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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    9 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.

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          We got roe because we had a court willing to do it.

          We don’t anymore. Accepting talk instead of accomplishments has lost us ground. And since all Democrats do is talk, that loss is permanent.

          • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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            9 months ago

            You’re missing the point.

            The point, for your roe v Wade example is that at one point speaking of abortion in public, let alone politically was unthinkable. Due to some brave people, and eventually people in political office, SPEAKING ABOUT the issue made it viable.

            Of course there are many other factors, and many other brave and impactful people.

            But speech is political action, no question.

            But it’s not enough, on it’s own.

            • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              And if we accept talk as accomplished fact, we don’t move beyond talk.

              Meanwhile, Republicans act while we content ourselves with talk. And we lose Roe.

              And we’ll keep only talking about ending the racist drug war and never actually ending it.

              • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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                9 months ago

                You’re behaving like a silly goose, and assuming I am ONLY looking for talk. Not everything after.

                We done