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Cannabis is legal in most US states but federal laws block businesses from banks

usatoday.com

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Re: Cannabis is legal in most US states but federal laws block businesses from banks

#91

Post by zdragnar »

Doubtme wrote: post #22
gamegoblin wrote: post #16

Prediction: Dems will make a move on federal legalization in the months before the 2024 presidential election, or at least make federal legalization a major election issue. A lot of right wing / libertarian adjacent people were hoping Trump would come out in favor of it as a 2020 election issue, to outflank Biden on at least one issue. It didn't happen, but I bet it would have made the election a bit closer -- it wou…

Cannabis banking came up on this 1.7 trillion dollar bill that just got passed. It wasn't included thanks to Republicans.

I don't think it is unreasonable for them to have blocked it, for the simple reason it would allow banks to engage in businesses that are violating federal law.

The only true policy is a coherent policy- anything else is just the whims of whoever holds executive fiat.

It should just be fully legalized.

Re: Cannabis is legal in most US states but federal laws block businesses from banks

#92

Post by trillic »

Currently 37 of 50 states have some sort of law on their books allowing legal Cannabis sales in some form.

The 13 with no legalization:

Idaho

Wyoming

Nebraska

Kansas

Iowa

Wisconsin

Indiana

Kentucky

Texas

Tennessee

North Carolina

South Carolina

Georgia

Re: Cannabis is legal in most US states but federal laws block businesses from banks

#93

Post by 33955985 »

kube-system wrote: post #74
33955985 wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not misleading. It reflects the lived experience of most Americans. That it’s “technically illegal” under federal law means nothing to anyone except — as the article points out — for the industry itself. And since when were national laws made by consumers? Federal legalization will happen when a big industry partner wants it it be legalized and not before.

The law is inherently technical. "Technically illegal" is simply "illegal". And it is completely false that this only affects the "industry itself". There are other federal laws that concern the rights and privileges of people who use illegal drugs. For instance, if you use federally illegal drugs, you may not legally purchase (or possess) a firearm. There are other examples in terms of employment, etc.

The law outside its application is meaningless. That’s why there’s so many “Did you know it’s illegal to wash your aardvark on Wednesday” laws still on the books.

Regarding drugs and guns — how is that enforced? Can’t see how a gun dealer would know.

Also, employers can drug test for nicotine, which is legal, and deny employmet.

Re: Cannabis is legal in most US states but federal laws block businesses from banks

#94

Post by GeneralMayhem »

scifibestfi wrote: post #56
gamegoblin wrote: post #16

Prediction: Dems will make a move on federal legalization in the months before the 2024 presidential election, or at least make federal legalization a major election issue. A lot of right wing / libertarian adjacent people were hoping Trump would come out in favor of it as a 2020 election issue, to outflank Biden on at least one issue. It didn't happen, but I bet it would have made the election a bit closer -- it wou…

It sucks how everything is a political football instead of just doing the right thing. They had full control and could have legalized it. But no, they keep holding onto just to drag voters along every election.

>They had full control and could have legalized it

That's not how the Senate works. A 50-50 "majority" is not full control.

In any case, it's pretty silly to blame the party that's on your side for not being able to overcome the bad-faith obstructionism of the opposing party. It's not about political "footballs", it's about having finite time and public attention to be able to get things done. If every single fight has to be dragged into the public to shame the other side into taking a few minutes off from looting and pillaging, then you have to prioritize and pick the optimal time for each battle.

Re: Cannabis is legal in most US states but federal laws block businesses from banks

#95

Post by akiselev »

cm2187 wrote: post #68
AlbertCory wrote: post #61

In the first episode of Tulsa King (which is on a streaming service, so I haven't watched any more of it), Sylvester Stallone is a mobster who gets out of prison after a long term, and is surprised to see a marijuana dealership. He realizes that they must keep a lot of cash, because banks won't deal with them. So he sees his opportunity and becomes their "partner." If it's a legal business, banks should not discrimin…

There are also lots of references to being "raided by the feds" which I don't understand. Is it still a federal offense even though it is legal at the state level?

They’re still liable for paying taxes, which they do largely by mailing the IRS shoeboxes full of cash. By paying taxes they’re essentially admitting to a felony to the US government, which makes them trivially easy to raid.

That said, raids are relatively rare now due to executive order and the Oakland mess. In 2012 the DEA raided Oaksterdam [1] without properly notifying the Oakland PD, tying them up right as a local college was getting shot up [2]. It was a minor scandal that collapsed support for the DEA on the west coast and they haven’t done much cannabis enforcement since.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaksterdam_University#Raid

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oikos_University_shooting

Re: Cannabis is legal in most US states but federal laws block businesses from banks

#96

Post by 33955985 »

ClumsyPilot wrote: post #79
33955985 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment implies the US is somehow bound to this agreement for the making of federal laws. This is not the case and never has been.

I do not inderstand what you are arguing against. Are you saying US is not a signatory to the convention? Are you saying that US is not bound by international agreements, treaties and contracts that it has signed up to, of it's own accord? Are you saying that US can leave the agreement at any time? (I beleive it can) Or are you saying that is US breaks the obligations it signed up to, the UN cannot hold it accountabl…

The US is a signatory, but there is nothing in US law that makes being a signatory binding for the creation, amendment, or repeal of any US law. In fact, the opposite is true: the US explicitly maintains sovereignty for its domestic laws in the face of all UN agreements. It doesn’t need to leave the agreement.

In general the US, as the world dominant cultural, military and economic power, signs agreements to bind others, not themselves.

Re: Cannabis is legal in most US states but federal laws block businesses from banks

#99

Post by chiefalchemist »

scifibestfi wrote: post #56
gamegoblin wrote: post #16

Prediction: Dems will make a move on federal legalization in the months before the 2024 presidential election, or at least make federal legalization a major election issue. A lot of right wing / libertarian adjacent people were hoping Trump would come out in favor of it as a 2020 election issue, to outflank Biden on at least one issue. It didn't happen, but I bet it would have made the election a bit closer -- it wou…

It sucks how everything is a political football instead of just doing the right thing. They had full control and could have legalized it. But no, they keep holding onto just to drag voters along every election.

Similar is true of abortions. The majority/control was there - more than once - and despite knowing Roe v Wade was on shifting sands the Dems refused to act. The issue empowers The Politics Industrial Complex but does little to work for We The People.

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/im-your-biggest-fan/

Re: Cannabis is legal in most US states but federal laws block businesses from banks

#100

Post by trillic »

kube-system wrote: post #86
trillic wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The overton window has shifted. It is no longer popular for armies of feds to raid businesses acting entirely within state laws and only performing intrastate commerce. The President of the United States, head of Executive branch, directed with enforcement of Federal law has pardoned ALL federal marijuana convictions and doesn't plan to pursue more. It is effectively legal federally, no matter how much that makes you…

> It is effectively legal federally It is not "effectively legal". You cannot do any of these while possessing and/or using marijuana: * Pass federal employment drug tests * ̶F̶l̶y̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶n̶e̶ * Buy a gun etc.

Are you an pedantic absolutist with everything? Or just fun stuff? Nobody here is claiming you could do any of those things. 10 years ago if you told me I could purchase Cannabis in Mississippi of all places I'd laugh in your face.

Don't let perfection get in the way of progress, you claim to be pro-legalization but any conversation regarding the progress of it you only bring up the negatives and letter-of-the-law exclusions.

News flash buddy, there's lots of shit you can't fly with. Lot's of other reasons to not be allowed to purchase a gun. As well as other legal substances that will prevent you from passing federal employment drug tests (Hemp-derived CBD, Kratom). That doesn't make those things any more illegal, just a side-effect of the federal governments involvement in your life.

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