Waiting for Pajama Joe to normalize, decriminalize but apparently NEVER legalize cannabis - like waiting on Trump to replace Obama-Care. Instead, he's treating staffers with a history of marijuana use as undesirables. Can we PLEASE have a viable third-party ASAP?
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/19/politics/biden-white-house-staff-marijuana/index.html
Joe’s slipping & sliding up the airplane stairs, reminded Gerald Ford’s slipping & sliding down them that time
SNL had great good humor about Ford’s fall, wonder if Biden’s will be similarly lampooned
good post & info Rusty
I'm happy I did not vote for him. And content I did not vote for Trump. Pretty sure I want to be done with the stupidity of national politics.
Yes, had thought those days were over
Instead, 5 WH staffers fired over past pot use even tho VP Harris says she smoked in college
Disappointing - a step back into the dark ages, esp given her comment that toking up “brought me joy, and the world needs joy”
do commend she & Biden for both going to Atlanta to confront violence against Asian Americans
I'm grossly disappointed and I voted for Joe. Reefer Madness is alive and well in the U.S. For me personally, after 27 years in medicine, I just retired on February 1st. SOOOO glad I do not have to deal with this bullsh*t anymore.
Let those who make these policies try and what I did right near the end of my career: Work an all-COVID floor as a Respiratory Therapist, 12 hour shifts three consecutive days, managing patients who often are struggling just to remain on planet earth. THEN see if they don't choose to consume some marijuana edibles on their days off in order to relax and ease their mental stress and physical pain. SAFE, NO SIDE EFFECTS WHATSOEVER.
Drug testing is a violation of the 4th Amendment of The U.S. Constitution. You have NO right to test me without "probable cause". In other words, unless there is solid evidence of physical or mental impairment of my ability to do my job, you have NO right to drug test me.
Although dragging up the recent, tedious election is not my intent - I must point out that that I would have voted for a bucket of steaming ... excrement over Trump. Indeed, President Biden is the embodiment of the story of the optimistic waif who wakes up on a Christmas morning surrounded by ... excrement but is still overjoyed. "There's gotta be a pony here, somewhere!"
The constant and historic two-party race has reduced us into choosing between two evils - if we want to or not. Trump won because he WAS NOT Hillary Clinton. Biden won (got my vote, at least) for being the driver of the only other car on the track against Trump. I really - REALLY did not want to vote for Joe. I've never been a fan - I'll leave it at this for now. But I leaned my tall, lanky ass out over the plate and took a 98 mph fastball to the anterior temple for the TEAM! I staggered to first base hoping and began praying that this would lead to some sort of moral victory in the ouster and dismissal of Donald Trump. I stand on the base now groggy and foggy headed - waiting on a teammate to bat me in ... concerned now that that's never going to happen.
Virtually every other Democratic candidate - including the one who is now Vice President had designs on legalization. Joe Biden was about the only one who did not. Yes, he has a son who is a bona-fide fuck-up artist and former(?) slave to an entire other substance. Trust me when I tell you that I understand this pain. "Entire other substance" = key words.
So he sends a few staff-members packing over their past association with the Devil's Weed? Didn't Kamala tell us that she once inhaled while kickin' it old school to some Snoop Dawg? Didn't she voice 100% agreement with Booker's idea for national legalization? Didn't Biden promise decriminalization?
Joe got slow-pitched to by the press and critics throughout the campaign. Anything to get the fat orange one out. I get that. I approve. Where's my pony?
Last thing this morning: In 2016 I guaranteed that the winner of that election would be a one-term pony. I make that same promise toward Joe Biden right now.
Peace.
R
EDIT: change "post" to "past"
I agree, this continued stupidity and frankly double standard toward cannabis use has to end. It's not really that surprising it continues under Biden as he hasn't met a drug war he hasn't supported and participated in and has a LONG track record as a supporter of the war on drugs.
What I find most frustrating is that Kamala Harris seems unable to grasp that she will be held accountable for this should she run in four years....Obviously it's Biden's decision but she was very outspoken during the campaign that this administration, if elected, would at least push for reform at the federal level. Specifically rescheduling from level 1....This betrayal is on you Ms. Harris!
On a brighter note, this week the nation of Mexico moved to the brink of passing legislation that would allow for the adult use of cannabis. The largest nation in the world to do so. With Canada to the north already having approved adult use, and potentially Mexico to the south, the United States will feel the heat to also approve the recreational use of cannabis. We can only hope Biden experiences an awakening and changes his absurd stance toward cannabis.
@chain It has long been my opinion that legalizing in the U.S. and Mexico could/would create solutions to several problems (issues). It would provide both countries - especially Mexico with a drought-resistant, exportable (Mexico) cash crop. This could go a long way in taking the industry away from the criminal element. Create a taxable product - use those funds for everything from infrastructure to education to Covid relief efforts. The only immediate perceivable downside is that "illegal immigrants" might decide to stay in Mexico to tend pot farms rather than risking their lives to come to the U.S. to harvest lettuce.
With Trump in office I could not wait to vote for a Democrat! Well, most any Democrat. There was exactly ONE that I did not want to vote for. I blame Biden's "winning" of the nomination to cross-over voting by Republicans. I know and have known many cagey Republican voting activists. I think they went far out of their way to ensure that the most un-electable Democrat was chosen. But thanks to voters like me in the state of Georgia - where Joe won by a "RCH" - Joe became president. I just hope for better choices on both sides of the ball next time around.
I would have voted for a bucket of steaming ... excrement over Trump.
Joe got slow-pitched to by the press and critics throughout the campaign. Anything to get the fat orange one out. I get that. I approve.
Peace.
R
Yes - I said all along that Joe wasn’t elected, he was admitted by default & a Very cooperative press - one is absolutely not better than the other - it’s early yet
but this is the classic case of a politician, Joe, making something out of nothing
now his spine is next
the onus is on him to not be a hypocrite, & Ask VP Harris To Resign
it’s total nonsense but he brought it on himself
It should have come as no surprise as what Biden's stance on ganja is as he had always been antidrug.
As someone noted he was not the ideal candidate for POTUS but was the best candidate to get Trump out of office so he served his purpose.
I wish he was more reasonable on his stance related to ganja and would support federal reform of the classification of this plant at a minimum.
That being said eventual national legalization is inevitable IMHO with the growing legalization at state levels.
In the meantime for those in states where it is not legal yet I would be angry with my local politicians as they hold the power right now to legalize it where you live.
As far as not voting for Biden in 2024 do you really think a Republican President will push to reform cannabis laws on the Federal level?
I don't regret for a moment that I voted for Biden. To be honest I knew he would not be an easy sell on the Cannabis reform issue and would only support it after being dragged kicking and screaming right up until he signed the legislation needed to reschedule it. Again, he has a long record on supporting prohibition.
Most frustrating is that this is an issue that is not even politically risky in this day and age in America. Seriously, he has completely bungled this issue by his actions last week.
That said, I would NEVER vote for Trump. I didn't in 2016 and sure as shit would not in 2020. I'm from New York and we've known about this dangerous con man grifter going back to the early 70's. So his behavior, self-serving actions and failures as president is not at all shocking.
So no amount of bungling by Biden now or moving forward would make me ever regret voting for what I unfortunately perceived to the be the far lesser of two evils. I also hope for better choices in 2024. No matter what their party affiliation.
@chain: I agree with everything you said, and Bill_Graham as well. I do not regret voting for Joe but am disappointed on his stance regarding Cannabis. But as you said, it's not exactly a surprise, either. And I hope Bill_Graham is correct, that national legalization is inevitable despite Biden's stance.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/5-white-house-staffers-lose-162002109.html
Wow...wait a minute...I am reading all of this correctly?!?! Are the good people people of the Whipping Post taking the Democratic liberal President to task?!?! Wake me up, I must be dreaming or maybe I log onto FOX news forum!! 😋 😋 😋 😋
All kidding aside, to each there own about weed, but personally I dont think I would weight my decision to much ,as far as voting, based if someone is going to legalize it. Its still obtainable , but maybe being lawful with less difficulty and more expensive. All just my opinion, carry on folks.....
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Agree w/that, the line between how much reefer constitutes a felony vs misdemeanor, what constitutes distribution vs personal use, or a federal vs state offense
it all varies from state to state, making it impossible to have a clearly-defined federal policy
in some states if you’re caught w/say an ounce, you get the equivalent of a parking ticket
whereas in others, you’re arrested & put in jail
it’s always been like that
”kids in Texas
smoking grass
10 year sentence
comes to pass
misdemeanor
in Ann Arbor
Ask The Judges Why”
an early Graham Nash song
things have indeed improved & gotten more norml tho w/dispensaries, & legalization in many states
@jszfunk Everybody has their pet peeves and issues. For some, it's abortion on demand, casino gaming, hate crimes legislation, the right to own firearms, LGBTQ (did I get all of those initials right?) - a myriad of concerns. In my life, I have stood up and spoken for the causes of many of these types. I have literally marched in support for many of these issues. As much as I detest guns, I don't mind sane individuals owning sane amounts of them. What really pisses me off is the government sticking its nose into personal lives and regulating things that they have no business doing so with.
Short personal bio: I am about to turn 64. Recently moved to an area where I just haven't made a lot of friends. Not being a drinker, I do not hang out in bars and such. Covid comes along and claims the only friend I had - who was also my "procurer" . I'm just too old to go hang out or drive through the P.J.s lookin' to score. As a life-long tax-paying, voter, I'd like to have the same rights as similar folks in 15 (16?) other states. There is also a basic civil rights issue here. A kid name Dylan or Winthrop (think of the "whitest" names you can) can stroll into a dispensary and make a legal purchase of a substance in any of these states that'll get a young man (especially one with brown eyes) named Tavarius locked up in any number of American cities. In my mind, no American should have more rights than any other.
Digression (but not really): How the HELL is pot illegal while firearms are available at freakin' flea markets? Do you live in an average size city? Quick - go pick up this morning's newspaper and tell me how many people were shot dead in your town overnight. Hint: it's likely buried somewhere behind the sports and comic sections as stuff like this is not front-page news anymore. After you've done this, go to your library and browse their microfiche archives of every newspaper you can think of for stories of people dying or ODing on cannabis. Take as much time as you want. Get back to me in years, if it takes that long.
No, cannabis legalization is not the most pressing issue on the planet at the moment - or at any moment. It is just something that the government has no freakin' business regulating. There is a very good documentary about pot and how it became illegal-ized called, "Grass". The film is narrated by Woody Harelson (who I understand might have given up marijuana at this point - his decision). The film gives great detail into exactly how and why pot became illegal. In short - certain folks of power did not care for the skin color of many of those who partook. Some (especially Hearst and DuPont) owned tree farms, paper mills and other industries that could have been negatively affected by readily available cannabis and hemp. They used their influence to sway a small handful of politicians and judges and cannabis was made illegal overnight without so much as a vote from the general public. This began many decades of stigma, misconceptions and prejudgements of people who enjoyed the weed. Thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of people have since been jailed, fined, lost their jobs, refused employment - all because of some archaic legislation.
2021 ... the United States and the rest of the world become more open to all sorts of aspects of personal life that were once deemed and judged to be inappropriate. All of this is good. Look around at all of the problems that we have that need to be fixed. Crumbling infrastructure, unemployment, homelessness, people without health care ... Covid relief. Like another guy named Dylan once said, "everything is broken". You've heard me say it often - legalization could provide some much-needed tax revenues that could go a long way towards amending these social deficiencies. But we've got another tired old white man sitting in the throne. Again.
It become legal in Illinois last January. Total sales for 2020 over $1 billion. Revenue for the state over $100 million. I try to do my part ... 😎
@sang Congratulations and good on you! I've actually considered moving to southern Illinois ... but most of those towns seem kind of desolate and too far from people and places that I am familiar with. Congratulations on being from a progressive-minded state!
Except for missteps on marijuana & the airplane staircase he’s doing a great job - I always try to be supportive of a new president regardless of the same ol BS...
glad the stumble was taken for what it was & swept under the rug - the Pelosis & jerkweeds of her ilk would still be howling for his resignation had it been his predecessor - just keeping those types outta the way & as irrelevant as possible is a good thing
Just hoping the mass murders in Atlanta & Boulder don’t portend another uptick
@sang Congratulations and good on you! I've actually considered moving to southern Illinois ... but most of those towns seem kind of desolate and too far from people and places that I am familiar with. Congratulations on being from a progressive-minded state!
Southern Illinois is pretty nice - Shawnee National Forest, nice wine trails. Not as progressive as Chicago, but Carbondale area is a college town and close enough to escape to St. Louis and see the Cardinals ...
One quibble. As w/all the constitutional rights, the 4th amendment is freedom from GOVERNMENT drug testing. Your employer can test away & no rights are violated.
Can't imagine what your job has been like this past year.
@cyclone88: Well I admit I hadn't thought of it from that angle. Just glad I'm retired and done with all the BS. Wanna know how much BS it really is? The job I had the last six months of my career, as usual, I had to have a complete physical including a drug test. I drank a cleansing drink from a smoke shop and I passed the drug test. BUT: The MD said, "I am going to pass you, but your lab results show blood and glucose in your urine which are both abnormal. I want you to follow up with your physician." So I did. Only four days after that physical, I had blood drawn again, a complete lab panel this time ordered by my regular M.D. Results showed no blood or glucose in my urine. Which is proof positive that those cleansing drinks are unhealthy enough to throw off my body chemistry.
I admit, my job was SO stressful that I could not handle it without using marijuana ON MY OWN FREE TIME. I literally held lives in my hands for 27 years. I'm proud of that. F**K them if they think that using a natural herb to relax on my time off is enough to deny me employment or fire me. What matters? MY PERFORMANCE.
Congrats on being out of that job, but thanks for the work you and all your colleagues do.
^^^
agree. Docs and nurses got a lot of fanfair. Respiratory therapists were / are unsung heroes in this mess.
Everyone has a push button issue I guess. Mine is not legal weed, even though I think it should be legalized. I don't see any national law decriminalizing it, legalizing it, or even changing is from a Schedule 1 drug (how ridiculous is that - same federal legal classification as heroin).
Overall, I think Joe is doing an OK job so far. I don't agree with everything, but then no one would totally agree with me either.
To suggest that cannabis reform is the be all end all for some of us is misleading. Most of us can walk and chew gum at the same time and so cannabis reform is but ONE issue I’m passionate about. I have numerous other issues I hope this administration and Congress can address.
That said, New York State is poised to pass legislation as early as next week to allow for recreational adult use of cannabis....Including home cultivation of 6 plants per adult with a cap of 12 per household...Finally my state seems to have gotten its sh@t together regarding reforming a decades long war on its own citizens..
Times have changed for the better. When I was in HS the NY state govt was very proud of the fact that it passed what they called the toughest mariujuana law in the country.
Times have changed for the better. When I was in HS the NY state govt was very proud of the fact that it passed what they called the toughest mariujuana law in the country.
Yep....But the state still has a week or so to f*ck this up and given our track record of stupidity and closed door deals between the Governor and State Senate and Assembly majority leaders, it could all fall apart yet again.
I’m convinced this is only happening because Cuomo is caught up in three major sh@t storms and thus the power dynamic has changed tremendously in just a month. If it hadn’t, there’s no way in hell there would be home cultivation contained in this pending legislation/budget deal as it’s been one of a couple sticking points for the past three failed attempts at reform. All because of Cuomo...He was adamant that it not be an option and has stated so repeatedly over the past three years...
@chain: According to this article it's happening although it will take minimum 18 months for you to see marijuana actually in dispensaries. I'm not sure what it means though when the article starts off with "lawmakers came to an agreement" to legalize it.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/york-lawmakers-agree-legalize-recreational-120513778.html
What that means rob is that since we're talking about the state of New York, we can F@CK UP this potential agreement well before it's actually signed into law and takes effect. In New York legislation and even annual budget deals are settled in a room behind closed doors by three people. Seriously. The process is that corrupt and that insular with the public and the governing bodies beyond the two majority leaders being completely removed from the process.
That said, New York state is the closest its ever been to recreational cannabis in the state's history. As far as dispensaries are concerned, I'm in no hurry whatsoever to utilize one. Great when they come to fruition, but no biggie for me. Instead, and I think millions of other New Yorker's share this sentiment, it's the home cultivation component I'm most excited about and hope it takes effect upon the completion of the agreement....That is this spring/summer/fall growing season.
