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U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

reuters.com

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Re: U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

#81

Post by dllthomas »

int_19h wrote: post #76
dllthomas wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what this does: > States will control the possession, production, or distribution of cannabis, the draft says, while shipping marijuana into states that have not legalized it will be prohibited. As opposed to the status quo where in principle the federal government could decide to prosecute... shall we say "marijuana market participants"? in states where it is legal.

Well, not quite, since it still comes with a bunch of federal restrictions like that 10 oz limit. Letting the states decide would mean that feds get out of the game entirely on this.

That's fair; if the intent of the parent comment was that this doesn't go far enough, then I don't think I disagree (and certainly not for this reason).

Re: U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

#82

Post by cronix »

vortico wrote: post #74
cronix wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would also then apply to other legal drugs, such as alcohol, no? Does alcohol not affect a developing brain in people under 25?

Yes, alcohol has an effect on developing brains as well, although the brain is less malleable as you approach that age. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24173194

All I ask and hope for is consistency in the law. We shouldn't use reasons like "it's a forming brain" to shoot it down in one drug context while ignoring it in another, totally legal drug context. Alcohol is a drug, period. A very destructive drug, and it's completely legal for anyone of age. If cannabis is too destructive to young minds to be legalized, so is alcohol and we have way more scientific evidence in that case. Let's just be consistent.

Re: U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

#83

Post by jolux »

villasv wrote: post #41
jolux wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who is extremely pro-legalization (and pro-decriminalization of all drugs) I still think this is perfectly reasonable. We know rough bounds on the safety of cannabis/THC (probably safer than tobacco and alcohol, probably not a good idea if you have a family history of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, or if you’re very young) but we don’t really know in depth what the long-term effects are like, for differ…

> The research is young. GP didn't say research on weed wasn't needed, the point is obvious double standards and that agtech should be - but isn't - this thorough (or more, actually, but that's beside the point). So what is notable here is that this call for research doesn't come from being reasonable, it comes from partiality with plausible deniability.

They said there was probably already research on weed’s safety. I would argue that research is promising re: safety but more is definitely needed. I agree that this isn’t reason to delay legalization, but it’s still something that should happen.

Re: U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

#84

Post by handmodel »

FrenchTouch42 wrote: post #61
handmodel wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I don't really see any error in the logic of making it safe but also wanting studies on it. Studies on it were very hard to do for years because it was a controlled substance. I do enjoy edibles (probably do them once a month) and in my case I am 100% sure it has changed my memory somewhat. I'm ok with that risk because I do enjoy it but I would like to know more about people who have been doing this for decades…

"changed my memory" what do you mean by this?

I have a weaker memory than I used to - and definitely feel extra hazy for the 4-5 days immediately after use.

I think its possible some of it is just me getting older? But there are plenty of studies out there which suggest some link here so it wouldn't surprise me.

Re: U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

#85

Post by hackeraccount »

Bhilai wrote: post #5

> would expunge federal non-violent marijuana crimes, further medical research and allow cannabis companies access to essential financial services. Sounds like all good things but I dont see how this will make it through such a divided senate where obstructionism is the de-facto opposition strategy.

The Senate just passed a bill calling for a trillion dollars worth of spending. It's not like nothing can pass; you just need buy in from 60 Senators. The right legalization bill could do that but it might not have have everything. I'd be happy with removing marijuana from schedule 1, eliminating the penalties for possession and reducing those for selling.

Re: U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

#86

Post by vortico »

cronix wrote: post #82
vortico wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, alcohol has an effect on developing brains as well, although the brain is less malleable as you approach that age. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24173194

All I ask and hope for is consistency in the law. We shouldn't use reasons like "it's a forming brain" to shoot it down in one drug context while ignoring it in another, totally legal drug context. Alcohol is a drug, period. A very destructive drug, and it's completely legal for anyone of age. If cannabis is too destructive to young minds to be legalized, so is alcohol and we have way more scientific evidence in that…

If you like consistency, then you'll like this bill. It sets the legal age of buying cannabis to 21, the same as alcohol.

Re: U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

#87

Post by raxxorrax »

frankbreetz wrote: post #3

>>He added that marijuana use needs more research. I wish that we had this same attitude towards chemicals sprayed on crops where it seems to be everything is fine until proven to be harmful. Yet with weed it is harmful until proven safe. Also, I suspect there is plenty of research on the safety of weed edit: to all of those arguing that there may be/ are dangers to weed, I don't disagree. How about the fact that I c…

I think legalization would also provide a lot of safety. Not only because there is stuff that shouldn't be in there, today's weed isn't comparable to that of the 60s and I don't think that is good.

It has been cultivated for yielding extreme levels of THC. It isn't just some weed anymore that induces a small high, it is extremely psychoactive an can easily cause psychosis. Problem is you cannot really determine how much THC you consumed. Your are either stoned or stoned, so high dosages aren't really needed anyway.

I think with legalization you could limit these values to more healthy values again.

Re: U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

#88

Post by jfengel »

monocasa wrote: post #62
epicureanideal wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who is not registered to either political party, I don't think the Republicans are really just obstructionists for the sake of it. In many cases they have their own reasons for being against certain laws. Also, this isn't the 80s-90s. The religious right is much less influential. I could see a bunch of Republicans getting on board with decriminalization if the Democrats phrased it the right way. Unfortunat…

The Republicans literally turn their backs on Republican policy positions once the Democrats are for it. The ACA started life in 1994 as Newt Gingrich and the Heritage Foundation's HEART Act, including the individual mandate. It then became the crown jewel of Mitt Romney's healthcare reform in MA, with it planned for being pushed as a federal rollout before Obama beat him to the punch and took the wind out of his sai…

You're far from alone. It's widely thought of as a bad compromise, but the only one that could navigate the tortuous straits of needing to get every single Democratic Senator on board -- and skip out on the reconciliation process because one Senator died.

A ton of Democrats would much rather have seen a very different bill, at least a Medicare-for-all plan, but that was simply not on the table. Others would have preferred a bill with a much freer market, but that wasn't possible either unless they got cross-aisle support, which failed to materialize. Nobody thinks of it as their ideal bill.

Most see it as a marginal improvement over the previous law, because it allows more people to have health insurance. That made it a "big [effing] deal" despite nearly universal criticism.

Re: U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed

#89

Post by jfengel »

hirundo wrote: post #71

The elephant in the room is named Biden. Even if this gets past the senate, is there any reason to think that the president would sign it? The bill sure isn't veto-proof. https://www.marijuanamoment.net/biden-remains-opposed-to-mar...

Most observers doubt it will make it that far. It needs unanimity among Democrats in the Senate, which it's unlikely to get.

This is more about nudging the Overton window, declaring that it's something they will consider seriously. They want people to see what such a bill could look like, and what would be in it, to see how they react.

It's possible that the Democrats will pick up a few Senate seats in 2022, making passage more feasible. If so, Biden's veto becomes relevant, but it's also subject to internal party negotiations. They could provide various ways to mitigate his concerns, or simply make clear that it would greatly improve the party's standing.

That's a problem for a couple of years from now, when things will be different. They're just laying the groundwork.

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