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Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

delawarebusinesstimes.com

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Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#11

Post by benatkin »

School-Cotton wrote: post #8
toomuchtodo wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The government has always selectively enforced laws, it’s simply beneficial in this case. 22 states have legalized recreational marijuana and the world hasn’t ended. Maybe it’s okay federal statute isn’t enforced in this particular circumstance, from a rationalist perspective. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_U.S....

I never said it’s a bad thing that the feds aren’t enforcing this. All I said is: 1. It’s inaccurate to claim that marijuana is legal anywhere in the US, and 2. The situation is fascinating.

Cool story, I disagree, it's legalized here in CA.

Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#12

Post by toomuchtodo »

candiddevmike wrote: post #9
toomuchtodo wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The government has always selectively enforced laws, it’s simply beneficial in this case. 22 states have legalized recreational marijuana and the world hasn’t ended. Maybe it’s okay federal statute isn’t enforced in this particular circumstance, from a rationalist perspective. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_U.S....

On the flip side, the federal government is still prosecuting people for distributing cannabis, albeit at a decreasing rate: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-marijuana-arrests-co... If the federal government isn't arresting folks in legal states, how can they justify arresting others? We're close to half the US legalizing cannabis, when will the federal ban end?

When Congress becomes functional again.

Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#13

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

School-Cotton wrote: post #2

The 22nd state to stop separately making marijuana illegal on top of federal laws. Since federal law applies everywhere, marijuana is still technically illegal everywhere in the US. It’s fascinating, however, that under three presidents spanning both parties, the federal authorities have given up on enforcing the ban in states that have removed marijuana laws from their own books. Perhaps this is a glimpse into the l…

Well, there is also the separate issue that the feds basically legalized marijuana through a not-thought-out-too-well loophole when they passed the hemp farm bill in 2018.

Hemp and marijuana are the same species, so the 2018 farm bill just defines "hemp" as a cannabis plant with less than 0.3% delta 9 THC by weight. So some enterprising folks decided to take these low-THC hemp plants, extract the THC from them, and put them into gummies. Since the gummies still need to be I live in a state that has hardly any legal marijuana (there is some medical but only for very limited conditions like epilepsy, and it's strictly enforced, unlike in some other states where anyone saying "my back hurts" can get prescription), and you can go into a well lit, clean CBD store in a strip mall on a major street where friendly employees will happily sell you these D9 gummies.

IIRC Florida (ahh, Florida) was trying to close this loophole by limiting the total amount of THC in any single package, but not sure where that went.

Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#14

Post by School-Cotton »

pfannkuchen wrote: post #10
School-Cotton wrote: post #2

The 22nd state to stop separately making marijuana illegal on top of federal laws. Since federal law applies everywhere, marijuana is still technically illegal everywhere in the US. It’s fascinating, however, that under three presidents spanning both parties, the federal authorities have given up on enforcing the ban in states that have removed marijuana laws from their own books. Perhaps this is a glimpse into the l…

Is it because the illegality of marijuana is based on a questionable interpretation of the commerce clause which lots of other power is based on and no one in government really wants challenged in court?

There’s a very good chance that that’s at least part of the reason.

Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#15

Post by andirk »

The governor who was against legalization said of his not veto: "I came to this decision because I believe we've spent far too much time focused on this issue, when Delawareans face more serious and pressing concerns every day. It’s time to move on."

It sounds like people are realizing it's an old, useless battle to fight against marijuana legalization. Finally.

Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#16

Post by pySSK »

robotnikman wrote: post #5
School-Cotton wrote: post #2

The 22nd state to stop separately making marijuana illegal on top of federal laws. Since federal law applies everywhere, marijuana is still technically illegal everywhere in the US. It’s fascinating, however, that under three presidents spanning both parties, the federal authorities have given up on enforcing the ban in states that have removed marijuana laws from their own books. Perhaps this is a glimpse into the l…

>Perhaps this is a glimpse into the long-term solution to the problem of the federal legislature being intractable deadlocked: states will simply start ignoring federal law more and more, and its relevance will fade over time. I feel that this may be the best way to do things, since each state is unique in it people and geography. I also feel like universal healthcare on a state level would be the only thing to work…

> I also feel like universal healthcare on a state lev would be the only thing to work at this point

Even Canada does it per province, and even there, doing it at a federal level would be too intractable.

Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#17

Post by johnea »

robotnikman wrote: post #5
School-Cotton wrote: post #2

The 22nd state to stop separately making marijuana illegal on top of federal laws. Since federal law applies everywhere, marijuana is still technically illegal everywhere in the US. It’s fascinating, however, that under three presidents spanning both parties, the federal authorities have given up on enforcing the ban in states that have removed marijuana laws from their own books. Perhaps this is a glimpse into the l…

>Perhaps this is a glimpse into the long-term solution to the problem of the federal legislature being intractable deadlocked: states will simply start ignoring federal law more and more, and its relevance will fade over time. I feel that this may be the best way to do things, since each state is unique in it people and geography. I also feel like universal healthcare on a state level would be the only thing to work…

> ...since each state is unique in it people and geography.

This is just so wrong on so many levels it's hard to know what to respond to.

Maybe try going outside, you'll find it's actually completly continuous, there is no species change when crossing state lines 8-)

Even more to the point, typical (media prtrayed) state based differences all have gapping inaccuracies:

- california has more republicans than texas - texas has more democrats than new york

The division into states is one of the biggest problems facing actual democracy in the us. Coupled with first-past-the-post, and the electoral college, the us is far far from a government that enforces the public will.

And as far as the specific issue of marijuana is concerned, this is such a poster child for how locked into the "leave it to beaver" american dream state of the 1950s the eastern us still is.

The whole: "Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, like the little baby jesus intended" mindset.

Having said that, I actually do agree that the state level is about the only place anything at all can be acomplished. Because the DNC and RNC have both blocked public health care repeatedly, and you're NEVER going to see either of those parties back any policy that disenfranchises their donor class.

Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#18

Post by d1str0 »

benatkin wrote: post #11
School-Cotton wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never said it’s a bad thing that the feds aren’t enforcing this. All I said is: 1. It’s inaccurate to claim that marijuana is legal anywhere in the US, and 2. The situation is fascinating.

Cool story, I disagree, it's legalized here in CA.

You can disagree all you want. It’s still illegal at the federal level. A fed could still cite you even though you are in CA, regardless of the CA legalization.

Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#19

Post by jjeaff »

School-Cotton wrote: post #2

The 22nd state to stop separately making marijuana illegal on top of federal laws. Since federal law applies everywhere, marijuana is still technically illegal everywhere in the US. It’s fascinating, however, that under three presidents spanning both parties, the federal authorities have given up on enforcing the ban in states that have removed marijuana laws from their own books. Perhaps this is a glimpse into the l…

Have the feds been enforcing anything in states that have not made marijuana legal? It seems that maybe only state level and below authorities are enforcing them.

There are sometimes cases where laws that go unenforced for a long time can eventually become unenforceable. I wonder if this could happen federally to normal marijuana possession. The legal principle is called desuetude.

Re: Delaware will become the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana

#20

Post by [deleted] »

andirk wrote: post #15

The governor who was against legalization said of his not veto: "I came to this decision because I believe we've spent far too much time focused on this issue, when Delawareans face more serious and pressing concerns every day. It’s time to move on." It sounds like people are realizing it's an old, useless battle to fight against marijuana legalization. Finally.

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