Former Attorney General Eric Holder calls to reschedule marijuana

[cigaretteman]

Eric Holder says it’s time to stop criminalizing marijuana akin to heroin.
Former United States Attorney General Eric Holder says marijuana should be rescheduled under the Controlled Substances Act. Currently cannabis is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule 1 drug, among the most dangerous of all substances with no recognized medical purpose.

Holder had the power to initiate the process of reclassifying pot as Attorney General under President Obama, but he declined to do so, as reported by Marijuana.com.



The Obama administration has not taken legalization up as a serious issue but hasn’t cracked down entirely on state legalization efforts either.

Holder more or less echoed President Obama’s general silence on marijuana reform during his tenure as attorney general and occasionally shared “cautious optimism” on the issue, according to CNN Politics.

But now it seems Holder has come to the conclusion that a majority of Americans already agree on: Marijuana must be reclassified.

In a newly published PBS interview, Holder expressed newfound support for reclassifying and decriminalizing cannabis.

“I certainly think it ought to be rescheduled,” he said. “You know, we treat marijuana in the same way that we treat heroin now, and that clearly is not appropriate.”

Tom Angell, chairman of the advocacy group Marijuana Majority, says Holder’s support for “sensible policy change” is nice to hear, but it comes a little late.

“It would have been a lot better if he’d exercised the power to get marijuana rescheduling done while he was still in office,” Angell said in an email.

He hopes Holder will actively encourage his former boss and his successor Loretta Lynch to move forward with reclassification during the last stretch of the Obama presidency.

“There’s absolutely no reason marijuana should be in Schedule I, and it would be absurd to keep passing the buck to Congress when federal law clearly gives the administration the power to act,” Angell said.

http://national.suntimes.com/nation...eneral-eric-holder-calls-reschedule-marijuana

 

[The Tradition]

A day late and a dollar short, Eric.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Is reclassification purely a regulatory matter or would it require Congressional action?

[NSA tap:]

Hillary, I'm thinking of reclassifying pot. What do you think?

Bad idea, Barack. The media will make me take a position on it. I already have the pothead vote, so that will only hurt me with independents.

Good idea, Mr. President. Classifying it as a Schedule 1 drug never made any sense. It's the right thing to do.

Nobody asked you, Bernie.

You haven't won yet, Hillary.

 

[The Tradition]

Is reclassification purely a regulatory matter would it require Congressional action?

[NSA tap:]

Hillary, I'm thinking of reclassifying pot. What do you think?

Bad idea, Barack. The media will make me take a position on it. I already have the pothead vote, so that will only hurt me with independents.

Good idea, Mr. President. Classifying it as a Schedule 1 drug never made any sense. It's the right thing to do.

Nobody asked you, Bernie.

You haven't won yet, Hillary.

The story says the Attorney General has the power to reclassify on his/her own. Doesn't even need the President's explicit approval.

 

[86Hawkeye]

I have no problem having pot go through the normal FDA approval channels.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

The story says the Attorney General has the power to reclassify on his/her own. Doesn't even need the President's explicit approval.

As I read it, the AG can only initiate that process. What happens next?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I have no problem having pot go through the normal FDA approval channels.

Sure. Lets put pot and several other naturally-occurring, widely-used products through that process. I suggest corn. Beef. Bottled water. Beer.

 

[The Tradition]

As I read it, the AG can only initiate that process. What happens next?

Lots of confusing information here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remov...le_I_of_the_Controlled_Substances_Act#Process

Hurray, bureaucracy!

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Lots of confusing information here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remov...le_I_of_the_Controlled_Substances_Act#Process

Hurray, bureaucracy!

Thanks for the link.

It sounds like the easiest and most direct way to do this would be for Obama to instruct the SecHHS to reclassify or declassify pot.

I, of course, would recommend declassifying it. But that would probably lead to a knee-jerk backlash in the GOP-controlled Congress.

So it might make more sense to move it to a much lower classification. Less backlash. The drawback would be that it would probably never get legalized if it is reclassified as a low-danger drug. Still, that would be better than the current arrangement.

I suggest moving pot to C-IV. That's where you find abusable drugs like valium.

[from Wiki] "Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton supports transferring cannabis to Schedule II, while Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill to remove it from the schedules altogether."

As usual, Bernie is not only correct but has actually tried to do something about it.

 

[strummingram]

Never, EVER should have been outlawed. The negative effects of making that plant illegal are immeasurable.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I wonder where the remaining Republican candidates stand on this. I assume Rand Paul was for decriminalization. Or was that one of the libertarian principles he waffled on?

You KNOW Rubio has smoked his share of pot. Probably Cruz, too. I mean he looks stoned (and on a bad trip) much of the time. Donald probably, too, although I peg him for the heaviest coke user of the trio.

But, as we also know, Republicans have no trouble sending people to jail for the things they do with impunity.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I hope this is Holder floating a trial balloon for Obama.

 

[fredjr82]

Thanks for the link.

That list makes me want to punch a politician. Really? Pot has higher potential for abuse than tobacco, cocaine, meth, Vicodin, Codeine, HGH, etc, etc, etc. I'm pretty sure it's been found to have multiple medical uses. I'm so thankful I don't have a child that relies on medical marijuana to control seizures and I have to jump through bullshit hoops to give them medicine that gives them a more normal life. Unbelievable.

 

[The Tradition]

You KNOW Rubio has smoked his share of pot.

Question: You’ve said that you don’t think legalizing marijuana or even decriminalizing it is the right decision for our country. … Young voters have asked me, and they’re curious to know: Have you ever smoked marijuana?

Rubio: You know why I never answer that question? I’ll tell you why I never answer that question. If I tell you that I haven’t, you won’t believe me. And if I tell you that I did, then kids will look up to me and say, “Well, I can smoke marijuana, ‘cause look how he made it. He did all right, so I guess I can do it, too.” And the bottom line is that it is a substance that alters your mind. Now, when I was 17 and 18 and 16, I made dumb decisions as is. I didn’t need the help of marijuana or alcohol to further that. … And I know I’m sounding like a 42-year-old dad, but … Here’s the problem: You can make mistakes at 17 that will be with you the rest of your life, OK? When you go interview for that job, and that thing pops up in your background check, that you got arrested for something dumb, they don’t look at you and say, “Ah, you were just 17.” There are people that won’t get hired because of that stuff. … And that’s the problem with that question. So the answer to your question is, at this point, it’s irrelevant.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_..._his_evasion_of_the_pot_question_teaches.html

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Question: You’ve said that you don’t think legalizing marijuana or even decriminalizing it is the right decision for our country. … Young voters have asked me, and they’re curious to know: Have you ever smoked marijuana?

Rubio: You know why I never answer that question? I’ll tell you why I never answer that question. If I tell you that I haven’t, you won’t believe me. And if I tell you that I did, then kids will look up to me and say, “Well, I can smoke marijuana, ‘cause look how he made it. He did all right, so I guess I can do it, too.” And the bottom line is that it is a substance that alters your mind. Now, when I was 17 and 18 and 16, I made dumb decisions as is. I didn’t need the help of marijuana or alcohol to further that. … And I know I’m sounding like a 42-year-old dad, but … Here’s the problem: You can make mistakes at 17 that will be with you the rest of your life, OK? When you go interview for that job, and that thing pops up in your background check, that you got arrested for something dumb, they don’t look at you and say, “Ah, you were just 17.” There are people that won’t get hired because of that stuff. … And that’s the problem with that question. So the answer to your question is, at this point, it’s irrelevant.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_..._his_evasion_of_the_pot_question_teaches.html

Sounds like a liberal to me.

 

[The Tradition]

Sounds like a liberal to me.

He's making a great argument against background checks. Not so much against marijuana.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

He's making a great argument against background checks. Not so much against marijuana.

As I said, liberal.

 

[naturalmwa]

I hope this is Holder floating a trial balloon for Obama.

That would be a dope legacy.

 

[theiacowtipper]

Marijuana shouldn't even be a schedule drug. By definition, a schedule drug requires a prescription for dispensation. At most, marijuana is as harmful as tobacco or alcohol, neither of which requires a prescription.

 

[SSG T]

At most, marijuana is as harmful as tobacco or alcohol,...

That's the argument I usually use, and honestly, it's probably the least dangerous of the three.

 

[The Tradition]

Marijuana shouldn't even be a schedule drug. By definition, a schedule drug requires a prescription for dispensation. At most, marijuana is as harmful as tobacco or alcohol, neither of which requires a prescription.

I'd like if I wasn't required to "ask my doctor if Viagra is right for me," too.