51–60 of 103 posts
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The problem for the US is that the country went around the world arm-twisting for decades to get other nations to ban drugs. To legalize is obviously the just and correct decision, I think people are just embarrassed to do it at the federal level now purely because of the history.
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>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 - t…
Culture is different even in nearby states. I grew up in Virginia, went to college in Georgia, and live in Maryland now. Right before the pandemic my parents moved nearby, after living in Virginia for 30 years. My dad pointed out the other day that Marylanders aren’t like Virginians, something he has realized immediately. Then it clicked for me: Maryland is part of the mid Atlantic (PA, NJ, DE) while Virginia is part of the south. Now I can’t unsee it: the accents, the odd mannerisms, etc.
I married an Oregonian. Oregon might as well be Canada. Weird libertarian Canada. My family is originally from Bangladesh, but at least half of the cultural friction between our families comes from Oregon versus Virginia.
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>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 - t…
But there are good reasons other than those to hope the states evolve towards more autonomy. The US political system at the federal level is fundamentally broken, making it incapable of governing the country. Due to a combination of factors: first-past-the-post voting, skewed representation in the senate, media polarization, the filibuster, and others, it is unique among supposed democracies in allowing small minority factions to effectively veto any mildly controversial legislation.
Because meaningfully modifying the constitution is functionally impossible, these issues simply can’t be fixed. But luckily, that isn’t true at the state level! Most states still are functioning, if imperfect, democracies, as evidenced by the very thing we’re discussing in this thread: they’re capable of changing policy in response to changing needs and wishes of the population, in a way that the federal level simply isn’t.
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.
I'm from Delaware; I was speaking with my local representative about it a couple days ago. She said that even if the governor vetoed the bill (he vetoed it once before), both the house and the senate were ready and have the means to overturn the veto.
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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.
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Caveat is Congress enjoined the DOJ from enforcing against medical marijuana use. Get a medical card (suuuuuuuper easy) and you’ve derisked. Sucks to have to hack around stupidity wrt federal policy on marijuana, but This Is America. It also reduces the tax you pay (typically, ymmv based on state) vs recreational purchases. https://www.mpp.org/policy/federal/are-consumers-or-cannabis... > There are some exceptions. I…
There are some federal forms that ask about drug use and will disqualify you for use of marijuana. For example, employment forms and firearm background checks. And if you lie, they are still enforcing those laws. So while you may not go to prison for smoking weed, you might go to prison for smoking weed while doing something else that is regulated.
We have to figure out how to regulate it rather than making it illegal.
For instance, minors should be protected from it*, but medical marijuana must be available to minors with certain medical conditions.
And DUIs must be prevented. That includes employment forms for operating heavy equipment.
Those legalizing and those still fighting the racist drug war share some problems.
* and also protected from harmful law enforcement practices
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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.
OK I'll keep disagreeing. It's legal here.
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OK I'll keep disagreeing. It's legal here.
It’s illegal in every state. California cannot override the federal government. They can choose not to enforce it, but federal law enforcement will still be able to arrest you.
* completely, of course they can here and there and not vice versa. But this asymmetry doesn't render it illegal IMO.
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OK I'll keep disagreeing. It's legal here.
It's de facto legal for someone to smoke a joint at Venice Beach, but you can still get arrested for possession in a national park, lose your job for smoking over the weekend, and even get your cash civil forfeiture'd by local police for running a dispensary in a way that is compliant with CA but not federal laws.
Well it's completely* legal to smoke it at home.
https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/health....
* More or less