Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday called on the federal government to move “as quickly as possible” to change the way it officially classifies marijuana, saying that “nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.”

“I cannot emphasize enough that they need to get to it as quickly as possible,” Harris said. “We need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment. This issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently, marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin ― as dangerous as heroin ― and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair.”

Marijuana is currently listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration. That classification designates it one of the most dangerous drugs possible, with no medicinal uses. Other substances in the same category include heroin, ecstasy and LSD. Marijuana advocates have been pushing for years for the federal government to either reschedule marijuana to a different category or deschedule it entirely.

  • TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    8 months ago

    He attempted to forgive student debt (which was in his right to do so as head of the executive branch) and got swatted down by the corrupt Supreme Court. What do you think will happen if he rescheduled marijuana?

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      8 months ago

      He waited 2 years till he lost the house, made a half assed attempt he knew would fail, then said:

      See? Trying is just a waste of time, we should never try

      And voters remember that when it’s two years later and he tries to tell them elections are important and if Trump wins suddenly the president is all powerful.

      Neoliberals do the same shit as republicans. They need their voters to believe that when the other team is president, the president is all powerful. But when their own team is in power, the president can’t do shit, so it’s not their fault campaign promises aren’t kept.

    • TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      8 months ago

      The student loan forgiveness was swatted down because he technically didn’t really have the authority to do so, Congress typically holds the power of the purse. Rescheduling isn’t at risk of violating the separation of power as the DEA is under the purview of the executive.

      • TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        8 months ago

        The Higher Education Act of 1965 grants a presidential administration via the Education Secretary, authority to “enforce, pay, compromise, waive, or release” government-held federal student loans.

        At least until the Corrupt Supreme Court said differently.