A few of my friends were sitting on the porch a few weeks back when one, rather casually, lit up a joint of marijuana. He was delighted to share it with another friend and we who don’t partake of weed kidded them as they got a buzz. To me it was no different than the beer and whiskey that was also present and by nightfall had also created a buzz.
In case you missed it the House of Representatives voted on Friday to decriminalize marijuana nationally, as 37 states have already done so in varying degrees of legalization. For the record, the Senate is expected to block the MORE Act – it stands for Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act – but it is a giant step towards legalizing recreational pot nationally.
The House vote was 220-204 on party lines but the stuff might as well be legal – I am told on excellent authority you can buy it all over Chattanooga as well as the country itself.
I’m easy being around it and I believe we ought to tax it and sell it in much the same way liquor stores work.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, pot is the most commonly used illegal drug in America. In 2019, the CDC said 48.2 million Americans (18 percent of us) used it at least once and that doesn’t include the smart ones who ain’t telling.
Also, according to the most recent statistics, in 2019 someone was arrested on a cannabis offense every 58 seconds. That’s right – 545,601 during that year and of those collars, 92 percent were for simple possession. Today it is a misdemeanor in most states
But – get this – if the Senate were to “man up” and “give up” trying to control cannabis, thousands of non-violent offenders would be immediately released at an incarceration savings of $800 million over 10 years.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 18 states have legalized the adult use of marijuana for recreational purposes (and medical use, as well): Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. (Washington, D.C. has as well). Rhode Island has “adult use” legislation pending.
Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming have medical allowances for the legal possession of CBD (cannabidiol) products containing low levels of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, generally less than three percent. Most legal dispensaries sell products with THC percentages of 25 percent and above.
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“I’VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR 20 YEARS …”
EXCERPT FROM ROLLCALL.COM — When a similar bill passed in 2020, the GOP-controlled Senate declined to take it up, but lawmakers are hopeful that growing public support and a Democratic majority in the chamber could spur action.
“The Senate works with its own schedule,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat. “We’ve talked to a number of people in terms of their support for this, but I’ve only been here 20 years, and I do not pretend to understand the ways of the Senate.”
Senator Cory Booker said earlier this week that moving the House bill would be unlikely and senators are focusing on their own proposal.
“Right now, we’re looking at doing the one that we’ve been working on for a long time,” said the New Jersey Democrat, referring to a discussion draft released last year with Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon. That draft contained a similar tax regime to what is imposed on alcohol and tobacco.
The House bill and Senate proposal differ on how to impose excise taxes for marijuana importers and distributors. Senators sought to set the rate at 10 percent, and it would rise to 25 percent over five years. Advocacy and industry groups argue the rate would be too high, even though proposed tax credits would halve that rate for small businesses.
The House bill calls for a five percent rate that would inch up to eight percent over five years. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the House bill could generate $8.1 billion by 2031, some of which would be used to fund programs in communities most affected by the war on drugs. It would also create a process for some people to get federal cannabis convictions expunged and sentences reviewed.
“It’s just very encouraging that there is an appetite not just to decriminalize at the federal level, but really do restorative justice – things that are very important,” Booker said.
Booker said it could be tough finding 60 votes in the Senate, but supporters’ best bet would be to package it with provisions that have been favorably received by the GOP. That includes House-passed legislation to give banks the ability to provide services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses.