Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday called on the federal government to move “as quickly as possible” to change the way it officially classifies marijuana, saying that “nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.”

“I cannot emphasize enough that they need to get to it as quickly as possible,” Harris said. “We need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment. This issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently, marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin ― as dangerous as heroin ― and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair.”

Marijuana is currently listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration. That classification designates it one of the most dangerous drugs possible, with no medicinal uses. Other substances in the same category include heroin, ecstasy and LSD. Marijuana advocates have been pushing for years for the federal government to either reschedule marijuana to a different category or deschedule it entirely.

  • I didn’t say he just started. Thanks for putting words in my mouth. I said he knows that if he made weed legal too early the stoners would forget about it and potentially not vote.

    Playing the trump card right before elections? Everyone is in a super high (lol) and is super in the mood to vote.

    • @Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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      -34 months ago

      Cannabis prohibition is still harming the communities it was designed to disrupt.

      But none of the people in those communities matter. Let them needlessly suffer for our stupid timing games.

      • I also never said it was the best course of action for the betterment of people. Just politically. Which I don’t agree with but understand

        But please, keep painting me as terrible

        • @Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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          -34 months ago

          I also never said it was the best course of action for the betterment of people.

          The problem here is that this isn’t even a consideration.

          • @nomous@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            pol·i·tics /ˈpäləˌtiks/ noun: the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.

            from the Greek poli meaning many and tick, a blood sucking parasite.