Trump Again Targets Drug Polict Office Politico
Biden's sloooooow walk on weed
Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and ability centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice.
Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Electronic mail Max
Information technology'south well established that President Biden is an outlier amongst Democrats when it comes to weed.
During the 2022 ballot, he stood apart from the vast field of presidential contenders in stopping brusk of endorsing marijuana legalization. Polling shows that more than than 80 per centum of Democrats support that position.
Just Biden did endorse major changes to cannabis policy on the campaign trail. Nearly notably, he stated at an event in New Hampshire: "Nobody should be in jail for smoking marijuana."
Biden also expressed support for moving marijuana from Schedule I — the strictest classification — to Schedule II under the Controlled Substances Deed, which would go far easier to acquit research into marijuana's potential medicinal uses.
So, what has Biden done to deliver on those policy preferences in the 14 months since taking office?
"And so far, we've seen nix from the president in terms of what he promised to evangelize on," said the Brookings Establishment'south JOHN HUDAK, who has written extensively most cannabis policy and executive branch authority, "nor an endeavour to work with Congress actively to endeavor to advance legislative ideas that follow the same path."
In fact, the Biden administration's only notable cannabis moves hardly amount to a loosening of restrictions. Concluding March, the Daily Animate being reported that dozens of White House staffers were punished for past marijuana use. And earlier this month, POLITICO reported that task applicants were being warned that even investing in a marijuana company could hurt their chances of working for the administration.
The executive deportment available to Biden if he really wants to change federal cannabis policy are pretty elementary, equally laid out in a recent written report by the Congressional Research Service. He could directly the attorney general, in consultation with the Health and Human being Services secretarial assistant, to begin the process of changing the classification of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. In addition, he could use his pardon power to grant clemency to people with marijuana-related convictions.
In fact, he could fifty-fifty wipe out convictions for a whole course of offenders at i fourth dimension with the swipe of a pen. Hudak points to one precedent for this: President GERALD FORD's granting of conditional amnesty to Vietnam War draft dodgers.
There'south at least some indication that the administration is thinking nearly weed. One cannabis industry official — speaking anonymously in guild to detail a private conversation — told WWP that they met with Domestic Policy Council senior adviser ERIN White potato in late Dec to discuss potential cannabis policy changes.
Murphy joined the Biden administration in September from NYU Law as a senior policy adviser on criminal justice bug. She referred an inquiry from WWP virtually the December meeting to the assistants's communications shop, which declined to confirm that it took identify. In addition, no other weed companies that POLITICO has spoken to recently reported similar meetings.
In response to questions near the administration's cannabis policies, a spokesperson for the Part of National Drug Control Policy pointed to contempo remarks past press secretary JEN PSAKI: "The president supports leaving decisions regarding legalization for recreational use upwardly to the states," she said, "rescheduling cannabis as a Schedule II drug so researchers can report its positive and negative impacts and, at the federal level, he supports decriminalizing marijuana utilise and automatically expunging any prior criminal records."
The spokesperson too pointed to steps the administration has taken to expand marijuana research, including granting more than licenses to grow marijuana for research purposes.
What accounts for Biden's weed reticence?
That's hard to say with whatever certainty, but there's certainly some reasonable hypotheses that can be fatigued. For starters: He'south a septuagenarian. And polling consistently shows a large generation gap in support for legalization, with older voters less likely to back that stance. Secondly, he'due south a veteran of the drug wars, having spent decades in Congress bankroll legislation enacting tough criminal penalties for drug use. Thirdly, his own son'southward well-documented struggles with addiction undoubtedly color how he sees the issue.
To exist off-white, few Americans would rank marijuana policy as a superlative-tier priority for the Biden administration, especially at a fourth dimension when it's navigating a pandemic that continues to kill more than 1,000 Americans a day, the highest aggrandizement rate in forty years and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition, it's been a mere 14 months since Biden took office, leaving plenty of time to tackle weed policy in his first term.
But Hudak argues that the brusk list of options when it comes to executive activeness on marijuana policy means that there's fiddling excuse for declining to make whatever progress on the positions Biden laid out on the campaign trail.
"This White House tin can walk and chew gum at the aforementioned time," he said. "The assistants has but chosen not to practise that. This is a purposeful determination by the administration to ignore this."
TEXT US — Are you a Biden administration task applicant who was nixed for past drug utilise? We want to hear from you lot (nosotros'll go along you anonymous).
Or if you remember we missed something in today's edition, permit us know and we may include it tomorrow. Email us at [electronic mail protected] or yous tin can text/Signal/Wickr/WhatsApp Alex at 8183240098 or Max at 7143455427.
From the University of Virginia'due south Miller Center
Which president, despite significant congressional experience, was mocked "as a nobody" during his campaign for the presidency?
(Answer at the bottom.)
It's Friday, and you lot know what that means. Cartoon time! This one is courtesy of MATT DAVIES. Our very ain MATT WUERKER also publishes a selection of cartoons from all over the country. View the cartoon carousel here.
FLOTUS NEWS — The Associated Printing' JULIE PACE and DARLENE SUPERVILLE announced today they are publishing a book well-nigh first lady JILL BIDEN on April 19 entitled "Jill." The First Lady sat downwardly iii times with the reporters in her office in 2021, according to her spokesperson MICHAEL LaROSA.
Per Little Brown, the publisher: "'Jill' is the story of this accomplished American woman. From her earliest days dating Senator Biden, to her embrace of Biden'due south young sons Young man and Hunter Biden and the nascence of their daughter Ashley; her function by Joe Biden'south side through Senate reelection race afterward Senate reelection race; her years as 2d Lady; to Joe's successful tertiary run for the Democratic presidential nomination, Jill has lived in the public centre." Author EVELYN DUFFY, who assisted BOB WOODWARD on several books, also helped write the volume.
You can gild the book here.
CROWDED CALENDAR: "Jill" is coming out just a week after Joe'due south sister, VALERIE BIDEN OWENS , publishes her book, "Growing Up Biden."
WARNING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE — On a nigh 2 hr long video call with Red china'southward President 11 JINPING Friday, Biden warned of the "implications and consequences" if China decides to aid Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, our MYAH WARD recaps.
Biden likewise discussed Taiwan — with a White House readout of the telephone call noting he "emphasized that the U.S. continues to oppose whatsoever unilateral changes to the status quo" — as speculation has risen since the Russian invasion that Communist china could act similarly to take control of the island. While a Chinese Embassy readout of the call said that "Ukraine crisis is non something we want to see," information technology did not mention Russia past name.
TIK-TOK: Every bit the AP's ZEKE MILLER noted, "Information technology took the White Firm four hours to craft this readout of Biden's call w/ 11 (while Eleven's side has been out there for hours)."
PSAKI Dodge: Pressed repeatedly again by White House reporters for more than information about the telephone call with Xi, Psaki said: "I'm not going to give you more details about the level of item, only it was a detailed engagement."
Free energy MOVES — The Free energy Section under JENNIFER GRANHOLM is making moves at the meridian. Days after her main of staff announced his departure, Granholm announced a slate of new hires and internal promotions/movements. That included reassigning her senior adviser CHRISTOPHER DAVIS to be her chief of staff and BRIDGET BARTOL in public affairs to be deputy principal of staff. Read the release near all the personnel moves here.
VP BUDDY: The Commerce Section appear today that deputy secretary DON GRAVES volition exist traveling with Vice president KAMALA HARRIS to Louisiana on Monday to highlight broadband infrastructure developments.
High SCORES — The White House was psyched almost this CNN headline today: "American Bar Association rates Biden nominee Jackson 'well qualified' to serve on Supreme Court." Her confirmation hearings brainstorm next week.
The head of the White Business firm "sherpa" team, DOUG JONES, too said last night that Jackson has met with 44 Senators, including every member of the Judiciary Committee."
Russian Oligarch Task Strength Limits Part of Existing DOJ Unit (Bloomberg Law'southward Seth Stern and John Crawley)
Xi warns Biden against 'indiscriminate sanctions' over Ukraine war (FT's James Politi, Demetri Sevastopulo, John Reed, Max Seddon, and Edward White)
U.S. targets Abramovich plane, 99 others over Russia export violations (Reuters' David Shepardson)
Fauci says COVID-nineteen cases will likely increase soon, though not necessarily hospitalizations (ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett)
Larry Summers Says Fed Volition Need to Hike to four%-5% to Beat Inflation (Bloomberg's Simon Kennedy)
NASA caput says Russia is still committed to International Infinite Station (Axios' Jacob Knutson)
UN Ambassador LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD will be on CNN's "State of the Union" Dominicus forenoon at 9 a.m. ET.
Thomas-Greenfield is also appearing on MSNBC's "The Sunday Prove" with Jonathan Capehart this Sunday at 10 a.grand. ET.
U.S. Surgeon General VIVEK MURTHY is on "Flim-flam New Sunday" this Sunday morning (check your local listing)
Biden held a video call with Chinese President 11 JINPING in the State of affairs Room. He as well received the President's Daily Cursory.
He after met with researchers and patients to talk about ARPA-H, a new agency aimed at speeding up the evolution of medical treatments.
The president headed to Delaware in the evening, where he'll be for the weekend.
Harris had no public events scheduled.
Not only was Biden's Supreme Court nominee, KETANJI Brownish JACKSON, into drama — she was likewise a debate star dorsum in the day.
NATHANIEL PERSILY, a onetime fence teammate of Jackson'south, told New York Magazine in February that Jackson had an power to captivate an audience like no other.
"She could write and give a oral communication that would go out the audience clapping, but she could exercise a dramatic play or a humorous ane and she was outstanding in all those things," he said.
He did also gush near her acting skills, noting that "when she would do the dramatic interpretation, which is the sort of serious plays, literally people crying who watched her because she was and then good … And, of course, people dying with laughter when she did the humorous ones."
Maybe an Oscar is in Jackson'southward futurity, as well.
JAMES POLK, who despite serving equally Speaker of the House and the governor of Tennessee, was portrayed as unqualified by the opposing Whig Party and as a maverick "wildcard" candidate by the Democrats. Polk would go on to defeat HENRY CLAY and serve 1 term as president.
For more than information about Polk and his presidency, visit millercenter.org.
A CALL OUT — Think you lot have a more than difficult trivia question? Ship us your best question on the presidents with a citation and we may characteristic it.
Edited by Paul Demko
Follow us on Twitter
Source: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook/2022/03/18/bidens-slow-walk-on-weed-00018609
0 Response to "Trump Again Targets Drug Polict Office Politico"
Post a Comment