Joe Biden kinda, sorta, almost endorses legalizing marijuana

[JoeOtterbein]

Politico

Despite a recent statement in New Hampshire, Biden’s campaign says his stance hasn’t changed.

By NATALIE FERTIG

02/06/2020 02:23 PM EST

Former Vice President Joe Biden's opposition to fully legalizing marijuana is well known, but on the campaign trail in New Hampshire this week he appeared to change his position.

"I think it is at the point where it has to be, basically, legalized," Biden said on Tuesday in a recording obtained by POLITICO.

Marijuana legalization advocate Don Murphy of the Marijuana Policy Project approached Biden at a campaign event Tuesday and asked about the candidate's "hawkish" cannabis policy. In the recording, Biden restated his cannabis plan — which would decriminalize cannabis, expunge some cannabis-related records, make medical marijuana legal and create opportunities for more research — adding twice that he does not believe cannabis is "a gateway drug." He then said he thinks cannabis needs to be "basically, legalized."

But Biden wouldn't be willing to legalize marijuana right away, unlike other 2020 contenders. Sen. Bernie Sanders has said he'll remove the federal ban on marijuana during his first 100 days as president. Biden, however, remained firm that he wants scientific research to support his decision, saying he is "not prepared to [legalize] as long as there are serious medical people saying, ‘We should determine what other side effects would occur.'"

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more at link

[guillaumeb]

1. Good to know that he is evolving on this issue. eom

[oasis]

2. Climate change, health care, infrastructure. Getting Trump out of the WH.

Joe Biden and I have bigger fish to fry.

[Baked Potato]

3. Lol, he's gonna procrastinate on the legalization, just like them tokers...

[W_HAMILTON]

4. This is an issue where people are picking and choosing what they want to hear.

No one can "legalize" marijuana on their first day in office -- to do so would require a bill to be passed through Congress and signed into law. Biden is open to legalization, but not without a comprehensive congressional study on its impacts being conducted first.

On the other hand, everyone can "decriminalize" marijuana on their first day in office through executive order basically telling federal officials to no longer pursue criminal punishment for marijuana-related offenses. Biden has already said he is in favor of this.

Legalization is not the same as decriminalization in this context, both in terms of what they mean in practice and what it would take for each to be implemented.