Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday called on the federal government to move “as quickly as possible” to change the way it officially classifies marijuana, saying that “nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.”

“I cannot emphasize enough that they need to get to it as quickly as possible,” Harris said. “We need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment. This issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently, marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin ― as dangerous as heroin ― and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair.”

Marijuana is currently listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration. That classification designates it one of the most dangerous drugs possible, with no medicinal uses. Other substances in the same category include heroin, ecstasy and LSD. Marijuana advocates have been pushing for years for the federal government to either reschedule marijuana to a different category or deschedule it entirely.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Honestly, there are many other substances that need to be changed as well, but they need to start somewhere. The War on (Some) Drugs is and always has been a complete farce.

    • havokdj@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      LSD and mushrooms too. MDMA is a bit sideways but psychedelics in general should not be illegal

      • nomous@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        I agree, drugs (basically all drugs) should not be illegal IMO.

        The overconsumption of certain ones might be a public health issue but I don’t think drug use or even addiction should be a criminal issue in the slightest.