Representatives within the Democratic National Committee have approved provisions specific to marijuana law reform as part of the party’s 2016 platform.
A 15-person decision-making panel unanimously voted to adopt the following language:
“We believe that the states should be laboratories of democracy on the issue of marijuana, and those states that want to decriminalize marijuana should be able to do so. We support policies that will allow more research to be done on marijuana, as well as reforming our laws to allow legal marijuana businesses to exist without uncertainty. And we recognize our current marijuana laws have had an unacceptable disparate impact, with arrest rates for marijuana possession among African-Americans far outstripping arrest rates among whites despite similar usage rates.”
Separate, more specific language was proposed by Bernie Sanders-appointed members of the panel however it did not garner enough support.
Though the language falls well short of calling for an end to federal cannabis prohibition, it nonetheless marks a stark contrast between the two major political parties.
Last week, Republican leaders in Congress quashed a number of proposed marijuana law reforms. Specifically, provisions previously voted on by Congress to expand medical cannabis access to eligible military veterans were removed by leadership during the conference committee process and earlier there was a decision to deny members the opportunity to vote on a Democrat-sponsored amendment that sought to permit banks and other financial institutions to engage in relationships with state-compliant marijuana businesses.
With many Congressional Republicans actively discouraging marijuana related reforms at the federal level, it’s motivating to see Democrats pro-actively finding ways to include the need for cannabis policy reform in the party’s national conversation.
Yup. Agreed; That’s motivating. So important to acknowledge the racial disparities. Really glad that’s in there. Now do something about it! It’s about goddamn time the Democratic Party started getting on board!!
Gives me a reason other than Hillary to vote Democratic. Think those platform planks would be in there if Bernie hadn’t clearly demonstrated the progressive hearts and minds of the party? Impossibe to say, but I suspect not.
I think Bernie does deserve some credit for this progress, here. Yet, what if the DEA does reschedule, on its own? I mean, what’s the point of Hillary, then? The last thing we need is all of her bad baggage, for no substantiating reason. One of the best things about Trump, is: Hillary retires in prison.
The Democratic platform planks themselves are more progressive and valuable than Hillary’s bullshit “Schedule II” stance. That’s the real reason to vote Democratic.
Schedule II is the prohibionists fallback position, as schedule I becomes increasingly untenable. This will be confirmed if the DEA reschedules to II, as rumored. And Hillary the prohibitionist and the DEA will be on the same page.
But true legalizers want it DEscheduled, not REscheduled.
That’s assuming that Hillary is even indicted under Trump once he’s in, and he doesn’t find a convenient reason that he simply can’t do anything about sending her to jail, and she just gets off scot-free.
Amen… I don’t know Trumps stand on marijuana though, does anyone else?? Please let me know!! I’d vote Democratic, if Bernie was still in it! But Hillary, no way… I sure wish she would have not run. Bernie would have been great!!
This Election season is lookin like Blue skies and green valleys for Democrats. Here in Texas, a recent poll showed only %25 of Republicans approve of the direction there party is headed, while %75 of Democrats are satisfied. It is inspiring bipartisan cooperation however that the Republican platform in Texas included industrial hemp and improving the Compassionate Use Act, but with both state and federal Democratic platforms in synch to decriminalize the Blue team is leaving the Red in the dust, (even if descheduling is not yet on the menu, rescheduling is on the way… Better push for schedule IV and see if we get III).
And if you look at the NORML scorecard (just type scorecard in the NORML search engine above) the Republicans have some real catching up to do before November or the Senate wont be all theyre gonna lose…
I changed my voter affiliation to Republican from Unaffiliated to vote against Andy Harris and Donald Trump in the primaries.
Looks like I’ll register Democrat now.
‘Thumbs-Up’! Yet, I’m anxious to see Hillary go to jail.
Hillary has been the Democratic nominee apparent since long before the 8 years of the Obama administration. Hence, she’s been systemically demonized by the Republicans. This is the way politics is played these days, but after a time I stopped believing any of the scandals.
Just listening to Hillary Clinton talking in circles has been enough for me to take a very personal dislike to her. She, like Trump, never stops lying, never stops getting the details wrong. She doesn’t focus long enough on anything to form a decent policy about it. Marijuana or the Middle East, a Hillary Clinton presidency is going to be like George W. Bush all over again… Yes, she has made some good decisions over the years, but only after trying all the bad ones first. The reason Republicans lie so much now-a-days is because they got their asses whopped by Bill Clinton lying when they were telling the truth, so they gave up on it and they decided emulating Bill is a better strategy. Remember, both parties moved to the right and doubled down on marijuana users? Bill taught them Americans want lies. And that is what we get from them.
I admire your determination to make a positive difference by letting your labels work for you, and not the other way around!
(I’m scared to try it again — last time I tried that, I screwed up bad. Here’s my 4:20 confession: Regarding Bush V Gore, when George W Bush first ran against McCain in the Repubican primary, he had not yet committed his criminal invasion of Iraq; and, W was talking fairly reasonably, for the times, about marijuana; while his Republican primary opponent, McCain, was spouting the usual hysterical Drug War battle cries. So I switched parties, just for the primaries, in order to vote AGAINST McCain!!!!! Big Mistake!!!!! Because in order to do that, I had to vote for (oh it hurts to admit it) Bush. #@#% Me!! That’s one vote I regret.)
I feel your pain. I had to vote for Cruz, who creeps me out.
I cant believe the dems regarded this as a racist issue, stating more blacks get arrested for it, give me a break!! Legalize it and you wont have that problem. And the economy will greatly benefit from it. But that might make more black people start smoking it huh?
This is the most backasswards/awkward argument that our reformers waste precious time, with: if I was a Prohibitionist, I’d raid & arrest a dozen white pot users every time someone says it. “By golly, you’re right: YOU’RE UNDER ARREST!”
How dare we neglect to arrest more proportionately?
The disproportionate arrests rates between whites and blacks make it clear that the War on Drugs is inherently racist. If the War on Drugs were proportionately applied to white soccer moms in gated communities as readily as it is applied to young black men in urban neighborhoods, you can bet that some influential powers would pull some strings, put a rapid stop to that shit! White marijuana consumers got it bad; Black marijuana consumers got it worse. If you don’t believe that, check again.
Prohibition has never worked.
It always works for the Prohibitionists. This is why they need to be sued and forced to return all their illicitly earned money. They earned it by enforcing lies and hear-sey; which isn’t legal in this country. They have been breaking the law the whole time.
Remember when Bernie Sanders put forth a bill to end federal cannabis prohibition? It has zero co sponsors.
Yeah! Thank for pointing that out; that’s just the problem: it’s the difference between “talking” and “walking”!! Pretty words are nice, and as I said in earlier comment, I’m motivated to vote Democratic because of it. But pretty words don’t get the job done: where’s the rest of the Democrats stepping up? Time to walk their talk! And co-sponsoring Bernie’s Bill would be the place to start, and I mean do it right now!
To answer my own question, I think the reason the rest of the Democrats are not stepping up to sign Bernie’s bill to DEschedule cannabis, is because they’re mostly a bunch of Neo-Liberals who are more committed to corporatism than legalization. They are prohibitionists, whether schedule I or schedule II, because Corporate America insists on it.
Now, please: go prove this cynic wrong! If the Democrats start showing up en mass, I’ll be thrilled to be wrong.
Nope, you’re exactly correct, the But-the-States-need-their-rights-people turned the corner back to being prohibitionists as the Democrats come out in support of State’s Rights. This is why this whole silly thing about marijuana legalization having something to due with “State’s Rights” is just another Red Herring! Our personal rights are not dependent on “States having their Rights”. This is a scam call incrementalism. Each party takes turns at being “liberal” or “conservative” on an issue so that each can claim the other side is blocking reform, please send us money and your votes. They get them and then switch sides again. It is a dance and the oligarchy is playing their song again, and again, and again, and again, ect.
Remember when Bernie Sanders put forth a bill to end federal cannabis prohibition? It has zero co sponsors.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s2237
This is the kind of thing I’ve been waiting for. It seems that the Democratic party is moving the right direction – Finally!!!
I salute those leaders that helped to make this happen; especially Bernie Sanders!
Hillary and the DNC are doing anything and everything to get you to vote for her. They know that Bernie’s majority of followers age range is in the popular 18-34 year olds.
I’m telling you now… Do NOT vote for Hillary!
Over 200 Super Delegates were already pledged to Hillary before we even had our first debate! How is that “Democratic”?
Take your vote and give it to Gary Johnson. Let’s really send a message to the DNC that we will not tolerate voter manipulation in our party!
Maybe you don’t mind Trump being president, but here are four words that should keep us all up at night: “Attorney General Chris Christie.” I hope you don’t live in a swing state, Bernie!
What if Trump becomes our next president with Chris Christie as his VP. Imagine that Trump dies and Christie becomes president. Would anyone out there want to live in the kind of America he would try to change us to? I suspect the Neo-Nazis would be thrilled.
Making Christie the new AG could be just as bad or worse!
I really wish we could come up with a way for Gary Johnson to win the presidency without risking a Trump win.
Gary Johnson is my top choice at this time and has been for quite a while. However, I have strong fear that voting for Gary instead of Hillary could have the terrible consequence of helping Trump and the rest of the countries rich elite.
Normally, I’d vote for Johnson, too, but I don’t think there’s anything more important in these turbulent than keeping Trump out of the White House. We cannot cede the office of Commander in Chief to a man permanently mired in his terrible twos.
I would normally vote for Gary Johnson, but this election I don’t think there is anything more important than keeping Trump OUT of the White House.
Just donated another $15 to Sanders.
https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/our-delegates?refcode=em160628-full
Why? Because his last email explains that it costs at least $4,000 to send our progressive delegates to the convention in Philadelphia so we can vote on more Progressive issues like descheduling marijuana; problem is our progressive delegates dont make that kind of money. They aren’t all “established” lobbyists or beurocrats, they have jobs to keep and families to use a week’s vacation time on. This is why Bernie said he’d vote for Hillary but is still going to the convention; so that we participate in the Democratic process and get our delegate votes counted and introduce good drug policies.
I cant think of any single representative of our government that inspired me to understand the American political process …more than consuming marijuana and understanding its prohibited history… than Bernie Sanders.
I found this statement on merryjane.com
“This come despite anti-pot commentary made earlier this year by DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz suggesting that the United States should avoid marijuana legalization, like the plague, because it would provide citizens with a gateway to addiction.”
I think Shultz is secretly a Republican – Damn her!!! The Dems should throw her out without delay.
She is effectively a regressive, so that makes her a conservative. I’ve know for a couple years now that Debbie is Neoliberal, which is code for “oligarchy puppet”. We don’t really have “democrats” and “republicans” anymore, just a bunch of corporate “yes” men and women.
I’m hoping that languagae or even more liberal language calling for the outright descheduling of cannabis will become official at the Dem’s convention.
President Obama is the supreme Democrat, and he’s having a confab in Canada with Trudeau and Pena-Nieto. They had better have talked about legalizing cannabis at the Three Amigos Summit. The subject doesn’t appear to be on the official agenda, that is the one released to the public. It’s Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. States have legalized. A whole country, Canada, is going to legalize in 2017, and Mexico has been long plagued by drug violence. It’s long overdue for cannabis to come out of the underground and into the legal light. Mexican lives matter, too.
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/29/trudeau-hosts-obama-nieto-for-three-amigos-summit.html
If they didn’t talk about legalizing cannabis you might as well dub the meeting the Three Stooges Summit instead of the Three Amigos Summit.
Strange, isn’t it, when the elephant in the room is a taboo subject!
Legalization is a subject the three leaders should find impossible to ignore. Hard to understand how the subject could not come up in discussions, for the reasons you give: it’s relevant to all three countries. It would be weird if it didn’t come up.
Yet if it’s not on the official agenda, as you say, that means it’s still considered a “taboo” subject, too uncomfortable to mention in public! Weird, either way.
The day after the Three Amigos Summit Justin shows us his plan. He hasn’t called off the raids, which puts him behind my expectations. I expected a halt on police enforcement of cannabis prohibition, with Justin’s team hurrying the hell up to get them licensed rather than raided. Hurry the hell up and issue temporary licenses or immediately legalize establishments for bring your own use, like, ahem, a coffeeshop where you could get stuff like at a regular coffeeshop but here be allowed to smoke at a table or in a (ventilated) booth. The shop itself does not sell weed or have any weed in stock, BUT a so-called house dealer can reserve a table/space who is prevailed upon by customers to buy weed from is something that must be declared to have absolutely NO no merit to pursue and no time or money is to be spend on it. It should be so that you could have a Mounty on the premises or out front or out back and s/he is there for the safetly of the owner/operators and their employees, patrons and guests.
Freedom, Baby!
http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/06/canadian-government-announces-marijuana-legalization-task-force/
Don’t feed the trolls. Divide and conquer with pods loops is their game.
No Hilary! Go Libertarian! Democrats and their big government is a huge no-no.
Chris Christie or Newt Gingrich for VP. Trump had better wake up, both of these guys are drug warriors from Hell. Hillary will not do much to end prohibition but either of these two will take us back to square one.
Now, when will the GOP put their money where their mouth is and support state rights and personal responsibility???
There is no reason marijuana shouldn’t be a bipartisan issue.
The neurology department at the VA I have to use loves to treat me like an ignorant child for preferring mmj to treat Multiple Sclerosis. They abuse their power to drug test and berate me and deny me treatment. When I was no longer able to tolerate their poisonous disease modifying drugs, I turned to mmj for the chance that it would slow the progression of the disease. It has worked since day one against this disease! For seven years now I have had very few lesions and flare ups. They are surprised at how good my MRIs now look. I also got off of four other drugs they prescribed me because mmj works better and eliminated the need for them.
This bill going through allowing the VA to prescribe it gave me hope of being treated with respect again at the VA. The republicans stripped that away and I am done with the BS.
I can’t in good conscience vote for Hilary so I will be writing Bernie in on my ballet unless, by some miracle, Trump takes a pro marijuana stance.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov//petition/request-president-sign-executive-order-bring-end-marijuana-prohibition
We need to get a petition going to get Cannabis legalization on the Kentucky ballot …
re; Bernie Sanders put forth a bill to end federal cannabis prohibition. (DE-SCHEDULE pot)
It has zero co sponsors.
because the dems,
are money hungry whores.
just like the reppies are…
there is WAY TOO MUCH MONEY,
involved, in keeping pot prohibition in place;
for-profit, private prisons,
alcohol producers,
tobacco producers,
rediculusly OVERPRICED prescription drugs, of extremely limited efficacy,
paper made from trees,
the energy interests;
oil, from under the ground, instead of from farmers,
coal, ‘natural’ gas, and nook-lee-ur.
conversely, there is no major cash involved in gay/lesbian /transsexual/transgender rights, so the dems are all for THOSE rights.
and every time the dems get significantly ahead of the reppies,
and would therefore be FORCED to do something about the war on drugs,
(or nafta /’free trade’, or foreign wars we should not be in, or raising the minimum wage, or a national health care plan)
they INTENTIONALLY SABOTAGE THEMSELVES,
by pushing for ‘gun control’,
(which is gun prohibition,
and we know prohibition NEVER works)
which gives the senate and house back to the reppies…
thus, no progress is possible.
THE PROOF;
EVERY TIME,
someone challenges the current paradym,
BOTH parties do everything they possibly can,
to stop it…;
they did it with;
ross perot,
ralph nader,
ron paul,
and are doing it now, with;
bernie sanders,
AND donald trump.
bernie has way more voter support than hillary, but hillary has super delagates, rigged primaries where independants cannot vote, and rigged diebold voting machines.
and many reppies have stated, that they will vote for HILLARY, (because trump will do something to change the ‘status quo’.)
(and they are STILL trying to get trump out of the race, any way they can.)
You people are morons if you vote trump. It’s especially irritating and maddening that some would vote trump just because they’re throwing a hissy fit cause Bernie wasn’t nominated. You are stupid to play Russian roulette with our country and mess up EVERYTHING cause we have to wait a little longer for legalization. I voted Bernie and he lost and you’ll be goddamned to Hell if I don’t vote hillary. I also care about OTHER issues besides something that didn’t happen yet. Three reasons to vote republican: greedy rich, evil Satan and stupid. Don’t give me no bullshit that they’re religious … Osama Bin Laden was religious and so are Isis.
We should be looking at states that have done well with a majority Democratic run state as well as medical and recreational marijuana use. California is doing very well economically.
Marijuana needs to be UNSCHEDULED. GLOBALLY.
Republicans get diabetes just like normal people. Why would they stonewall Marijuana. Isrelie scientists have for years shown Marijuana is beneficial for diabetics. My brother is a pot head from the 60s and still is a pot head at the age of 60 – sad to say he is also a Republican and will vote for Trump (most likely). He is a block head also…