Kamala Harris emphatically backed Biden’s cannabis pardons, the U.S. Air Force changed its THC testing policy, and a DEA historian talked about the organization’s racist origins.
Let’s dive into this week’s cannanews.
Vice President Kamala Harris made an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers. During the interview, Harris backed President Biden’s recent decision to pardon 6,500 individuals convicted of simple cannabis offenses.
Harris reiterated Biden’s message that “Nobody should go to jail for smoking weed.” The vice president then urged governors around the U.S. to “…take our lead and pardon people who have been criminalized for possession of marijuana.”
Unsurprisingly, host Seth Meyers did not ask Harris about her time as San Francisco’s district attorney (DA). According to an analysis from the San Jose Mercury, Harris oversaw over 1,900 pot convictions during her stint as DA. Further, Harris ran on an anti-cannabis legalization platform during her 2010 run for California district attorney.
Regardless of Harris’ past indiscretions, the VP now seems to be fully on board with cannabis.
What do you think of VP Harris’ change of heart? What do you think about President Biden’s mass pardon? Let us know in the comments!
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The U.S. Air Force (USAF) made some huge changes to its cannabis policy. In a press release late last month, the USAF announced its two-year pilot program that gives applicants who failed their initial THC test a chance to retest. Before the program, a positive THC test disqualified applicants from joining the Air Force entirely.
The program is limited to applicants who:
It should be noted that recruits who retest and still have a positive THC test will be barred from serving.
The program is officially in full effect. After the two-year trial period, the USAF plans to analyze the data to see if the program is effective.
What do you think of the USAF’s new THC testing policy? Let us know in the comments!
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Museum launched a new series called “Stories From the Collection.” In a recent episode, museum historian Kasey Sease spoke on the 1914 Harrison Narcotics Act’s history and its prevailing effects on drug policy.
The Harrison Act required narcotics manufacturers, sellers, and distributors to register with the Bureau of Internal revenue. The act, Sears explained, “…led to a wave of laws against heroin, marijuana, and cocaine” and stoked racial, ethnic, and class prejudice.
The most damaging law to come in the wake of the Harrison Act is the Marihuana Tax Act (MTA). The MTA made it illegal to sell cannabis without paying a tax. With only a small number of legitimate hemp/cannabis growers at the time, however, the law served mainly as a tool for the DEA to target, harass, and arrest cannabis sellers and users of color.
I think Cannabis should be legal in all states. And those that have been placed in jail for Cannabis should be released.
I agree. With all the problems in the world with drugs and death cannabis regulation is a wasted of resources and tax payer$$$$
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