Republican party. This was shown with the student debt forgiveness and now with the marijuana legislation.
President Biden has come out of left-field here. There will be pushback here, but this is a piece of legislation that will be popular. This has been asked by progressives for a long time and the authorities has nothing to show from it. Only a lot of misdemeanours and possession cases, but not the cartels or the ones behind the export. With the changes… this can be a legal industry. Just like the alcohol industry could be legal after the prohibition era. The “Speakeasies” has turned into pubs and saloons again.
Time has to tell really how this will be played out. Marijuana might turn into the new tobacco and become part of that industry in the future. Biden has open up the flood-gates here. I don’t know how this will be played out. However, he will gain popularity and the Democratic Party will score brownie-points ahead of the midterms. There will be ramifications doing this and especially when he decided to pull this one off.
Now the Democrats can get high… Peace.
MinBane 