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The Shady Politics of the MORE Act Vote and Cannabis Legalization [Opinion]

The Shady Politics of the MORE Act Vote and Cannabis Legalization [Opinion]

MORE Act house vote delayed

Has cannabis always been political?

While in most of our lifetimes cannabis has been illegal, it wasn’t always that way. In fact it was the complete opposite until the early 1900s.

Believe it or not, cannabis has been used for thousands of years, with traces of the plant being smoked as far back as 2,500 years. Its first use dates all the way back to 2727 BC in China where it was considered a legitimate medication. Traditional uses of cannabis for medicine might not have been as popular in the west, but that doesn’t mean the cannabis plant wasn’t just as essential.

A very brief prohibitionist history

Not only was cannabis legal prior to the 1930s, it was an essential crop. The ships that brought the colonists to America had sails made entirely from hemp fibers. Colonists were “encouraged” by law from the Queen to grow hemp as one of their staple crops.

In the 1700s and 1800s, extractions from the hemp and cannabis plant were used for medicine all over the country. In 1830, it was used to treat insomnia and migraines, and it acted as a pain reliever. From 1850 to 1942, the United States Pharmacopoeia recognized it as a legal medicine by the name “Extractum Cannabis.”

It wouldn’t be until the 1920s that the United States government would begin to lay restrictions on cannabis cultivation in the form of taxes put on farmers. After a racist, propagandized anti-cannabis movement led by Henry Anslinger, the government eventually created the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. This made it basically impossible for farmers to buy, sell or profit off of cannabis production.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The rise of the cannabis movement

Cannabis use and production certainly continued in the illicit markets across the country after prohibition in the United States. Almost 40 years after cannabis was made illegal, genetics and cultivation techniques from Europe (Holland specifically) where hydroponics was a rapidly growing industry made their way to the states.

This revolutionized how we cultivated cannabis, creating more potent cannabis with higher yields. An explosion in cannabis consumption during the 60s and 70s when the “hippy” movement took off created a perfect storm that birthed a new and booming, albeit illegal, industry in the U.S..

With a growing interest in cannabis came a renewed desire to look at why it became illegal in the first place. The reality being that the main propaganda used to make cannabis illegal was based on racist ideologies against Latinos and African Americans. A thirst for justice and the knowledge of a shameful past created a movement that continues to this day.

The movement to legalize cannabis.

The politics of cannabis legalization

The United States is a unique beast. It is the collation of 50 different states, all of which can create their own laws as long they abide the federal law put forth by the federal government. This is why half the country has legal cannabis, and the other half will still throw someone in jail for years just for having a little bit of cannabis in the car.

In a way this makes sense, as the people of the state dictate how the politicians vote. This would imply that in states where cannabis is still illegal, the people there must want it that way. But this is rarely the case. In fact, roughly two-thirds of Americans support legalization of cannabis.

So if the majority of people think cannabis should be legal, and over half the states in the country have gone ahead and just done it themselves, why hasn’t the federal government done anything?

Well that answer is easy…politics.

This article was written shortly after the news of the House of Representatives delaying their vote on the MORE Act. This bill would remove cannabis from the controlled substances list (where it is currently listed as Schedule 1 alongside heroin) and expunge criminal records of those convicted of small cannabis-related crimes.

In the United States, Democrats are considered the “progressive” party. Meaning they are the party that would normally push for something like cannabis legalization. The MORE Act itself was drafted with bipartisan efforts from Republicans and Democrats alike. Yet it was moderate democrats that voted to postpone the vote on the bill.

Why would this be? After all, the Democrats hold the majority in the House and could easily vote the bill through to the senate to begin deliberations.

But they didn’t.

Additionally the Democrats didn’t decide to postpone the vote just a few days or a couple weeks, they postponed it until at least after the election in November between now sitting President Donald Trump and Joe Biden. It might seem irrelevant, but there’s a real, shady, shitty reason that they did this.

 

The “BIG” announcement

You see, it just so happens that coincidentally, and totally by chance, that the same day that the House of Representatives (i.e. Democrats) decided to postpone the vote, Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris (the Democrat nominees) pledged to decriminalize cannabis, remove it from the scheduled substances list and expunge criminal records.

Sound familiar?

It’s almost as if the Democrats postponed their House vote until after the election, so that Biden can use it to score points and gain more votes from those who want legal cannabis.

Now, if you haven’t gotten any hints of opinion thus far in this piece, here comes some.

I have a prediction.

Call me crazy, but I think there’s just a slim chance (that’s sarcasm) that if Biden is elected, the House will pass the bill through to the Senate the same week. But if Biden loses, the bill will sit dead in the House for eternity, while Democrats blame Republicans for not letting it pass.

That, my friends, is the true politics of cannabis legalization. It isn’t about figuring out if it’s safe, or can be taxed, or if it’s profitable. We know all of that is true already.

It’s about who gets to take credit, and the letter (D or R) next to their name. For politicians, legalization isn’t about the people. It isn’t about the hundreds of thousands of people in jail for small-time cannabis crimes.

It’s about them!

Cannabis Midterm: Here’s who won

Cannabis Midterm: Here’s who won

The 2018 midterm elections allowed citizens to vote on more than just house and senate seats.

On Tuesday November 6, 2018, three states voted to legalize cannabis in some form. Utah and Missouri have both legalize medical marijuana, and Michigan has fully legalized cannabis.

Every state differs greatly on how they set up and run their legal cannabis programs. Some do it very well (e.g. Colorado, Washington), others don’t handle it so well (looking at you Massachusetts and Vermont). That’s why it is important to know each state’s laws, especially if you are a medical or recreational cannabis consumer, as the laws you abide in your home state may be very different across the border.

Utah medical marijuana

everything you need to know about utah medical marijuana

Proposition 2 legalizes medical marijuana for individuals with qualifying conditions. Individuals can receive a Utah medical marijuana card with a recommendation from a physician. Under the measure, an Utah medical marijuana cardholder cannot smoke marijuana or use a device to facilitate the smoking of marijuana.

During any one 14-day period, an individual would be allowed to buy either 2 ounces of unprocessed marijuana or an amount of marijuana product with no more than 10 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or Cannabidiol (CBD). Proposition 2 was designed to exempt marijuana from local and state sales taxes. It directs the state legislature to enact business license fees for marijuana business to fund the ongoing costs of the initiative’s implementation.

From the basic spread of the proposition, Utah medical marijuana will have some hurdles up ahead. One of the largest hurdles will be that of the Church of Latter Day Saints, the primary religious sect in the state with strong connection to the state legislature.

While the LDS has already voiced their disapproval of Proposition 2, it wasn’t enough to prevent its passing. So keep an eye out for plenty of attempted roadblocks of Utah medical marijuana by the LDS in the future.

For the full outline of Proposition 2, click here.

Missouri medical marijuana

everything you need to know about missouri medical marijuana

Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment to allow medical cannabis, passed by a margin of 66 percent to 34 percent in Missouri on November 6th.

Under the new law, qualified patients who have approval from their physicians will receive identification cards from the state that will allow them and their registered caregivers to grow up to six marijuana plants and purchase at least four ounces of cannabis from dispensaries on a monthly basis.

Unique to the Missouri medical marijuana program, doctors will be able to recommend medical cannabis for any condition they see fit; there is no specific list of qualifying disorders. Additionally, the state regulators will issue licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries, as well as cultivation, testing and infused product manufacturing businesses.

There will be a four percent retail tax on medical cannabis sales, with revenue being earmarked for services for military veterans once implementation and regulations costs are covered. It would seem that Missouri is definitely on the right track with their program. If they can stick to their timeline and work to open up their market, they could be very successful in the future.

For the full outline of Amendment 2, click here.

Michigan legal marijuana

everything you need to know about Michigan legal marijuana

On November 6th, Michigan became the 10th state to fully legalize the sale, possession and consumption of cannabis and cannabis-infused products in the country. This marks a big step for a state that only recently also legalized medical marijuana.

Under Proposal 1, people over 21 can hold up to 2.5 ounces, and store up to 4x that amount. A household (not per person) can grow up to 12 plants for personal use. The sale of Michigan legal marijuana will be taxed at the state sales tax of 6%, plus an additional 10% marijuana tax.

These taxes when put in place are expected to bring in anywhere from $100-200 million for schools, roads and public service programs. With an infrastructure already established through the Michigan medical marijuana program, it should be a smooth transition into the legal market.

Michigan has even put safeguards in place as to avoid mistakes similar to that of Massachusetts, where cannabis has been legal for two years but there is not a single dispensary open due to government pushback. Michigan has combatted this issue preemptively by including a 12-month window in which the government is to set up their system and begin accepting applications.

Should the government drag its feet for 12 months, applicants can then begin to apply directly to their municipality, and avert the state all together. This means in 12 months, regardless of how much pushback or knuckle dragging Michigan legal marijuana may endure, applications will start coming in, and the Michigan legal marijuana industry will begin its implementation.

For the full outline of Proposal 1, click here.

There are a couple other states that voted on cannabis-related measures in the midterm as well, including Colorado and Florida. Check out the new Real Dirt Harvest Special to hear all about Amendment X in Colorado.