This is the second time the House has passed a federal legalization bill, not to mention the dozens of pro-cannabis bills that have been introduced that end up going nowhere.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.

It’s Groundhog Day again in the House, as Democrats vote to legalize marijuana at the federal level.

If you are reading the headlines again that somehow marijuana just got legalized in America, you are sadly mistaken, and to be honest, you are living in a “wishful thinking” marijuana moment.  Don’t fall for the banana in tailpipe again around the House passing federal marijuana legalization, it is not going to happen anytime soon in the Senate.

RELATED: US House Approves Bill To End Federal Cannabis Prohibition: What Does This Mean?

Speaking of Marijuana Moment, they do a good job of summarizing all of the marijuana voting done in the House yesterday.  As Marijuana Moment points out, this is the second time the House has passed a federal legalization bill, not to mention the dozens of pro-cannabis bills that have been introduced in the House that end up going nowhere.

If you are a regular reader of Cannabis.net you know that our curmudgeon stance on federal legalization always ends with the same sentence, “marijuana will be federally legal when Mitch McConnell says it should be federally legal”.  That’s it.  That is when it will happen.  No reason to debate it, no reason to celebrate state-by-state legalization each year, weed will be legal at the federal level when Mitch gives it the okay from the Republican side.

Are you going to see federal marijuana legalization soon? No.

Here are some good reasons why it won’t happen soon:

• McConnell sees marijuana legalization as a big “Democratic” issue. Legalizing weed would be a big win for Democrats, which Mitch has no interest in seeing right now.  He has publicly ridiculed Democrats for trying to attach cannabis legalization onto other bills like the Defense Spending Bill. The senator from Kentucky has actually pointed it out twice on live TV or streaming saying how stupid and sneaky the legalization effort has been so far by Democrats.  He has even gone so far as calling marijuana legalization a “poison pill” when added onto other legislation.
• As AOC recently pointed out, the Democrats are in trouble for the mid-term elections coming up this year. The Republicans will win more seats in the House and maybe Senate. It is in Mitch’s self-interest to hold the line and wait for Republicans to have more seats in the House and Senate and then introduce a Republican bill like Rep. Mace’s bill for cannabis legalization.  Get all the credit and glory while knowing it will 100% pass, unlike the Democrat’s futile efforts at federal legalization.
• Money talks and Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, and Big Alcohol all spend billions on lobbying efforts, while the marijuana industry spends a paltry few million dollars on lobbying.  Senators and other politicians listen to their biggest donors and lobbyist, so weed will be legalized when Republicans and big lobbyist are set up financially for federal legalization to take place.  When everyone has their ducks-in-a-row as they say, then we will see federal legalization.
• In order for the MORE ACT or any other cannabis legalization bill to pass the Senate it will need a 60-vote minimum in favor, and at last count the senate was close to 10 votes short on previous votes.  To put it in perspective, they aren’t even close to getting the 60 votes need, unless Mitch tells Republicans to vote for it.

The House vote was 220 for and 204 against, not exactly a clear-cut win for the marijuana movement in America (202 Republicans voted against it and 2 Democrats voted against cannabis legalization).

RELATED: Why Is The Co-Chair Of Congressional Cannabis Caucus Voting Against The MORE Act?

If you watched any of the C-SPAN streaming yesterday, you would seen Republicans calling marijuana a gateway drug, how this is a ruse while ignoring real issues like inflation and war, and America does not need more drug addicts.

With Republican most likely gaining more power in the mid-term elections, weed will be legalized when Mitch McConnell says it will be legalized.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.