Why is cannabis still illegal in the USA?

[Kellhound]

So does tabacco, what's your point exactly?

Tobacco just smells like cow poop, big difference.

[Kithelle]

Beats me...things worse than it are legal....like others have pointed out...there isn't big *pot* to line politicians pockets...so that is probably a big reason.

[MonsieuRoberts]

Going Undercover: Jeff Sessions Has Disguised Himself As A Cartel Member And Strapped Himself With A Surveillance Wire In Order To Read The Wikipedia Entry For Marijuana



I think most widely and historically illegal substances and other such items of that nature have a really tough time getting legalized in the US. There's always 19 reasons against for every reason for it seems. Why?

Money's the correct answer, right? Capitalism? Something like that?

[Gevoth]

Beats me...things worse than it are legal....like others have pointed out...there isn't big *pot* to line politicians pockets...so that is probably a big reason.

Actually if they were smart about it there could be huge money in it for them. They're allowed to invest with insider knowledge and lots of early legislation that got shut down and some that passed had text in it securing monopolies right out of the gate.

[Altariaz]

I'd like to get some perspective on why it's still a controlled substance and illegal. Doesn't most science and medical communities consider it harmless? Do you think big pharma is keeping it illegal?

Cannabis is illegal here in the UK too. Where do you get the idea that "most science and medical communities consider it harmless"? I've never seen any report that suggests Cannabis is 'harmless'. What have you been reading?

[Deleted]

Legal is WA state, I visit my dispensary every day and I all need is to verify that im 21 and that's it. But I'm a common custoner so they don't card me sometimes depending on the bouncer.

So many selections of weed.

Most pot smokers who visit weed legal states from non legal ones don't even know the difference between sativa and indico. like wtf have you been smoking your entire life, you're perception on marijuana is biased.

The funny thing is most cannabis shops I've been to offer active-duty military discount.

[UnkLegacy]

I think this sums it up pretty well.

[satimy]

^This

Privately run prisons force states to keep petty and non violent criminals in prison because if they don't meet their filled bed quotas they have to pay huge penalties to the companies that run the prisons.

Privately owned prisons accounted for 8% of all US prisoners. Let's keep it realistic

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At the moment? Mostly this guy:

I don't like sessions for a variety of issues. However the Obama administration was very harsh on marijuana. They also should be as it's their job to enforce the law, not write it.

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Because its not black and white.

The Tenth Amendment (Amendment X) to the United States Constitution states The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Drug enforcement power isnt delegated to the government. The government tries to enforce it based on Interstate Commerce clause, however weed grown in colorado... sold in colorado and consumed in colorado... is wholly a colorado issue.

The Federal government doesn't want to fight it, as it would probably nullify or severely restrict The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and Controlled Substances Act.

Gonzales vs Raich, drug enforcement falls under interstate commerce

[DarkTZeratul]

I don't like sessions for a variety of issues. However the Obama administration was very harsh on marijuana. They also should be as it's their job to enforce the law, not write it.

And yet, Sessions is the one who wants to crack down on it while Obama's position was that they wouldn't interfere with states that wanted to legalize it.

[Ave07]

Old people and all the pharmaceutical lobby groups.

[Deleted]

I dont see any reason to make cannabis freely available. It infact is a remedy for people who suffer from pain. It should need a prescription from a doctor.

[Bristae]

Add in the some other issues, like lobbyists from Big Pharma, Tobacco, and Alcohol... Cannabis is super easy to grow almost anywhere. We know that there are many medicinal benefits of cannabis. But if people were able to grow their own "medicine" big pharma would take a big hit and lobbyists will NOT let that happen! Tobacco is very hard to grow and alcohol is not super easy to distill, so those industries have some concern over marijuana as well.

[satimy]

And yet, Sessions is the one who wants to crack down on it while Obama's position was that they wouldn't interfere with states that wanted to legalize it.

And yet Obama raided more legal marijuana farms than bush

[A dot Ham]

Tobacco and Alcohol give political parties to much money and hate competition. Jeff Sessions wants to push it... hmmm.. I wonder why he would care so much.. hmm..

Tobacco is a pretty big crop in his former state.. hmmm.. I wonder.. do they give him and his party a lot of money... hmmmm

Crop rotation...

[satimy]

The head of the DEA could reschedule it. They reviewed it in 2014? and decided it needed to remain schedule 1. Obama had the same stance on pot as Trump has now. I'm all for recreational legalization, but doing so would also obligate millions in treatment programs for people "addicted". And how do we reconcile job piss tests? I know new technology exists, but it's not widespread. Piss test accomplish nothing, and you can't have someone with a bad back smoking on his break before heading back to operate a fork lift. There's still a lot to decide before full legalization is prudent.

What stops someone from drinking alcohol or popping some oxy on their break?

[Kathandira]

and you can't have someone with a bad back smoking on his break before heading back to operate a fork lift. There's still a lot to decide before full legalization is prudent.

The way I've seen medicinal marijuana used for these sorts of things has been in either pill form, or a concentrate liquid form. The aspects that get you high are removed or made very weak. You'd sooner get high from Oxy's or Perc's than you would from medicinal marijuana which comes in the aforementioned forms.

[Dawon]

Because it's drugs?

[satimy]

Nothing, but a breathalyzer is cheap and effective at measuring BAC. I'm not aware of any device that can distinguish CBD from THC in the moment. Someone taking just CBD would be fine, whereas someone smoking white widow would be high off their ass. Until this week, every state court has ruled employers can still fire you for testing hot even with a medical license. Issues like this need to be resolved.

Your employer can rightfully tell you not to be drunk on the job. They can easily test if you are. You can't do that with traditional and readily available marijuana tests. You could have smoked the day before, be completely sober, and the test would say you were under its effects. This needs to be resolved.

Breathalyzers aren't even legally admissible in court and employers can fire you for whatever reason they want anyway

[Kithelle]

Cannabis is illegal here in the UK too. Where do you get the idea that "most science and medical communities consider it harmless"? I've never seen any report that suggests Cannabis is 'harmless'. What have you been reading?

Alcohol and Tobacco are worse than it and both of them are legal...government makes a pretty penny from them with taxes and picket lining.

[Doctor Funkenstein]

The whole "war on drugs" fiasco from the Obama administration I'm guessing.

"Hi, my name is Aeula and I'm clearly only 10 years old, because I think the War on Drugs was an Obama thing. THANKS OBAMA!"

(Infracted) - Trolling