we need a candidate for the future not the past.

want someone that can kick the asshole currently in the White House out, whomever that might be. I'm still undecided and will support 100% whomever the democratic nominee might be.

We need to nominate a progressive candidate... Bernie/Elizabeth, in either order, have the best chance of soundly defeating the Nazi-in-Chief!!


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

In the last 30 years, how many Democratic or Republican candidates for president have lost 45 states?

don't they?

Warren is certainly a rising star, while Sanders... a recent poll showed only 25% of his 2016 supporters are supporting him again.

Where did you get your "Biden would lose 45 states" statistic from? Can you provide a link?

Cue "I already posted it, but I'm just not going to tell you where I did. But I did!!!"

Bringing young people into the process. There is a long learning curve but welcome aboard. I'm convinced that the more you read and learn the more you will become a Democrat to the core.

Others running will bring this out and he'll lose more support for this losing position, which trump if given the chance will use it to hurt and criminalize more minorities with. Joe is stuck in the past, and with other policies too. He lose more voters now.

Anita Hill comes to mind.

Joe was in his prime at that time.

Supporting those allegations with objective evidence and hard data, consistently applied to all candidates is just way too hard.

Here's hoping the back of your t-shirt says something with a cool-looking font. "Keep on truckin'!" is already taken in case you didn't know.

with respect to his policies?

I can understand the argument about electability, I disagree, but I understand that many people think he is the 'safe' choice.

But his policy positions are just plain out of step.

'Oh man', as Joe would say. There are elegant and persuasive arguments for leaving ultimate legalization (ie regulation of sale) up to the States, but this isn't one of them.

years. Just how long term is long term. Yet another WTF. I have lots of those each day. It's as bad as a friend once drinking away on alcohol telling me pot is a gateway drug. Yet another WTF, as they got smashed. Alcohol is far far more dangerous than pot could ever be. And ... the aggressive drunks on alcohol.

A huge amount of dollars has gone into them, for little return to prohibitionists. There is a sensible argument for saying sale and taxation is a matter for the states, but Biden is straying back into ancient history.

But they also funded studies in Israel for years which also had amazing results. There have been many long term studies done, but Joe is still living in the past , and this will do nothing but hurt his chances by ignoring it any longer, and allowing people to profit from it with the private prison industry , and big pharma who has paid politicians to be against it for quite a while now. Joe is going to either change his position on it soon, or lose a lot more votes. I think with a huge majority in this country wanting full legalization now on it now, and growing , he will not do well enough. He's stuck in the past, while the other candidates aren't.

huge mistake

he will lose some older voters. Anyone who needs to wait for years for a study is delusional, there have been studies and they have been ignored. Banks are Federal. We have a problem here with our shops being able to use banks, leaving it to the states is silly.

people are still going to prison in regressive states over pot and that is a HUGE waste of money

marijuana-related offenses and it's okay because it's a state law is bullshit and offensive.
We see how well holding those departments and agencies which in fact do not enforce the law equally work. All he has to do is look at the AG's office, that's a sterling example showing that fairy tale belief of accountability isn't going to work and there are a dozen other agencies that the Republicans have stacked with idiots hell-bent on destroying those agencies.

I don't have to wait around to read some report, I know from my own experience that high CBD marijuana helps me with my pain, and I also know for a fact that my son has seen great success with marijuana helping him with his stomach problems, and with anxiety issues.

Other countries have been doing research for years, and have documented the benefits of using marijuana for many health issues.

We have a plethora of candidates who know that the federal legalization of marijuana is the right thing to do.

Or was it simply a guess?

the response was so negative and I am in Illinois

I was honestly afraid Illinois might not go blue

so just my life experiences no official data

but if you think biden being against making mj legal and wanting to reinstate the penalty for not having insurance is a winning ticket we are in HUGE trouble

And also the older crowd has learned how well it works with many issues , and growing support every day for complete legalization. Joe's missing the boat already.

They phased it in over a year's time to get it all straightened out. Since then, deaths from opiates have dropped significantly.

who knows. It works great on nerve pain and yes it can be used to wean people off opiates. I would love to go see my sisters in TX but I won't go to a state where I can't get my medication.

this is just another item that makes him look so out of touch.

He is out of touch , and is ignoring many studies, and the majority of the people, and growing, who are now for complete legalization. As more people realize his position , they will look to other candidates who are behind full legalization, and he'll lose votes.

I thank the universe for it every day. It's a slam dunk, Biden. When you're given an out, take it.

every single day of my life

Here’s a ten yr study funded by the DEA who were desperate to prove marijuana caused cancer.

Dr Tashkin found that Not only did it not cause cancer but it actually had a preventative affect
Not a word from the DEA.



Study: Smoking Marijuana Not Linked with Lung Damage
Marijuana smokers performed better on tests of lung function compared to nonsmokers and cigarette smokers
http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/10/study-smoking-marijuana-not-linked-with-lung-damage/

And he did say it slightly reduced lung cancer , with tobacco smokers , and even with people who have never smoked. Also the US has subsidized studies done in Israel , which has also shown it works against many other cancers, and have more than enough evidence its very effective without any deaths ever from its use. Big pharma can't say that, and why they paid politicians to oppose its legalization so much.

Many in the industry don’t want any cures, they make billions off of giving patients comfort until they pass and drain their families bank accounts.

Then we can watch South Carolina and South Dakota fight to see who will be the last state to legalize it.

for simple possession at the state level.

I suppose we could just let jesusland continue to devolve, it just doesn’t seem fair.

no sense. Staes can legalize it but it would still be illegal at the Federal level. Marajuana shop owners can't use banks and marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 drug by the DEA and people can still be prosecuted for it. Marijuana needs to be legalized on the federal level. Leaving it to the states leaves the conflict in place.

Cancer patients vaping so they can EAT have to pay cash at legal shops because the Feds consider them criminals, and it's illegal to use their debit cards. It is stupid AF.

It also means you cannot take your LEGAL medication on a trip. It is illegal to get on a plane with it or travel across state lines with your legal medication.

if he can't support something that the overwhelming majority people do if even just for political expediency he shouldn't be our nominee.

Get with the program, man!

making it a schedule 2 would still leave tens of millions of Americans vulnerable to potential felony prosecution for no good reason

Biden is out of touch with popular opinion, the Democratic base and is stuck in the past

recent polls show that at least half of republicans now support recreational marijuana legalization and a large majority of Democrats, independents and, especially, younger voters want it legalized

federal prohibition needs to end. only then will Americans (even in legal states) be truly free from the threat of criminal prosecution and possible life destroying consequences that come with having a criminal record for using a god damn plant

we have a real chance of seeing the end of federal prohibition within the next few years. Let's not fuck it up!


a policy that continues to threaten responsible adult cannabis users with the possibilty of prosecution, fines, jail and living with a criminal record is unacceptable

We need to move forward on this issue, not backward.

Marijuana should be decriminalized everywhere, but legalization should be a state by state choice. For states that don't make recreational marijuana legal, the penalty for being caught with it without a medical card should be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine, no jail time.

calling for legalization could hurt, rather than help. I'd guess it would be better left alone.

First we should not be using "States Rights" as a rallying cry. Second, it has to be descheduled at the federal level before states can truly make progress. There haven't been long term studies because it's status prevents those studies from happening. To make a study like that you need funding, much funding comes from federal grants. Those grants won't go to illegal substance studies over a long term.

He's advocating for no progress and hoping no one will notice his dishonest position.

He is correct. Decriminalizing or legalizing at the federal level does not prevent state laws from keeping it illegal. 99% of marijuana arrests are made at the local and state level under state laws so it is primarily a state-level issue. Alcohol is legal at the federal level (with the right permits, etc) but many states have stricter restrictions and some counties are still dry in this country.

Then he knows that it doesn't matter what the states do if it's illegal at the federal level. California had it legalized for medical use back in the 90's, the feds still conducted raids in accordance to federal, not state laws. The state laws directed local enforcement to not cooperate with the feds, but that wasn't even enforced fairly.

So either he doesn't know how the laws work, or he's being dishonest about it. Take your pick.

If he wants to run on an I'll informed states rights platform he can go right ahead.

The pharmaceutical industry must love Joe for this.

has always been against marijuana because they know it has medical uses that could cut into their huge profits every year. They push their products that are highly addictive for a reason, the customers keep coming back for more. Marijuana will work just as well without the addiction, or health risks.

The corrupt and greedy pharmaceutical industry stands to lose a ton of money if marijuana is legalized across the board. It's unbelievable to think that in this day and age that anyone can drink all the alcohol they want but marijuana is still outlawed in so many places.

Taking it off the schedule 1 list is what needs be done and he supports that. Bingo! I preferred the medical status in California. Making it recreational has led to problems, more expensive, and screwed growers. I do not mind if another state does it better. Changing laws on a state level is a lot easier than fighting it out nationally.

And it isn't fine. The federal prohibition status keep pot businesses cash only, which makes them targets for robbery. Travel between states with pot is potentially a serious crime. The 'tacit agreement' can be violated at any time, so everyone involved in state businesses is potentially at risk for prosecution by the feds.

Schedule 2 is not the answer either.

Poor people who live in public housing are still vulnerable to federal prohibition and can be evicted even in states/locales that have decriminalized.
This is terrible for disabled people and those who are not white.
Anyone who understands the current situation with opioids and truly wants to help should support full legalization because marijuana is a less dangerous alternative for both medical and recreational users.

Victory would be ours.

This kind of issue is so negligible right now as to be asinine when contemplating the shitstain who is in the Oval Office.

And in states where it's legal, it's really legal. Like, across from the local Jack-in-the-Box at the end of the block legal. So I don't think this is going to be an issue at all, except as a wedge issue, in which case Biden is well advised not to go near it.

66% support legalization, probably half of the remaining 33% don't care.

There's a point where the train has left the station. Standing on the platform at that point is pointless.

And of course, the remaining state prohibitions provide legal cover for unequal sentencing by race, including in Southern states where legalization has not occurred.

Biden is behind schedule on this issue and seems quite comfortable being behind. It is what it is.

it legal and if in a state where it isn’t legal still can.

What is this not the future of the party over pot, like the party is some 1960’s rock band.

It’s such a moot issue. Sure, means medical professionals can’t smoke it. They are random tested
and can lose their licenses. Well, pot is so many more times potent today than decades ago that personally I don’t mind if pilots and surgeons have to be tested.

and it's a growing commercial issue. Billions of dollars are at stake, and the lives of too many minorities are in the balance here. It is a very important issue, and Biden is clueless.

also, wtf is with the last paragraph? It makes no sense. No one should be tested for pot (or any drug) without cause. What does potency have to do with it? Found a nice moral panic to hang on to?

nearly 6% of all arrests in the nation are over weed. In some jurisdictions, it accounts for as much as 20% of arrests

sorry, it is NOT a moot issue

Moving cannabis to a schedule 2 controlled substance won't stop people from being arrested for it. Methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, etc. fall under that same category.

Legal cannabis is considered to be the fastest growing, job creating industry in the United States. Over 200,000 people are employed in legal weed and that number is rising quickly.

federal prohibition needs to end

in some liberal localities decades before pot was getting legalized in various states. Police simply
stopped arresting people for possessing pot to use for themselves.

In others people will be. And it's all moot, as you say, until it's descheduled at the federal level. The feds can still come in and arrest people. Plus universities are forbidden from doing anything with it (big problem in the agriculture field) vets can't use it military can't use it, all manner or people are still prevented for no reason.

But they can still drink themselves to death.

And, even with MMJ we have to pay in cash because it is illegal on a Federal level. People can still be arrested on Federal charges. This ship has sailed, and ANYONE of ANY AGE saying it shouldn't be 100% legalized needs to check themselves and become educated.

Or, at least not be a hypocrite and fight to make alcohol illegal (I do not think it should be, of course).

JFC even that wingnut DeSantis sees how much money MMJ is bringing in down here and leaves us alone. and doesn't try and pull our cards.

And by chance I have lived in all 3 since. I was in WA when it passed then lived in CA a few years now in Oregon.

Nothing has changed, no more crime, I notice no difference other than passing one of the stores and people are happy they don’t have to hide it now.

Basically who ever wanted it, did anyway but it feels good to be legal.

I don’t smoke it but my hubby does and it makes him happy in his retirement, his fav thing to do at night is smoke pot and play music which he has drums, and other instruments to play along.

I will say he thinks he’s better than he is but I smile knowing he’s happy. Not hurting anyone.

your not allowed to do it in public anyway you have to be home so no worries of driving. And pot unlike booze makes you drive slow not fast. And you get mellow and happy not angry.

Its a good thing and Joe needs to see it that way but I doubt he will change, my father didn’t until he got cancer but he died before it was legal in CA so he never got any.