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.

  • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    If you want a dictator with dictatorial powers, boy have I got a political party for you.

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Everyone who isn’t happy with Democrats’ deliberate uselessness must be a trumpist who wants a dictator.

      • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        no, we live in reality. reality is we have two choices and a potential catastrophe rapidly approaching - don’t give ammo to the chuds who genuinely would like to see this wild, flawed but genuinely amazing in principle enterprise we call governance - the “America!” experiment - replaced with a trumpocratic shitocracy that empowers the worst of the worst.

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          We have a choice of fascism or deliberate uselessness in the face of fascism.

          If you want me to shut up and be happy with deliberate uselessness in the face of fascism, tough shit. Democrats need to stop using looming fascism as an excuse to be second worst.

          Second worst is not up to the task of defeating fascism. It’s not even up to the task of preventing its spread, as we’re seeing.

          • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            that’s good, youk keep empowering fascists with this shit while thinking your edgelord stance is making a difference.

            Meanwhile in the real world, we’re gonna try to have a democracy after november which mean electing biden. wake the fuck up

            • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              I’m voting for Biden. He should deschedule cannabis and stop supporting genocide. You don’t want anyone to say the second sentence because you don’t want it to happen.

      • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        You want a President to take actions that he’s legally not allowed to take.

        So no, not everyone.

        But you? Absolutely.

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          You want a President to take actions that he’s legally not allowed to take.

          Schumer thinks he can take those actions. Is Chuck Schumer a Russian Chinese Trumpist tankie shill bot child too?

          • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            No, he’s just a politician. He wrote a letter to the DEA, which has ultimate authority over the drugs scheduling. While the DEA is part of the Biden administration, there are limits to what Biden can do. He can pressure them, but going beyond that is pushing the law.

            Schumer is trying to pressure the DEA, and trying to pressure Biden into pressuring the DEA. But that’s all they can do, whip up public opinion.

            Not to mention the politics of endorsing a statement they know will go nowhere, but their voters don’t. Politicians do it all the time.