If you’re trying to lose weight and you want to feel fuller longer after you eat, CBD can help. Here’s how.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could find a formula that would help you feel full longer, after you ate?
Studies have shown repeatedly that people who expose themselves to CBD and other formulas of cannabidiols over their lifetime don’t gain weight like other people over the years.
There’s a number of different researchers looking at exactly why this isn’t happening, and how this benefit could be applied to a broader population.
One way it appears is that CBD and other formulas help people control their weight is simply by making you feel fuller for longer.
There are CB1 receptors aligning the gut that help with managing inflammation that can cause problems like diarrhea or constipation. But there are also CB2 receptors that impact the smooth muscle around the colon.
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The food moving through the colon is very responsive to the stimulation from this smooth muscle, where it sort of squeezes in a stable pattern and helps to move food through the intestinal system. But the smooth muscle can be relaxed a little bit with CB receptor stimulation and that can help to slow the transit of food from the mouth all the way to the anus.
If you’re chronically constipated, that’s not great news because you don’t want to be even more constipated by exposure to CBD or other cannabidiols.
However, if you’re trying to lose weight and you want to feel fuller longer after you eat food, slowing the transit of the food and making it sit in the stomach or in the intestines for longer, will make you feel fuller. It will give you a sense of fullness after eating food for longer than if you didn’t have that stimulation.
All in all, it might be by stimulating CB2 receptors in the smooth muscle that lines the gut helps balance out that hunger sensation, maintaining a fullness in the stomach and in the intestines that makes people feel fuller longer and subsequently helps them to not eat another meal as quickly.
Reports of people getting COVID-19 after getting vaccinated are sounding some alarms. Experts explain why this is possible and what it means.
Yes, you can still test positive for COVID-19 after vaccination. As authorities work hard to dispel any safety concerns and misinformation that surrounds COVID-19, people are getting increasingly concerned over claims that vaccinated people can still get the virus. While true, this isn’t as terrifying as it sounds.
Members of congress, a nurse in California and others have come forward with these claims, explaining that they were inoculated and still managed to test positive for coronavirus.
Experts have different theories that could explain why this is happening, including how these types of vaccines take a little bit of time to be effective, that people can be infected and asymptomatic before getting their shots, and that vaccines can protect you from severe COVID-19, but that infection can still theoretically happen. Here’s a basic breakdown:
Vaccines don’t work instantly
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The vaccines that are in circulation require two shots to fully work, and build up immunity as the days pass. This means that for about a month you’d still be open to COVID-19 infections, which is why healthcare workers emphasize the importance of sticking to social distancing guidelines, wearing face masks when entering spaces with other people, and frequent hand washing.
If you get your shot while having COVID-19 in your body, the vaccine won’t eliminate the infection. As you’ve likely heard, there’s a margin of error when getting tested, which is why experts avoid congregating even with a negative test result. There’s a short window when you can test negative even when infected. If you were infected and received your COVID-19 vaccine, the shot won’t eliminate the infection that already existed in your body.
Even while vaccinated, there’s still the possibility of infection
There’s a lot we don’t know about COVID-19 vaccines, simply because not enough time has passed in order to document their long term effects. It’s possible for people who have been inoculated to still get infected, just like with the flu. Still, the COVID-19 vaccine decreases the intensity of the symptoms and makes severe COVID-19 highly unlikely. So while you might get infected, it would be very rare for you to get very ill from the virus. But yes, you can still test positive for COVID-19 after vaccination
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last December to federally legalize marijuana, but it failed to garner any consideration by the then Republican-controlled Senate.
Democratic Senate leaders announce plan to federally legalize marijuana some time this year.
In a joint statement released Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden and Senator Cory Booker detailed how the Democratic-controlled upper chamber will prioritize federal marijuana legalization in the new Congress. They plan to introduce legislation in the coming weeks designed to establish a taxed and regulated cannabis market.
“Ending the federal marijuana prohibition is necessary to right the wrongs of this failed war and end decades of harm inflicted on communities of color across the country,” Senators Booker, Wyden, and Schumer said in a statement. “We are committed to working together to put forward and advance comprehensive cannabis reform legislation that will not only turn the page on this sad chapter in American history, but also undo the devastating consequences of these discriminatory policies,” the lawmakers continued. “The Senate will make consideration of these reforms a priority.”
Ever since the Democrats won the majority in the Senate, there has been a lot of speculation on exactly how the course of federal marijuana legalization would pan out. Schumer himself said last week that marijuana reform would be a priority. Still, he stopped short of saying that it would include full-blown legalization.
Instead, he acted like it was more probable that this reform would be wrapped up in a much larger racial justice bill — alluding that decriminalization might be in the cards. After all, the Democratic Party’s latest platform indicates that they intend to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. President Joe Biden has agreed that is the right move.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last December to federally legalize marijuana, but it failed to garner any consideration by the then Republican-controlled Senate. Schumer said earlier last year that if the Democrats gained control of the Senate, a marijuana legalization bill would go to the floor, and it would likely pass. It seems he is not wasting any time seeing that it does.
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“In the early part of this year, we will release a unified discussion draft on comprehensive reform to ensure restorative justice, protect public health and implement responsible taxes and regulations,” the Senate lawmakers said. “Getting input from stakeholder groups will be an important part of developing this critical legislation.”
Cannabis advocates are thrilled that there’s been such an enormous change in the cannabis narrative on Capitol Hill.
“After years of marijuana policy reform being neglected and mocked by Mitch McConnell, it is heartening to see these Senate leaders working together to repeal the senseless and cruel policy of marijuana prohibition,” said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “We look forward to constructively engaging with Congressional leaders, other organizations, and those communities that have historically been most impacted by criminalization in order to ensure that we craft the strongest and most comprehensive bill possible to right the wrongs of the nearly a century of federal cannabis prohibition.”
It’s not immediately clear what President Biden’s thoughts are on this announcement. While the president supports eliminating the criminal penalties associated with pot possession, he isn’t exactly sold on legalization. However, advocates hope that they can convince him to go along with Congress. If he does, 2021 could be the year that marijuana finally goes legal in the United States.
Consumers are becoming more health-conscious and open to cannabis products as they look for new ways to relax and unwind.
While many consumers put down the bottle last this month for Dry January, some have picked up a cannabis-infused beverage instead, causing sales to rise in this emerging category.
The market experienced a similar substitution as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which has been notable for its effect on the respiratory system. Edible sales jumped higher in 2020 as consumers traded in inhalable forms of cannabis for other consumption methods.
In a study published in the journal Health Psychology, success during Dry January was predicted by measures of more moderate alcohol consumption. The study revealed that success during Dry January was best predicted by a lower frequency of drunkenness in the month prior. The report also determined that people who were successful with the challenge of not drinking for a month also drank less going forward. So, there’s a real reward to managing not to drink for a month, and if cannabis helps, all the better. Some even call it “Cali Sober,” which means no alcohol or drugs except for cannabis.
Lantern is an on-demand, cannabis home-delivery platform that provides legal, convenient access to cannabis dispensaries and their products for state-issued medical marijuana cardholders. In January, Lantern said it has seen a significant uptick in sales of cannabis beverages specifically.
“It’s exciting to see how new consumers and canna-connoisseurs are exploring alcohol alternatives in the first month of the new year and turning to cannabis-infused beverages,” says Meredith Mahoney, President of Lantern. “With support for cannabis legalization at an all-time high and the increasing state-by-state legalization that we witnessed last year, consumers are becoming more health-conscious and open to cannabis products as they look for new ways to relax and unwind.”
Fluresh is a cannabis beverage brand that launched on Lantern’s platform in November and has quickly become one of their top-selling brands overall. Fluresh said it has sold more product in the first week of January 2021 than in November and December of last year combined.
“Alcohol replacements are certainly top of mind during Dry January, however we have seen this larger trend of replacing a glass of wine with cannabis to wind down at the end of the day, no matter the time of year,” said Lindsay Levin, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, Fluresh. “As part of our recently launched Fluresh Collection, a standout has been our groundbreaking Fast-Acting Drink Enhancer, uniquely designed to create a customizable cannabis cocktail with an accelerated activation in as little as 15 minutes. While there has been an increased interest in our Drink Enhancer in January, sales have been strong since the product launched this summer.
“With very few calories, total taste and dose customization and none of the after-effects of alcohol, Fluresh Fast-Acting Drink Enhancer is quickly becoming a go-to alternative to alcohol.”
“To our pleasant surprise, our January sales thus far have exceeded even our December sales. Trading high alcohol, high-calorie drinks with zero alcohol, low calorie Saka Vinfusions is Dry January’s best accompaniment,” said Tracey Mason, Co-founder and CEO of House of Saka. Saka Vinfusions are cannabis-infused beverages made from select vineyards within the iconic Napa Valley appellation. Consumers can drink a Saka infused beverage that tastes like their favorite wine, but it has no alcohol in it. “Saka vinfusions have proven to be the perfect antidote for those of us who practice dry January — myself included. Our sales this month are actually stronger than our December sales.”
It’s not the doctors or the patients who stand against the adoption of cannabis medicines. Instead, it is outdated legislation.
While medical cannabis is available in over half of the states in America, federal law prohibits the substance. According to the government, cannabis is a Schedule 1 substance, which means they consider it an addictive material with no medical value. Yet, as America is continuing to notice, millions use cannabis medicinally.
According to a recent Florida study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine, the largest barrier to cannabis use is an average cost of $200 to $300 a month, which is not covered by insurance. Of the 196 respondents surveyed, 89% said they had a regular doctor, yet only 9% of respondents said that doctor was the same one who prescribed medical cannabis. Most respondents reported supportive reactions when they informed their doctor of their cannabis use.
Thus, it is not the doctors or the patients who stand against the adoption of cannabis medicines. Instead, it is outdated legislation that doesn’t allow insurance companies to cover their customers’ preferred medicine. Similar laws don’t allow doctors full access to data or permission to discuss cannabis with their patients.
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Full Spectrum Approaches Lead To Full Spectrum Results
Many patients checked off various conditions that they treated with cannabis, including depression, chronic pain, arthritis, nausea, spasms, and migraines. These conditions comprised 70% of those listed by patients. However, when asked a follow-up question about what other conditions cannabis could treat, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, and irritable bowel syndrome were listed.
Perhaps the best features of the study are quotes from the patients. One illustrates what it’s like purchasing cannabis without support from his insurance, explaining: “I think they can afford to give me $300 or $400 a month for me to buy my cannabis. How many dollars is Medicare and insurance companies saving because we voluntarily left their racket and we’re saving our own money, and we’re not getting any reimbursement at all? We can’t claim it on our taxes. We can’t get reimbursement anywhere. That’s not right.”
A female patient further illustrated the poor access, stating: “We don’t have access to all the cool strains that South Florida and Eastern Florida have. I don’t know why, because at the same dispensaries, they just don’t give us the products that other places have, and they don’t stock it. I mean, truly it is the main place here in Florida. Why on earth don’t they stock their dispensaries up here? Why are we less important than South Florida?”
Cannabis is a much desired alternative medicine that people are struggling to afford. The study also concluded that patients were using cannabis to treat a variety of conditions at once, rather than a specific issue, as insulin would. This furthers the idea that cannabis is a holistic medicine, affecting the whole body.
While cannabis is a valid alternative to opiates for the management of pain, it may also help to deal with nausea while improving mood and quality of life. Further research could track cultivar-specific effects over months to illuminate the broader picture of cannabis’s effects. Otherwise, the Florida research is another step in the right direction by a leading economy.
Even though the state’s decriminalization model won’t eliminate all problems associated with drug abuse, it could help chip away at it while saving law enforcement resources.
Oregon decriminalized the possession of all drugs in the November 2020 election. The law officially goes into effect on February 1, 2021. This means, from this point forward, those caught holding what the state considers a “small amount” of any illegal substance, including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, will no longer be charged with a crime and fed to the wolves of the criminal justice system. Instead, the offender would have to pay a small fine. No jail, no lengthy court battle.
The state is also putting a renewed focus on drug rehabilitation by allotting more than $100 million in cannabis taxes for those services. This concept might sound groundbreaking, but it is actually nothing new. Drug decriminalization has been successful for decades in Portugal. But will the United States government take notice of this policy and make a similar shift in the coming years?
The new drug decriminalization law in Oregon eliminates the criminal penalties associated with the possession of illicit substances and makes it a civil infraction. Anyone caught holding personal amounts of illegal drugs will be given the option of paying a $100 fine or participating in a health assessment. The goal is to provide addicts with a pathway to recovery rather than treat them like criminals.
According to the Oregon Criminal Justice System, the new law will decrease the number of convictions for possession of controlled substances by more than 90%. In addition to using cannabis funds to finance addiction services, the state says it will save millions by not locking up drug offenders. This money will also be put toward harm reduction programs.
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Portugal became the first country to decriminalize all drugs in 2001. It didn’t do this to be cool or progressive, but to combat a devastating heroin problem. It was a simple idea: Get caught with dope, go to drug rehab. Many critics thought Portugal was destined to become a drug addled nation — even worse than it was already. But the opposite happened. It started to recover.
In the years following decriminalization, drug deaths were around five times lower than the European average, HIV cases diminished significantly, and drug use overall experienced a decline in people 15-24 years old. It seemed the country was on the mend — big time. Between 1998 and 2001, the number of Portuguese people in drug treatment increased more than 60%. Most of these rehab cases were people seeking treatment for opioid addiction. And while the law didn’t stop the flow of illegal drugs from pouring into the country, it provided drug users with more options than jail or death. Furthermore, drug dealers in Portugal are still put in prison.
Meanwhile, drug addiction continues to skyrocket across the United States — 83,000 drug overdose deaths since May 2020 — and the federal government still considers drug possession a crime. As it stands, more than 46% of federal inmates are there as a result of a drug-related offense. Although some jurisdictions have opted lately to decriminalize marijuana, possession of any other controlled substances almost inevitably means jail time.
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Oregon is the only state so far that has opted for the full decriminalization model. And while the program is only in its infancy, it is expected to mimic Portugal in the way of results. Even though it won’t eliminate all of the problems associated with drug abuse, it could help chip away at it while saving law enforcement resources. It’s a policy that should be considered greatly at the national level. But that could take time.
In 2014, when Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, lawmakers often referred to the new law as an “experiment.” They felt the state was just kicking around a new idea that, depending on the outcome, might serve as a roadmap for federal policy. Well, now, more than half the nation has legalized, with federal reform expected to come fairly soon.
Perhaps similar to how they watched marijuana legalization, lawmakers will take notice of the decriminalization policy in Oregon and introduced like-minded measures in the years to come. After all, the U.S. has already proved that locking up drug offenders doesn’t work. It’s one of the reasons that President Biden has promised to decriminalize marijuana nationwide. But what’s right for pot users should be applied to drug users across the board. Let’s hope the 117th Congress thinks about this in 2021 while drafting criminal justice reform.
“This shows what can happen when politics override the will of the people and causes a stalemate in the rollout of voter-favored programs,” says one industry expert.
Four of the five states that passed cannabis-centric ballot initiatives on Election Day 2020 have since run into hurdles. Lawmakers in some states want to overturn legal weed.
The pathway from ballot question to implementation has only been smooth for one of the five states to pass measures recently — Arizona. Adult use sales began on Jan. 22, with many medical dispensaries expanding to adult use to accommodate the newly opened market.
The Copper State sets a new bar by opening its market just a couple months after passing an initiative. Lawmakers from the other four states, however, are stalling the process.
South Dakota
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem issued a January executive order showing that she ordered a lawsuit to overturn the adult use portion of its results.
Adult use, which passed by a 54.2% to 45.8% margin, was voted into law simultaneously as citizens approved of a medical market that the governor is not opposing.
Montana lawmakers aren’t opposing the results of its election. However, they rejected requests from the Department of Revenue to fund the program.
Despite opposition, home grow and possession laws did take effect on New Year’s Day. In the weeks since, amendments were filed to address taxes, their allocation, and product advertising.
There didn’t appear to be much concern from sources in the state, who indicated that implementation is still underway.
Chris Lindsey, a Montana citizen and director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project, says the funding rejection was disappointing. Still, the legislative session remains underway.
“We expect that the Governor and the legislature will ultimately make the right decision and uphold the will of the people,” Lindsey says.
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Mississippi
Mississippi’s bill is contested by Mary Hawkins, Mayor of the city Madison. The mayor argues that the initiative process was out of date because rules weren’t updated after Mississippi shrank from five to four congressional districts.
Hawkins, who filed her claim days before the election, has since been joined by the American Medical Association and the Mississippi State Medical Association in contesting the ruling. The groups cite risks to physicians and public health as their concern.
New Jersey
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is refusing to sign legalization or decriminalization bills in their current states. His objection has been largely over the removal of language regarding underage possession.
He now has to issue a conditional veto seeking changes to the bill or hope that legislators compel themselves to amend the bill to his liking.
Murphy has until Feb. 8 to pass the bill, per New Jersey’s legislative calendar.
Despite his veto threat, Murphy said he is optimistic a bill would pass by the deadline.
Michael McQueeny, counsel for Foley Hoag’s cannabis practice, says the legislature and government are playing “constitutional chicken,” waiting to see which blinks first.
Jessica Gonzalez, a New Jersey-based cannabis and IP attorney for the firm Bressler, Amery & Ross, says the bill does not fully consider all parties.
“While I give credit to legislators who have been actively pushing for a regulated cannabis market, the legislative process did not leave much room for meaningful input from the patients, advocates and communities most harmed by the prohibition of cannabis,” Gonzalez says.
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Confidence Among Most Market Leaders
Several cannabis executives did not seem concerned by the developments.
Paul Blair, VP of government affairs for Turning Point Brands (NYSE:TPB), looked toward recent positive news, highlighting Arizona’s efforts.
“That’s the new attainable benchmark for rolling out a regulated marketplace consistent with voters’ interests moving forward,” Blair says.
The state’s existing retail framework helped bring it online quicker than others, he explained.
“What’s clear across the country, though, is that public sentiment is rapidly shifting in the direction of market liberalization,” Blair added.
Others weren’t surprised by delays, saying that is the nature of the industry.
“We are not concerned and, to some extent, not even all that surprised,” ManifestSeven (CSE:MSVN) CEO Sturges Karban says. “The cannabis industry’s history of regulatory reform has often involved starts and stops, persistent political ambivalence, and delays in legislative action.”
Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTC:MJNA) CEO Dr. Stuart Titus also addressed the stalls in New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota.
“This shows what can happen when politics override the will of the people and causes a stalemate in the rollout of voter-favored programs,” he said.
Despite his worries, Titus does see each state eventually passing legislation.
We can all use some stress and anxiety relief right now. The following cannabis strains are hybrids bred with those two emotional and physical strains in mind.
Sometimes the best remedy for super stress is to take in a big breath and exhale a cloud of a good, balanced strain of bud smoke or vapor to bring things back into perspective. It’s a known cure for a case of the mean reds, which are even more stressful than the blues, according to Audrey Hepburn’s beloved character Holly Golightly. To help with this, we have 5 types of marijuana to reduce your stress.
Though indicas are known to be such relaxants that they can give a user couch-lock, that doesn’t necessarily mean that being really stoned and a little sleepy is going to cure your stress. In fact, it could lead to a stress filled binge-fest in fact. (Though an original, pure Afgan is definitely a relaxant that won’t have you incapacitated when used in moderation, as are a few of the below mentioned.) A high octane sativa may or may not be the ticket, depending on your body. Everyone is different.
The following types of cannabis are hybrids bred with stress and anxiety in mind, and are listed in no particular order of efficacy, as again, everyone responds to cannabis in their own way.
White Widow
This classic, resin rich strain grows big, plentiful buds for a sativa dominant hybrid and thus is popular among growers and usually available at a dispensary. It’s an energizing strain that’s uplifting as well as having a slightly head high. You might get a little spacey, not too much, but perhaps just enough to breathe through whatever’s gotten your goat.
Another long time winner, Jack Herer is a well balanced hybrid that leans slightly more toward the sativa side. Because it is such a versatile, clear headed strain, it’s used for everything from PTSD to social anxiety to, of course, stress. It also has a rich history in its namesake, regarding hemp and cannabis activist Jack Herer, who penned the cannabis proponent’s mandatorily read The Emperor Wears No Clothes.
Northern Lights
A highly based indica strain (around 95%), Northern Lights has always had a reputation of being very calming, even to the beasts within. It might kick your ass if you smoke a few joints or a full cartridge to your head, but if used sparingly, it’s a great remedy for stressors. It’s another award winning, grower favorite and usually very easily found in states that both do and don’t have marijuana laws in place.
This amazingly potent and effective strain has 20% indica, just enough to keep the uplifting sativa high while bringing it down a notch to soothe the nerves and calm you down after an especially hard day. Usually covered in kief and with the smell and taste of Lemon Drop candies, it’s as fun to imbibe in as it is an anxiety slayer.
Granddaddy Purple
This fragrant strain provides a cerebral high that will absolutely melt away stress. A serious indica dominant, its effects are somewhat delayed, but are usually so relaxing that people also use the strain as a sleep aid. This is the one to pull out when the news is bad and you don’t have to drive anywhere.
Consuming less meat is good for our bodies and the environment. Here’s what you can do if you’d like to get started.
More and more people are trying to reduce the amount of meat they consume, whether that means turning to vegetarianism, veganism, or reducing the amount of meat they consume on a daily basis. Reducing your meat intake can help you lower your blood pressure, increase your metabolism and reduce your risk of developing diabetes. We have 5 suggestions on easy ways to eat less meat.
Not only is eating meat every day less healthy for your body, the meat industry is also harmful for the environment, not to mention the animals themselves. Animal agriculture releases a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions, greatly affecting climate change. While your sole contribution won’t do much in the grand scheme of things, incorporating more vegetables and grains into your diet can be very beneficial, especially when approaching the topic with measure and low stakes.
Start off slow
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When trying a meatless diet, it helps to start off small, with realistic goals that allow for some margin of error, because meat cravings are real. If you’re used to eating meat every day of the week, start off with one meatless day, slowly adding in more days if you feel like it. This pace allows you to get to know your meatless foods, which dishes you enjoy, and it also gives your body some time to adapt to these new changes.
While you don’t need to splurge on a vegetarian cookbook, it helps to have someplace where you can reliably obtain recipes that will make your transition into veggies a much simpler and pleasant one. This can help introduce you to new ingredients and dishes that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.
Have a friend or partner join you
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Workout buddies are popular for a reason: they help you stay accountable. If you have a friend who’s also interested in eating less meat, make a plan together. This can be made up of video chats or text messages exchanged in order to get meal ideas, or where someone cooks a big batch of vegetarian food and splits it with their buddy. It all works.
When cooking, it’s important to have a menu, that way you can shop properly and the meals can last through their intended days. When shopping for a meatless day, it’s important to get creative and to craft full meals that won’t leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied. Plan before you shop and it’ll be easier to stick to your schedule and goals. You can also find tons of recipes on Instagram. Accounts such as The Feed Feed and Minimalist Baker will ensure you start off on the right foot!
Don’t punish yourself
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Lastly, whenever you’re trying out a new workout routine or changing up your eating habits, it’s important to expect some challenges. If it’s difficult to consume less meat, reduce your amount of days and push yourself slowly, that way your goals are easier to achieve.
When it comes to nationwide marijuana decriminalization, the president would need the help of the full Congress to get it done. And that’s where things get tricky.
Joe Biden wants America to see him as the hip, new president who is just flat out better than Donald Trump. He’s not interested in building walls, inciting riots, or tweeting a bunch of jibber-jabber from the White House throne. No sir, old Cup of Joe has a more reasonable agenda than the lame-brained administration that just moved out. He’s trying to tame the coronavirus debacle, repair a beaten-down economy, and conduct a significant overhaul on immigration. But now it seems Biden’s marijuana agenda seems destined for trouble.
If time allotted, Biden would also like to be the Commander in Chief to kick some major tail in the realm of marijuana reform. Not only does he support the legalization of medical marijuana, but he’s also interested in eliminating the criminal penalties associated with minor possession.
Unfortunately, President Biden cannot crawl out of bed this morning and sign an executive order to end marijuana prohibition. He wouldn’t even if he could. Although Biden’s campaign showed a willingness to get behind modest cannabis reforms, full-blown legalization wasn’t one of them. However, Biden has some executive power he can use to help further the marijuana movement.
He can sign one ordering his health secretary to initiate the rescheduling process for the cannabis plant. And he might just do that. Biden has suggested that he would be willing to downgrade marijuana’s Schedule I listing to a Schedule II. Yet, when it comes to nationwide marijuana decriminalization, the president would need the help of the full Congress to get it done. And that’s where things get tricky.
There’s already enough evidence showing that it’s not going to be a bipartisan walk in the park on Capitol Hill this year. The Senate is presently in a political purgatory since the Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on the basic rules for operating a 50-50 split. To that end, the Republicans are stomping their collective feet at Biden’s early legislative agenda. They’re not buying into his $1.9 trillion stimulus deal — one that would put $1,400 into the pockets of each American — and they’re not at all pleased at the concept of raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
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With this gridlock in the Senate, it’s going to be difficult for Biden to deliver campaign promises that keep the country from sinking further into a pandemic-driven downtrodden. It could also spell disaster for Biden’s plan to be the first president to get any concrete marijuana reforms on the books.
Now that the Democrats control both the House and Senate, cannabis advocates were hopeful that 2021 would be the year that marijuana got a fair shake on the Hill. Only it’s not going to be that easy. The Democrat’s majority is by such a thin margin that it doesn’t provide the party with the bulletproof political power that it needs to start making demands.
The Democrats lost three House seats to the new Biden Administration, which leaves them hanging onto the majority by a thread. The Senate, which is evenly divided, is in similar shape. Even though Vice President Kamala Harris is the tie-breaking vote for the Democrats, they are still going to need plenty of Republican votes to pass Biden bills, and that includes anything pertaining to marijuana reform. Although Mitch McConnell is no longer running the show in the upper chamber, the Democrats will desperately need him to rally the votes necessary to change the cannabis laws.
So what are the chances of getting McConnell to drum up support for decriminalization?
Honestly, it doesn’t look good – not at this juncture. McConnell is the more experienced, arrogant Senator, not to mention he still holds a lot of clout on the Hill even without majority leader status. Some of his last words on marijuana were not at all favorable. Given that he is still sore about losing the big boy’s seat in Georgia’s runoff election, he will not likely be quick to jump on board to help further the Democratic agenda. This is especially true when it comes to controversial issues, like cannabis reform. Still, former Schumer aides argue that he isn’t going to be bullied by McConnell. They say he has the chops to “outmaneuver the Republicans on substantive issues.”
Whether he’s a vicious enough shark to accomplish Biden’s policies remains to be seen. One thing is sure, Uncle Sam’s head is in a vice. This year could easily end up being yet another nonstarter for pot.
