Biden continues to tout cannabis reform

BIDEN & WEED
The DNC touts cannabis reform

What happened: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a draft of their 2024 Party Platform that highlights President Joe Biden’s cannabis reforms, including pardons and rescheduling, as a part of broader efforts to correct systemic injustices in the criminal justice system. 

What they’re saying: “No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Sending people to prison for possession has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,” the document reads.

Back up: Biden and the Democrats have pardoned federal convictions for simple cannabis offenses and have urged state governors to do the same. 

They aim more generally to bring cannabis’s legal status more in line with its actual risk, according to medical doctors and scientists, compared to more dangerous drugs through the rescheduling process. 

These reforms come as the US criminal justice system faces criticism for its harsh penalties on nonviolent drug offenses, particularly cannabis possession, which has disproportionately affected Black and Brown communities. 

But, but, but: Instead of federal decriminalization, Biden’s administration has pushed to move cannabis from the most restrictive Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to the less restrictive Schedule III. 

While this is a welcome move for the industry, Biden and the Democrats continue to tout rescheduling — and some limited federal pardons — as a criminal justice reform. It’s not.

It will certainly help the industry, and will help bring more rationality into the drug scheduling process, but it will do very little to get people out of jail or reduce potentially volatile police-civilian interactions. 

And it’s worth noting that cannabis decriminalization was not explicitly mentioned in the DNC draft. Whether or not there are decriminalization undertones is left up to reader interpretation. 

Why it matters: The DNC aims to contrast Biden’s stance on legalization with that of his predecessor. 

Under former President Donald Trump, protections for state-legal cannabis were rolled back, and members of his administration pushed against any sort of drug reform and supported the private prison industry. 

Biden and the Democrats want to reflect the nation’s perception shift on cannabis — one that does not see cannabis as synonymous with other Schedule I drugs like heroin or LSD — and want to address the historical over-criminalization of its use and possession. 

But the question remains as to whether they’ll have the political courage, or the willpower, to actually get it done. 

-CB

“I'm making sure no one goes to jail for mere use or possession of marijuana, and their records should be expunged,” President Joe Bidensaid on X. “It’s time we right those historic wrongs.” 

Biden’s campaign hopes his stance on cannabis reform will turn out young voters in November. Read more. 

DOJ says no 🔫’s for cannabis users

The Justice Department said that medical cannabis users who own firearms pose a public safety risk, to justify a federal ban on gun ownership by cannabis consumers. Plaintiffs argued that medical cannabis users complying with state law should not be barred from gun ownership, while the DOJ asserts that allowing them to possess firearms would create unmanageable legal and safety issues. Read more. 

KY’s Beshear wants rescheduling 🗣️

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear urged the DEA to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act in a letter to the DEA’s administrator, Anne Milgram. Beshear highlighted that this reclassification would benefit patients, communities, businesses, and research, and provide an alternative to opioids. Read more. 

DeSantis hates weed 🦩

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis strongly opposed legalization in his home state during a speech at the Republican National Convention, to nobody’s surprise. DeSantis said legal weed would “make Florida more blue,” in a speech riddled with other falsehoods about legalization and its effects. Watch his speech here. 

California fights illicit cannabis 🥊

California authorities raided illegal cannabis grow sites near Saddleback Butte State Park and Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, seizing over 5,200 plants and 14 firearms. Since January, authorities have seized over $120 million worth of illegal cannabis products. Read more.

The building that houses Urban Leaf, one of Midtown New York City’s legal cannabis shops, is up for sale for $5 million. Here’s the listing if you’re interested. 

The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) reduced its staff by 10% in order to do what the agency says is maximize taxpayer dollars and improve operational efficiency, as commercial license numbers decline and budget constraints persist. Read more.

Canadian cannabis firm SNDL is cutting 106 full-time jobs. The announcement follows SNDL’s purchase of Delta 9 Cannabis’s debt, which drove Delta 9 to seek creditor protection.

A new study published in the journal Autism Research found no association between prenatal cannabis exposure and autism, when controlling for variables. Read more.

While alcohol may facilitate sexual encounters, cannabis actually enhances sexual satisfaction for both men and women, according to new research from Spain.

Ever get “the munchies” while stoned? You’re not alone. 

Neurosurgeon Dr. Matthew Hill discussed how the lab rats he works with “go gangbusters” when given access to food while high — even despite being full — on Andrew Huberman’s podcast, Huberman Lab. 

Listen to the full episode here.

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