Yo, peep this – Vice President Kamala Harris straight up said on Friday that nobody should be getting locked up for puffing on that loud and she’s pushing the feds to hurry up and change the status of weed. She’s all like, “We need to make a move quick, do some research and see what’s good. It’s wild that they got marijuana listed in the same category as heroin, like for real? That’s straight up whack and unfair.”
The DEA right now got marijuana listed as a Schedule I drug, right next to hardcore stuff like heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. They saying it ain’t got no medical benefits and is super risky. People who support weed been saying forever that the feds gotta switch it up and either reclassify or take it off the banned list.
President Joe Biden pardoned a bunch of folks with weed-related charges and VP Harris met up with them at the White House. Rapper Fat Joe was there, along with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Biden dropped these pardons for people caught up in weed mess between October 2022 and December 2023. He also told Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to look into changing how marijuana is classified.
After checking out the health effects of weed, Becerra’s team is suggesting that marijuana should be a Schedule 3 drug. That would mean less focus on busting people for weed, lower penalties, and even let weed businesses get tax breaks – all without making it fully legal or easing up on restrictions.
Harris’ words match up with Biden’s push to make it easier to get weed, which he talked about in his State of the Union speech. She said again on Friday, “Ain’t nobody should be getting locked up just for smoking some herb.”
For two people who used to be tough on drugs, Biden and Harris making these comments is like a big change. Biden was all about strict drug laws back in the day when the War on Drugs was popping off in the ’80s and ’90s. Harris did her thing cracking down on weed as a district attorney and attorney general in Cali. She even fought against legalizing weed back in 2010.
But now it’s different – most of America is cool with legalizing weed, with over 70% of folks supporting it, according to a Pew poll from 2023.
Biden giving out pardons for folks with weed charges marks a big shift from old drug policies. It’s not just about helping out people who got caught up in messed-up laws, but also shows he wants to make things fairer and fix old mistakes. These pardons show Biden’s trying to make things right after harsh drug laws hit hard on poor communities.
Besides these pardons, Biden’s crew is working hard to change how marijuana is classified to match what people think today. They’re focusing on science and public health by getting Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to start looking into how weed is categorized.
Changing how weed is classified could make things better for folks hit hard by tough drug laws. Lowering penalties could help keep people out of jail for smoking some herb instead of ruining their lives over it. Plus, letting weed companies take tax breaks could make the market more just and lasting.
Reclassifying weed is a huge step toward changing drug policy for the better. The way things are now isn’t fair or equal – fixing this could help make things more just for everyone and improve public health too.
Biden and Harris pushing for changes to how marijuana is treated shows they’re serious about reforming old drug laws. This switch represents a move toward justice reform, recognizing past mistakes, and adjusting to new attitudes about marijuana among the public. By using science to shape policies and thinking about public health needs, their efforts are paving the way toward a fairer approach to dealing with drugs. Rescheduling marijuana could reduce the harm of harsh drug laws and create a more just market for cannabis, promoting social justice and better public health outcomes.
When it comes to Biden and Harris talking about weed around election time, they’re making moves that could change things big time – this ain’t just talk anymore!