Biden Finally Has A Message: You Kids, Get Off The Grass!

Biden's issues-free campaign finally has taken a stand. Old man Biden is against marijuana legalization, calling it a "gateway drug." He's the only major candidate who is. According to Pew, 78% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents want to see legalization. Biden is even to the right of Trump on this, although I suppose it plays to whatever base of elderly voters Status Quo Joe caters to. Biden stands against 67% of Americans, who agree that the "use of marijuana should be made legal." In 1989, when a pre-senile Biden was still a sentient human being, Pew found that only 16% of American adults believed that cannabis should be legalized. The American public has come a long way since then, even if Status Quo Joe hasn't. Bernie, for example, has vowed to legalize marijuana by executive order in his first 100 days.

Yesterday, NORML executive director, Erik Altieri, told me that "Biden began this race at a massive deficit when it comes to drug policy, considering he fueled our nation's failed war on drugs and mass incarceration as the architect of the 1990's crime bill and mandatory minimum sentencing. His recent comments regarding marijuana legalization are abysmal and reminiscent of long debunked reefer madness rhetoric. Biden's continued refusal to support legislation truly ending our federal prohibition on marijuana is concerning and should be outright disqualifying for any Democratic primary voter who supports reforming our broken criminal justice system."

Eva Putzova is running for Congress in a district represented by a conservative Republican pretending to be a Democrat, Blue Dog Tom O'Halleran. O'Halleran, of course, has refused to co-sponsor the marijuana legalization bill. Eva has a different outlook: "This is a no-brainer. Of course marijuana should be legalized. Millions of Americans, particularly people of color, have been criminalized and incarcerated for possession and use of marijuana. I fully support Rep. Nadler's bill, HR 3884. Joe Biden's opposition to the legalization of marijuana shows not only his ignorance of the health aspects of the issue, but his callousness toward the social, racial, and economic impact of the disastrous 'War on Drugs' of which he was an early supporter while in the Senate."

Tomorrow Jerry Nadler's Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act (HR 3884) will be marked up in the House Judiciary Committee the first time in history that a committee will take up a bill to end the federal policy of the prohibition and criminalization of marijuana. The bill, which currently has 55 co-sponsors, would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, provide grants to local communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the drug war, permit physicians affiliated with the Veterans Administration to authorize medical marijuana recommendations to qualifying veterans who reside in legal states, and allow the Small Business Administration to support entrepreneurs and businesses as they seek to gain a foothold in this emerging industry.

The bill isn't just supported by progressive champions like Ted Lieu, Pramila Jayapal, Ayanna Pressley, Barbara Lee, Jamie Raskin and Ro Khanna, but also by conservative Dems and even a Republican, crackpot Matt Gaetz of Florida.

The Senate version of the bill, S.2227, was introduced by Kamala Harris and is co-sponsored by Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Jeff Merkley, Ron Wyden and Ed Markey. Even Biden's conservative rivals in the primary, Mayo Pete, Deval Patrick and Michael Bennet favor legalization. Bloomberg and Biden are the only presidential candidates who oppose legalization. To be honest, I don't know where Delaney stands but... why cares?

Justin Strekal, political director of NORML: "A supermajority of Americans, including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents, support regulating the use of marijuana by responsible adults. Thanks to the leadership of the House Judiciary chairman, never in history have we been closer to ending the failed policy of marijuana criminalization and providing pathways to opportunity for our brothers and sisters who have suffered under its oppressive reign. The MORE Act is the most comprehensive marijuana policy reform bill ever introduced in Congress and is backed by a broad coalition of civil rights, criminal justice, drug policy, and immigration groups. Those who oppose this legislation moving forward are defenders of a failed status-quo that ruins the lives of otherwise law-abiding adults on a daily basis, overwhelmingly enforced against the poor and communities of color."

One Member of Congress told me yesterday that Biden will cave on this within a few days and claim it was all a great big misunderstanding. Someone on his team, he told me in confidence "will tell him public opinion has moved on and he'll flip flop... on an issue he doesn't even care about."

Needless to say, the conservative old reactionary Mike Siegel is competing with for the TX-10 congressional seat, Michael McCaul, opposes legalization. Siegel supports it. "We should legalize marijuana, period. It’s a racial justice issue: marijuana prosecutions disproportionally target Black and Latino communities. It’s a health issue: marijuana is a form of medicine that is more affordable and effective in many instances. And it’s an economic issue: taxing marijuana is a tremendous opportunity for local and state governments to expand social services. Less people locked up, affordable medicine, better social programs-- legalization is a no-brainer."

At least Mike's opponent is a Republican. You expect them to be living in the past. Marie Newman and Brianna Wu are both running for seats occupied by backward Democrats-- reactively Dan Lipinski and Stephen Lynch-- who think (and vote) like Republicans. "Unlike my opponent," said Marie, "I believe in the legalization of marijuana. As with many of his positions, he tends to believe our nation is still in 1983. The MORE act will be a strong step forward in our nation to bring economic, racial and healthcare justice to all.” Brianna Wu is running in Boston and she told us that she's "not voting for Joe Biden until there's proof he's not a gateway drug to Republicanism. Biden eliminated debt protections, leaving millions of Americans prey to medical debt and student loan debt. He oversaw the racist attacks on Anita Hill, and he opposed school integration. I worry some kid could see that, and it would affect their developing brain. Next thing you know, they’re ruining their life and watching Fox News. Joe Biden is the wrong candidate to lead our party."

Liam O'Mara is the progressive Democrat running for the Riverside County seat occupied by crooked Republican Ken Calvert. He agrees with Brianna's perspective. Last night he told us that "From where I'm sitting, Biden is lying-- his interests are with the lobbyists, not the people. He's misusing the scientific burden of proof in a way that's literally a logical fallacy. Did we need to prove caffeine wasn't a gateway drug?? I'm firmly against prohibition in general. People should be able to live as they choose, and addiction is a medical issue, not a criminal one. When elected, I plan to advance an amnesty bill that releases all non-violent drug users. We should never have criminalized this stuff. All we've done with it is ruin lives, encourage violent cartels, and waste taxpayer money. Biden's crime bill was a monstrous error, and antithetical to American values of freedom, justice, and equality. There is one reason to keep cannabis illegal-- it's profitable to the donor class. It fuels private prisons, the military-industrial complex, the lumber industry, pharmaceutical companies, etc. Politicians who care more about donors than voters are not public servants at all."

Osita Nwanevu reminded his New Republic readers yesterday that because of how crowded the conservative lane in the primary has become, Biden needs to remind everyone why his nickname is Status Quo Joe but he concludes by noting that if Biden and other centrists, including Obama, think that reconciliation with conservatism, even Biden's grotesque trans-partisan conservatism-- and that remains their party’s message, "the collapse of faith in the system that follows may well be accompanied by a collapse of faith in the Democratic Party. Democrats should reject political impotence and the fantasy of reconciliation. In its place, they should speak with candor about where we’re headed as a country and then steel themselves with enough resolve to fully address the problems we face, come what may from the right."

UPDATE: Rachel Ventura

This morning Rachel, who's running for a Chicagoland seat held by conservative New Dem Bill Foster-- who has declined to back legalization, sent us this statement:

As a member of congress, I will co-sponsor HR 3884 to decriminalize marijuana. My conservative opponent, Bill Foster, is not a co-sponsor of this legislation and I am not surprised. Illinois recently passed a law that legalizes the production and sale of Marijuana in Illinois. The law that passed the Illinois General Assembly allows communities to "opt out" if local municipalities vote to. As a Will County Board member, I will be voting to remain opted in. I have also lobbied the Joliet City Council to "opt in." Many local boards have been "opting out" because of conservative parent groups in some parts of Illinois' 11th congressional district. One of those hot spots that has an active, vocal group is Naperville, IL, the city where Foster rented an apartment when he moved into the 11th after redistricting in 2012.

Whatever legislation ultimately passes the United States Congress, I would work hard to make sure that it has an affordable expungement component for past marijuana offenses. Expungement should be an easy to navigate process with an affordable fee. One shouldn't need an attorney to have their record expunged. Those people who are serving time for a past marijuana offense should be released and have their record cleared. Finally, those people who served time for what would now be a legal act, should get the first bite at the apple when it comes to getting a dispensary license.

I also believe that workers in marijuana dispensaries should have the right to unionize through a card-check process. In Illinois, one of the state dispensaries, Cresco, is being organized by UFCW Local 881, but the company is putting up a fight. I recently signed a letter supporting their efforts and encouraged Cresco to allow their employees to unionize. Workers everywhere deserve the right to organize a union and share in the wealth they create.

Finally, we need to recognize the medicinal value of marijuana and CBD oil. It is a natural pain management solution that will cut into big Pharma's profits. People should have a choice between an affordable natural, non-addictive pain management treatment and the long list of addictive pain killers like Codeine, Fentanyl, Ocycodone and Morphine, to name a few. In my area where the opioid deaths reached just under 100 last year, access to legal marijuana could help curb the overdoses. I recently questioned a false narrative provided by our county’s director of substance abuse and the local paper reported about it here.

Once again, you can see a clear cut different between a leader who is fighting myths with facts, and advocating for policies that benefit people over someone who protects corporate profits and takes money from the pharmaceutical industry.