US House votes 228-164 to pass historic bill that would decriminalize cannabis

Yeah we can (and rightfully so) poke fun at the Republicans this particular go around if this doesn't end up passing the Senate. However, this isn't strictly a Republican problem, Democrats have controlled Congress in years past and weed still isn't legal so...

Point is, this is is a stupid law that has been on the books forever and nobody has done anything about it. The fact that this even needs a Congressional vote is in itself stupid. The argument from a legislative standpoint is pretty cut and dry.

Is alcohol legal? Yes
Weed is then legal.

Is alcohol legal? No
Alright then we can argue about weed

Anything other than that is just flat out hypocritical and ridiculous and nobody can seriously argue otherwise and be taken seriously.

 

Probably, which is why I have such a problem with the government. They play checkers with the lives of the American people and at the end of the day it's always the people who lose out. While this isn't directly involving the lives or welfare of people the way a COVID stimulus is or anything the principle is the same. They do this crap with everything, they play games to try to make their political opponents look bad instead of doing anything whatsoever for the benefit of the people.

There is not a single member of government, hell there isn't a single person period, who can argue against the legalization of weed while alcohol is legal in America and do so from a position of any sort of credibility whatsoever. But as you said it's not about making logical sense or being consistent, it's about using a subject, ANY subject, to play political checkers with each other in Washington and ensure those who line their pockets remain appeased instead of doing the actual bidding of the American people whom they serve.

Whether it's a marijuana bill or a COVID relief bill they play the same games with it and it's the people who suffer the consequences. Why? Because lobbyists and special interests and remaining in power are the most important things to these politicians. We the People rank somewhere around number 10 on that list. Why? Because let them eat cake that's why.

 

That's how Congress works unfortunately, they take forever to do anything at all. It's been like 17 years I believe since Congress has had a positive approval rating and even when they miraculously get above 50% it rarely gets much higher than that and this is all regardless of which party controls it. It's just an inefficient system that takes way too long which is why the American people almost always overwhelmingly disapprove of the job they do. The problem is that when a President uses executive powers to just do something then people tend to get upset with that as well saying that's "authoritarian" like and not how the process should work in America.

Due to pure politics, not logic nor reason, but pure politics, if either Trump or Biden just said to hell with Congress I'm issuing an EO to legalize weed then half the country would start fussing about it. It would have nothing to do with the pure idiocy of weed being illegal in the first place but rather it's an opportunity for political "enemies" to say the President is circumventing the Legislative Branch of Government whose purpose it is to negotiate this sort of thing.

 

Meanwhile I'm currently listening to a live podcast of some people out here trying to argue about all of the negative effects of "drugs" regarding this House vote and telling all sorts of stories about addicts and whatnot lol. Admittedly it's a Conservative podcast and it's mostly conservative folks calling in to the show giving their 2 cents.

News flash my very well meaning friends....

Jameson whiskey is legal, no matter how many stories you tell about addiction, no matter how many you tell about abuse or ill effects or broken households or anything else....Jameson whiskey is legal in America, your argument against weed is invalid and it doesn't matter how strongly you may personally feel about it your argument is still invalid.

Make hard liquor illegal in America and then we can have a discussion. As long as it's legal then you literally have no argument whatsoever and I don't care how eloquently you try to present it.