Together we stand Divided we fall

[pasayten]

In State of the Union Address, Biden Vows to Review Federal Reclassification of Pot
President Joe Biden discussed cannabis reclassification and expungement during his State of the Union address.

BY
BENJAMIN M. ADAMS
MARCH 11, 2024
Biden

President Joe Biden issued his State of the Union address on Thursday, March 7, and among many topics, he said he’ll direct his Cabinet to consider reclassifying cannabis at the federal level. It’s the first time that a president of the United States addressed cannabis reform as part of his State of the Union address.

“Keep building public trust, as I’ve been doing by taking executive action on police reform, and calling for it to be the law of the land, directing my Cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana, and expunging thousands of convictions for mere possession, because no one should be jailed for using or possessing marijuana!” Biden said.


Biden also posted on X that “no one should be jailed for using or possessing marijuana,” which prompted responses from people who pushed for real expungements—not the mostly meaningless wave of pardons to people with minor cannabis convictions issued by Biden in 2022.

Biden issued two executive orders in October 2022, pardoning some people with nonviolent federal cannabis records, and he asked the Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate if cannabis should be rescheduled under the Controlled Substances Act.

The US Cannabis Council (USCC) launched in 2021 with a goal to build better access to an equitable and values-driven industry. The USCC has been working hard to advance federal cannabis legalization and promote restorative justice to the people harmed the most by the War on Drugs.

“The US Cannabis Council applauds President Biden for highlighting cannabis reform as an issue of national concern during his State of the Union address,” David Culver, SVP of Public Affairs at the USCC said in a statement obtained by High Times. “The President has issued historic pardons for nonviolent cannabis offenses and initiated a groundbreaking review of the status of cannabis under federal law. Tonight’s remarks before a national audience signal the President’s ongoing commitment to advancing cannabis reform. We are encouraged by what we heard this evening and optimistic that the Biden Administration will move cannabis down to Schedule III this year.”


“President Biden made history tonight by addressing cannabis reform during the State of the Union,” said Adam Goers, co-chair, Coalition for Cannabis Scheduling Reform. The President is committed to modernizing the federal government’s approach to cannabis, and he reinforced that commitment tonight in front of the American people. Moving cannabis down to Schedule III would represent an historic shift in our nation’s drug laws. We thank the President for his remarks and urge his Administration to push ahead with rescheduling.”

Cannabis Pardons and President Biden
Thousands of people received one of Biden’s pardons for federal cannabis possession convictions under two announcements issued in 2022 and in February. The Justice Department issued certificates to eligible people who applied for the pardons, but the certificates actually read “the pardon means that you’re forgiven, but you still have a criminal record.”

Former prisoner Weldon Angelos corrected Biden’s comment, adding that possession generally never leads to jail time alone. “Nobody goes to jail for use or simple possession,” Angelos posted on X. “But those imprisoned federally for marijuana felonies shouldn’t be forced to serve out the remainder of their decades long sentences either so please commute their sentences as you promised when you were running for president.


Before Thursday’s State of the Union address, The Sentencing Project urged President Biden to remember his 2020 campaign promises to oppose mandatory minimum sentences and significantly reduce the prison population.

“America surpassed the grim milestone of 50 years of mass incarceration, with the prison population growing nearly 500% since 1973,” said Kara Gotsch, executive director for The Sentencing Project. “Today, almost 2 million individuals, and disproportionately Black Americans, are incarcerated in our nation’s prisons and jails. The U.S. incarcerates more of its citizens—for longer periods of time—than any other major democratic country in the world.”

“President Biden promised four years ago to reduce federal incarceration levels by 50% and to oppose mandatory minimum sentences. We urge the president to keep those promises, and to scale up solutions that actually make communities safer, such as good schools, affordable childcare, broadly accessible mental health services, more effective and widely available substance use treatment programs, and more support for vulnerable children and youth.

“Americans deserve safety, security, and community-based solutions that will build up our communities and actually stop the cycle of crime. We can get there if we put evidence-based solutions over politics, thriving communities over extreme sentences, and rehabilitation over punishment.”

In addition, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told High Times last that rescheduling cannabis under schedule III would do little by simply moving it to a less restrictive category. A recent survey found broad support across demographics and suggested Biden could see an 11% favorability boost if it occurs.

[tristanbgilb]

Whoever ends this human rights violation of cannabis prohibition will go down in history as a president for the people honoring freedom in america.

[mister_coffee]

Although Trump's proposed 2021 budget included removal of federal protection for state medical marijuana laws.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_ ... nistration

The Trump administration also rescinded the Cole Memorandum in 2018. Recall that the Cole Memorandum was a 2013 Obama-era policy that directed (with exceptions) federal prosecutors for pursuing federal marijuana cases in states where state law had legalized marijuana.

So I don't see how you get from legalized marijuana to Trump being on your side. Sorry.

[tristanbgilb]

Do you think Trump would try to repeal any cannibis usage?

Trump legalized hemp in a farm bill during his presidency. Now CBD and delta 8 THC are available in many places that it never was before. Its pretty much a kind environment to allow people freedoms taken away in these struggles to keep us slaves to be ruled over. No free man would choose to go without medicine, food, and clothes all provided in the cannabis world. It is really everything I need as the rastaman within my spirit. I wish for clothes, soap, lumber products, papers. Its really everything good demonized by those that want us to remain conquered. Cannabis represents freedom and prohibition is slavery. Slavery that has continued before me and lasting my entire life.

[PAL]

Do you think Trump would try to repeal any cannibis usage?

[tristanbgilb]

Following policy issues is often a matter of going down rabbit holes, but the thing is, making a decision on who to vote for is best made on the basis of more than one policy. Tristan, you're interested in access to cannabis because it works for you and is necessary. There's a whole lot of people who stand with you (remembering Jimmy Buffett's last album talking about 'my gummies just kicked in). It's important. Also, it doesn't solve every problem in the world so perhaps it would be worth your consideration to look at it not as a stand alone but something that fits into a bigger picture; as in more research of clinical trials using it for lots of different treatments, getting our health insurance companies to approve broader coverage...

Cannabis is the most important issue our country faces today. A nation of unconstitutional laws is headed right to hell. We have given up on good and god so we get punished so. It seems like God is really punishing us with that demons being the puppet of all evil. Without cannabis ruin and destruction is upon all ungodly nations. God demands we grow herb and we have it for food.

With that I jump to "let food be thy medicine."
Diet is not separate from the life of the holy existence.
Without cannabis America is just a big liar.
Where is my freedom of religion with this rastaman in my heart.
Cannabis prohibition and then this so called drug war is nothing but evil
Should I feel free with these demon laws of treachery being the rule of the land.
Free our selves free our minds.
I wanna Live
I wanna Grow
I wanna see
i wanna know

[pasayten]

[Rideback]

Following policy issues is often a matter of going down rabbit holes, but the thing is, making a decision on who to vote for is best made on the basis of more than one policy. Tristan, you're interested in access to cannabis because it works for you and is necessary. There's a whole lot of people who stand with you (remembering Jimmy Buffett's last album talking about 'my gummies just kicked in). It's important. Also, it doesn't solve every problem in the world so perhaps it would be worth your consideration to look at it not as a stand alone but something that fits into a bigger picture; as in more research of clinical trials using it for lots of different treatments, getting our health insurance companies to approve broader coverage...

A family member who has been a long-time user recently had a heart attack at 57 which led me to this article.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-re ... ack-stroke

So my reply to you is that it's useful to make voting choices based on a broad range of issues, not just one or two or a handful, but as far as you can reach. Who will give you the biggest bang for your buck? Only you can answer that, but it may surprise you just how much better your life could be.

[mister_coffee]

I feel more comfortable with small pressurized water reactors that don't go boom as loud. Water is both the coolant and moderator...

The fast neutron molten salt and lead-moderated reactors are likely much safer than existing pressurized water reactors.

If the reactor overheats and the reaction is going to fast, the thermal properties of the coolant produce a larger neutron cross section which slows down the reaction.

If there is a coolant leak, the coolant falls out of the reactor and freezes and you clean it up with a dustbuster, though you'd probably want to line the dustbuster with lead.

So again, it looks like on paper that such designs would be inherently much safer than existing PWRs. They also would produce a tiny fraction of the nuclear waste that PWRs produce. As an added benefit, they would produce more energy for a given amount of fuel (largely because they more completely consume all of the fissionable material) so our limited amount of fissionable material would last much longer.

We have known examples, some of them infamous, of the failure modes in PWRs. We can't really design those failure modes out of the system. But there are other pathways that do not have those failure modes.

[tristanbgilb]

Fusion for all practical purposes is science fiction at this point. We are several Nobel Prize breakthroughs away from practical fusion power, and there is no guarantee that we will ever get there in an economically feasible package.

Alternative fission, especially fast neutron solutions (like molten salt reactors) are very promising but are decades away from practical large-scale deployment. The advantage of using fast neutrons is that you'd consume nearly all of the fissionable material and have far less radioactive waste (current somewhat optimistic estimates are that you'd have less than 1% of the waste and would only need to secure it for about 150 years) than current thermal neutron reactors. On top of the molten salt reactors I rather like the lead-cooled designs the old Soviet Union used in some of their submarines. Lead has great properties as a coolant and moderator for this application.

I feel more comfortable with small pressurized water reactors that don't go boom as loud. Water is both the coolant and moderator. The technology is already here but waste is problematic. Seems there might be a way for communities to have their own small reactor plant say maybe 20 mega watt for a tiny community like we have in the methow valley. Reasoning in big reactors could be to ensure large security forces are present and impenetrable.

[mister_coffee]

It would be the best option for the US to use its fissionable materials in nuclear reactors and rid the world of this items without selling these dangerous and precious metals. We need to learn to recycle nuclear waste rather and looking for long term storage. Continued studies in fission and fusion may one day and necessarily for the sake of humanity make space travel from planet to planet a realization.

Fusion for all practical purposes is science fiction at this point. We are several Nobel Prize breakthroughs away from practical fusion power, and there is no guarantee that we will ever get there in an economically feasible package.

Alternative fission, especially fast neutron solutions (like molten salt reactors) are very promising but are decades away from practical large-scale deployment. The advantage of using fast neutrons is that you'd consume nearly all of the fissionable material and have far less radioactive waste (current somewhat optimistic estimates are that you'd have less than 1% of the waste and would only need to secure it for about 150 years) than current thermal neutron reactors. On top of the molten salt reactors I rather like the lead-cooled designs the old Soviet Union used in some of their submarines. Lead has great properties as a coolant and moderator for this application.

[tristanbgilb]

Rather than making comments about the individuals who are and have been our leaders perhaps it would be more proactive to look at the policies that fit with what each of us want for this country.

It would be the best option for the US to use its fissionable materials in nuclear reactors and rid the world of this items without selling these dangerous and precious metals. We need to learn to recycle nuclear waste rather and looking for long term storage. Continued studies in fission and fusion may one day and necessarily for the sake of humanity make space travel from planet to planet a realization.

[PAL]

Ken, in your post you used the words, "these people". Not me. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you must have been confused or don't remember using the words, "these people.

This post is not full of hate as you make it sound. You however, seem to be quite angry. I didn't belittle you for your choices of candidates. I admit, I can't stand the man. So what?

My post from 11:32
"Yes Tristen, that statement I made was an example of how some people are feeling. I know a few people that are feeling afraid of him. And their feelings should not be belittled. That is how they feel.
I have tried in my mind to feel compassion for him at times, and I have almost felt sorry for him. Can't quite get there.
I know, "love thine enemies". He's not my enemy but he is not a person I look up to. Now Nikki on the other hand is someone to think about.
These people-two words that are quite divisive."

[mister_coffee]

I would like to see the United States lead the world as the largest cannabis producer that has ever been. We could become a kinder more benevolent people. I would like to see flowers traded with little regulation while the cannabis concentrates are regulated more. I would like to see the federal government promote and study cannabis and allow access to cannabis derived medications.

I would be very skeptical that buying and selling any imaginable product, much less a mild euphoriant, would likely have such far-reaching societal implications. Cannabis won't make stupid people smart or turn bad people into good people. And lord help us all when stupid bad people get baked.

[tristanbgilb]

Rather than making comments about the individuals who are and have been our leaders perhaps it would be more proactive to look at the policies that fit with what each of us want for this country.

I would like to see the United States lead the world as the largest cannabis producer that has ever been. We could become a kinder more benevolent people. I would like to see flowers traded with little regulation while the cannabis concentrates are regulated more. I would like to see the federal government promote and study cannabis and allow access to cannabis derived medications.

[Rideback]

Rather than making comments about the individuals who are and have been our leaders perhaps it would be more proactive to look at the policies that fit with what each of us want for this country.

[dorankj]

Haha, you’ve castigated me and ANYONE who even considers who you don’t accept as their choice so if the best you have is “these people” after demonizing others as evil sounds pretty desperate. And completely intolerant, BTW that’s 74 million Americans.

[PAL]

Yes Tristen, that statement I made was an example of how some people are feeling. I know a few people that are feeling afraid of him. And their feelings should not be belittled. That is how they feel.
I have tried in my mind to feel compassion for him at times, and I have almost felt sorry for him. Can't quite get there.
I know, "love thine enemies". He's not my enemy but he is not a person I look up to. Now Nikki on the other hand is someone to think about.
These people-two words that are quite divisive.

[dorankj]

These people are completely unhinged when it comes to their Orange monster! The only President to not have any wars start on his watch is accused of being a mass murderer. There is no twisting, spinning or lying they won’t do to their political enemies (Trump/Rs) and no blindness, obfuscation or mis-direction to ignore Biden/dem failures. Their only success (power) comes from division.

[tristanbgilb]

He is the Devil come calling his flock.

I wouldn't give him that much credit. It is required that you love your enemies and turn the other cheek. If Trump has hurt you then you are still required to forgive him and pray for him to mend his ways. The idea Trump is some evil superhuman ready to turn the oceans to blood is kind of outlandish.

[mister_coffee]

Trump has an impressive track record of destroying everything he touches. And some people want to give him another chance at the United States of America?

Let's remember, that last time he was in charge a million of us died. Donald Trump and his Republican enablers killed more Americans than died in WWII and he did it in even less time.

[PAL]

He is the Devil come calling his flock.

[pasayten]

I certainly do not see a Holy Spirit coming from trump... Actually, quite the opposite. In my honest opinion, trump is an evil man thru and thru...

He constantly runs down other people and makes fun of them... He lies... He cheats... He has forced himself on women... All of these would be terribly offensive to an indwelling Holy Spirit.

[tristanbgilb]

And look, Cannibis was legalized. Some people fought it because they didn't understand at the time that it can be used medicinally.

This last winter I was in a VA Mental Ward. This was the first time that my doctors refused to torture me, beat me, and isolate me rather than give me my right to cannabis. Things and attitudes are changing on cannabis and my dreams were almost realized under the Biden Admin. I was treated with Dronabinol which is THC one of the active ingredients of flower cannabis. For the first time in my life I was properly and kindly medicated. Only to my disappointment I am not allowed it outside the mental war run by the federal government with kindly doctors.

[PAL]

Not going to argue with your beliefs about Trump. But he has said some crazy things in the past and the present. I'm glad you felt at ease under him.
But sometimes he paints a dystopian future.
Be a woman. He wants to sign into law a federal abortion ban. Supreme Court now wants to overturn the marriage equality rule. Who nominated those justices that want that.
Agree with you about the war against Saddam. But Trump would reintroduce the Muslim ban.
And look, Cannibis was legalized. Some people fought it because they didn't understand at the time that it can be used medicinally.
But guess who I am voting for in the Wa. primary?
I can't say I was better off with Trump, but I did suffer mentally, because of some of the crap he said and now just knowing what he wants to do if elected.
I keep saying, look up Project 2025. On the surface, it might sound good. Cutting out programs of the administrative state. But go deeper. Talk about a "deep state".