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.

  • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    Lemmy sees something good happen:

    “Not good enough!”

    We all know it should have happened before, but dismissing that the vice president just publicly called for this is silly

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      The words of a politician are not accomplishments.

      If it ever gets descheduled, it’ll be an accomplishment. I’m not going to treat announcements as accomplishments.

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Public discourse from a sitting executive politician represents progress. It is not enough yet, but it is progress. In years past such statements would have been massively disruptive, and via speech like this the topic is being normalized.

        It’s not enough yet. We arenf done

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Stop expecting me to believe that politicians’ lies are progress just because you believe them.

          It’s not an accomplishment until it’s accomplished.

          • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            Just because you don’t understand the power of normalized discourse doesn’t mean I have some obligation to you.

            I’m just telling you how reality works.

            Edit im proud to hear more discussion of climate, LGBT, drug decrim and other issues, at increasingly public and increasingly executive levels.

            • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              I know the difference between hot air and accomplishments. You’re not going to gaslight me into accepting the former as the latter. All you’re doing is convincing me that you prefer words to accomplishments.

              • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                50 years ago a woman, non-white politician wouldn’t have been a common thing. Part of how we got to where we are today is via public, popularized discourse.

                The same occurs in this article and the speech that lead to it.

                It doesn’t mean the world is changing in an active sense, but it does mean the conversation is happening. This is part of the power of executive office.

                I’m sorry you had to learn about this from me.