March 14, 2022
Yes, you read that correctly: Cannabis decriminalization is the win that the President desperately needs. With the Build Back Better Bill nearing the graveyard and new voting rights legislation failing to get essential centrist support, many in the United States feel as though the Democrats are a divided and dysfunctional party that cannot get important legislation through despite having control of both houses and the presidency. As we head into the midterm season, Biden and the Democrats are not predicted to fare well. This finding is supported by the recent Virginia and New Jersey Governor races. In two relatively firm blue states, excruciatingly close elections shook the nation, with Republican Glenn Youngkin taking the Governorship in Virginia and fellow Republican Ciatarelli only narrowly losing to incumbent Democrat Tom Murphy in New Jersey.[i] This sent a message to Democrats that they need to do something before the midterm elections, or else they could lose much of their current power and influence. Cannabis decriminalization may be just the win that could turn the tide.
Biden won the presidency largely from the support of voters of color. During his campaign, Biden promised that he would not forget the support he got, and that he would fight issues facing Black Americans. For many, Cannabis decriminalization and legalization is not simply a drug issue, but a civil rights issue. The War on Drugs has left a legacy and a generation of Black Americans incarcerated for small possession charges. To this day, Black Americans are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for Cannabis possession than White Americans despite nearly identical levels of use.[ii] Black Americans were and are deprived of their liberties and their futures, while people in Colorado and California enjoy progressive cannabis legislation. Biden needs to keep his commitment to the base of voters who helped him the most. Federal Cannabis decriminalization would pave the way for the end of mass incarceration of Black Americans on low level drug possession charges, taking a necessary step toward furthering equality.
Decriminalizing cannabis would aid Biden in solidifying his voter base, as well as bringing in new voters. Cannabis decriminalization has large national support, with 92% of Americans believing that it should be legalized in at least some form.[iii] Young people, a group that Biden believes he could tap into, are even more supportive of loose or nonexistent cannabis legislation.[iv] Moreover, Medicinal Cannabis has been shown to help ease the common viscous side effects of chemotherapy.[v] Biden has a personal history with cancer and has longtime commitments to help people struggling with the disease.[vi] Medical Cannabis has also been shown to help with multiple other ailments such as anxiety and chronic migraines. National decriminalization could help pave the way for more states to legalize the plant medicinally, easing the symptoms of countless people.
Now I know what you all are thinking at this point; the President cannot get anything done because of the filibuster and copious amounts of red tape. However, this ignores the fact that cannabis decriminalization has broad support not only from republican voters, but from many Republican lawmakers. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has long supported the legalization of Cannabis.[vii] Trump loyalist Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida voted on a bill just last year that would decriminalize the Cannabis nationwide and publicly condemned anyone who voted against it.[viii] The Deep Red State of Mississippi was one of the more recent states to decriminalize small possession.[ix] If it is possible to enact in Mississippi, it is possible nationwide.
Furthermore, while there is still sizeable opposition to passing any type of cannabis reform, cannabis decriminalization and legalization is a train that politicians might not be able to stop. Thirty-one states have decriminalized or legalized Cannabis in one form or another.[x] While still criminalized at the State level in Pennsylvania, cannabis possession was decriminalized in the city of Pittsburgh in 2015.[xi] The fact that this is occurring in red states such as Alabama and blue states such as California shows the broad support that this type of legislation already has garnered.
The clock is ticking for President Biden and Democrats in Congress to get their act together and deliver a win for the American people. If they do not, Republicans will easily take control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, preventing any of Biden’s legislative goals. While it may seem laughable at first, Cannabis decriminalization might just be the easy win they need to change the outcome of the midterms.
[i] Weissert, Will. “Murphy Ekes out Win in NJ, GOP’s Youngkin Upsets in Virginia.” AP NEWS. Associated Press, November 4, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/election-2021-virginia-governor-glenn-youngkin-mcaulife-6cdbf77acf9a966e216ab2a297601baa.
[ii] “New ACLU Report: Despite Marijuana Legalization Black People Still Almost Four Times More Likely to Get Arrested.” American Civil Liberties Union, April 16, 2020. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/new-aclu-report-despite-marijuana-legalization-black-people-still-almost-four-times.
[iii] Green, Ted Van. “Americans Overwhelmingly Say Marijuana Should Be Legal for Recreational or Medical Use.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, April 16, 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/16/americans-overwhelmingly-say-marijuana-should-be-legal-for-recreational-or-medical-use/.
[iv] Sullivan, Sean, and Seung Min Kim. “Democrats Say Looser Marijuana Laws Attract Young Voters, and Some Republicans Are Catching On.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 21, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/democrats-favor-looser-restrictions-on-marijuana–and-some-in-gop-join-them/2018/04/21/235cdd50-44b5-11e8-ad8f-27a8c409298b_story.html.
[v] “Biden Commits to Reducing Cancer Death Rate by 50% over next 25 Years.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, February 2, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/02/joe-biden-cancer-death-rate-moonshot-initiative.
[vi] “Cannabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ®)–Patient Version.” National Cancer Institute. Accessed February 20, 2022. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/cannabis-pdq#_15.
[vii] Sullivan, Andy. “Rand Paul to Introduce Medical Marijuana Bill in U.S. Congress.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, March 9, 2015. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-marijuana/rand-paul-to-introduce-medical-marijuana-bill-in-u-s-congress-idUSKBN0M52A820150309.
[viii] Robinson, Kevin. “Gaetz Votes for Landmark Federal Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana.” The Northwest Florida Daily News. Northwest Florida Daily News, December 6, 2020. https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/2020/12/04/florida-congressman-matt-gaetz-votes-decriminalize-marijuana/3824160001/.
[ix] Bromwich, Jonah E. “This Election, a Divided America Stands United on One Topic.” The New York Times. The New York Times, November 5, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/style/marijuana-legalization-usa.html.
[x] Garber-Paul, Elisabeth. “The United States of Weed.” Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, January 24, 2022. https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/cannabis-legalization-states-map-831885/.
[xi] Potter, Chris. “Pittsburgh Decriminalizes Pot Possession.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 22, 2015. https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/12/21/PIttsburgh-City-Council-votes-to-decriminalize-possession-of-small-amounts-of-marijuana/stories/201512210150.
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