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acusumano21ahsgov · 4 years ago

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BLOG POST #7: LEGISLATIVE AND LEGAL ACTION

1. H.R.3884: MORE Act of 2019. Introduced July 23, 2019

2. Originated in the House. It passed in the House just three days ago (December 3, 2020).

3. The MORE Act decriminalizes marijuana and removes it from the list of substances under the Controlled Substances Act, ending a crucial part of the failed War on Drugs. It also eliminates all criminal penalties for those that possess, cultivate, or distribute marijuana. This means that previous convictions for any marijuana related offenses are expunged. The MORE Act also provides outlines for taxes and regulations for cannabis businesses and the industry.

4. The bill was sponsored by almost all Democrats and a couple Republicans. Republicans are generally against the MORE Act, and with a Republican majority in the Senate it is unlikely that the bill will pass.

5. Judiciary

6. I would encourage my representatives to vote “yea” on this bill because it serves justice to those wrongfully persecuted in the past, it allows adults to legally and responsibly use cannabis, and generates enormous government revenues from taxes.

7. Department of Justice

8. “To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.”

9. William Barr. He grew up in New York City and received his AB in government from Columbia University in 1971. He served as a law clerk under Judge Malcolm Wilkey of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, under President Ronald Reagan on the domestic policy staff, as Deputy Attorney General under President George W. Bush, and later worked as Executive Vice President for the companies GTE and Verizon before serving as Attorney General for President Trump. He is a very qualified Republican for the position, and would likely make many conservative decisions, which would mean the War on Drugs would be enforced.

10. The DEA - Drug Enforcement Agency. Their mission is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States.

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acusumano21ahsgov · 4 years ago

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BLOG POST #6: CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION ASSESSMENT

1. Proposition 64: Marijuana Legalization. 2016

2. Legalizes marijuana use for adults of 21 years or older. Designates state agencies to license and regulate the industry, imposes taxes on sale and cultivation, exempts medical users from some taxation, and establishes standards and restrictions for marijuana products. It also authorizes the destruction of records of past marijuana related convictions.

3. Net state and local tax revenues could range from high hundred million to a billion dollars annually. Reduction of around tens of millions of dollars due to a decline of marijuana related offenders held in state prisons and county jails.

4. About 8 million Yes (~57%) and about 6 million No (~43%). I’m not very surprised by this, as I know there is a wide range of support for marijuana legalization in California.

5. Democratic Party of CA, Green Party, Peace and Freedom Party, lots of drug related civic organizations, a couple Black and Latino centered law enforcement organizations, actors, music artists like Jay-Z, and a whole lot more. A lot of support was from proponents of ending the War on Drugs to favor communities of color. This information can help voters understand that the proposition isn’t just for legalizing the use of marijuana, but also largely supports righting a part of the justice system that targets communities of color.

6. For:

provides an environment where marijuana is safe, controlled, and taxed

contains safeguards that would protect children while allowing responsible adult use of marijuana

generates tax revenue and decrease law enforcement costs, providing funding for things like after-school programs, drug prevention education and drug/alcohol addiction treatment, law enforcement training and research on impaired driving, and other programs

decreases black market and drug cartel activity

Against:

would result in more highway fatalities and more impaired driving

allows marijuana growing near schools and parks and would erode local control

increases black market and drug cartel activity

allows marijuana smoking advertisements to be aired

hurts underprivileged neighborhoods

7. I would have voted yes on this proposition because it creates an environment where marijuana is safe and controlled, thereby reducing black market/illicit distribution. I also would’ve voted yes because of the enormous revenues from taxes that are mostly required to go to youth programs, environmental protection and law enforcement.

8. Small marijuana farmers were hurt by this proposition, as it favors big business over independent farmers and retailers. They see it as a potential threat to the longevity and sustainability of the cannabis industry.

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acusumano21ahsgov · 4 years ago

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BLOG POST #5: POLITICAL INTEREST GROUPS AND PACS ASSESSMENT

1. National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)

2. The goal of this interest group is to “move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.”

3. Important information:

supports the adoption of a legally controlled markey for marijuana where consumers can buy marijuana for personal use from a safe, legal source

supports the repeal of all criminal penalties for private adult possession and personal usage

enforcing marijuana prohibition leads to more than 600,000 arrests a year, predominantly people of color, far higher than all violent crimes combined

medically, cannabis can be a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications

two thirds of the American public support legalizing marijuana

4. This interest group endorses all the candidates that support legalization and reformation of marijuana laws, with Joe Biden on the top of the list.

5. NORML is a national organization with chapters all across the United States. There is a local Contra Costa County Chapter of NORML in Concord that meets via Zoom on the first Monday of every month.

6. There are no volunteer opportunities, but supporters are urged to contact governors and join the effort in their home states to reform marijuana laws.

7. One thing I find interesting is that NORML has a legal committee composed of lawyers committed to the overall goals of NORML that regularly defend individuals charged with marijuana related offenses.

1. National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA)

2. I couldn’t find a super PAC for my issue, but the NCIA is the most respected PAC for cannabis industry professionals. It is the leading charge protecting the cannabis industry, defending state laws, and advancing federal policy reforms.

3. The NCIA has raised $68,495 and spent $73,600.

4. $43,900 was spent for Democrats and $1000 was spent for Republicans.

5. Many of the donors are healthcare related, like clinics or medical practices, and there are also a few cannabis businesses among them. This definitely shows that this PAC supports medical marijuana and also cannabis industries.

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acusumano21ahsgov · 4 years ago

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BLOG POST #4: ELECTION 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ASSESSMENT

Green - Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker

End mass incarceration and treat drug abuse as a health problem, not a criminal problem. Legalize marijuana.

I agree with this position, I think ending the War on Drugs is a step towards decreasing mass incarceration and legalizing marijuana is a good move.

This supports the party platform, emphasizing that drug use should not be a crime.

Republican - Donald J. Trump/Mike R. Pence

Dear President Trump and Vice President Pence,

The issue I am concerned about is criminal law and justice reform, specifically marijuana laws, regulation, and legality. I am concerned about this issue because I think it is interesting and important to today's society. I am currently a senior at Acalanes High School and I am researching this issue for my senior Government class. Please clarify your stance on this issue. Thank you so much for your time and good luck.

Sincerely,

Andrew

Peace and Freedom - Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freedom

End mass incarceration of oppressed and all working class people, ending the War on Drugs.

I agree with this position, the time has come for mass incarceration to end.

This supports the party platform, but does not specify marijuana legislation as said in the platform.

American Independent - Roque de la Fuente “Rocky” Guerra/Kanye Omari West

Dear Mr. Roque de la Fuente,

Sincerely,

Andrew

Libertarian - Jo Jorgensen/Jeremy “Spike” Cohen

There should be no law to prevent you from owning an object, including drugs. End the War on Drugs, federally decriminalize all drugs and encourage states to do the same.

I agree with this position, it makes sense, although there are some objects that would be better left illegal.

This supports the party platform, legalizing marijuana and repealing victimless crimes.

Democrat - Joe Biden/Kamala Harris

End all incarceration for drug use, decriminalize cannabis, expunge prior cannabis-related convictions. Support the legalization of medical marijuana and leave it up to the states for the legalization of recreational usage.

I agree with this position because I think that decriminalizing drugs is a big step towards reducing incarceration. I think legalizing medical marijuana on the federal level and leaving it up to the states for recreational legalization is the best way to do it.

This supports the party platform, ending the War on Drugs and decriminalizing cannabis.

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acusumano21ahsgov · 4 years ago

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BLOG POST #3: POLITICAL PARTY ACTION

Republican:

Modifications to criminal law and punishment should be targeted towards nonviolent offenders and persons with drug, alcohol and mental health issues (like possession laws for example). As for marijuana, the Republican party sees it on the lighter end of the drug spectrum and acknowledges its legality in some states despite still being illegal on the federal level.

I agree with this position as the majority of offenders for marijuana drug possession are nonviolent and are often wrongfully incarcerated. However, there is no specific mention of progressing to the decriminalization of marijuana on the federal level to match the growing legality in the states, and I think this omission implies that the party is indifferent to the issue.

Democrat:

Democrats believe that the failed “War on Drugs” should be ended and that no one should be in prison solely because they use drugs. Democrats “will decriminalize marijuana use and reschedule it through executive action on the federal level” while also supporting the legalization of medical marijuana and allowing the states to decide for themselves regarding recreational usage.

I agree with this position because the War on Drugs has been a failure and does not benefit anyone. I agree that the states should be allowed to decide for themselves, for not all states share the same perspective, so I think it is best for each state to make its own decisions to pertain to the majority of its people.

Libertarian:

Individuals are free to make choices for themselves and must accept responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Libertarians favor the repeal of all laws creating “crimes” without victims, like gambling, drug use, or consensual sexual services, which would include both medical and recreational decriminalization of marijuana usage.

I agree with the position that laws creating victimless crimes should be repealed. I don’t think it is fair to incarcerate a person because of their personal decisions and that decriminalization of marijuana should be established.

Green:

The Green Party seeks to reduce the prison population, invest in rehabilitation, and end the failed War on Drugs. Like Libertarians, the Green Party believes that drug use in itself is not a crime, and that possession, sale, and cultivation of marijuana should be legalized while erasing prior convictions of these from criminal records. The Green Party also takes it a step further and seeks to implement a plan to decriminalize all drugs in the United States.

I agree that there should be more time and money spent on rehabilitation instead of incarceration. I agree with their stance on drug and marijuana usage, however I don’t know about a plan to decriminalize all drugs - there are definitely some drugs out there that should never be allowed.

Peace and Freedom:

The Peace and Freedom party seeks to decriminalize victimless crimes including drug use and consensual sex. The party is also for the legalization of marijuana and ending the “War on Drugs” that is primarily directed against poor and working class people.

I agree with the Peace and Freedom’s stance, cannabis should be legalized and the War on Drugs should be ended.

Reflect:

I think I identify the most regarding this issue with the Libertarian position because the idea that it is up to the individual to make their own choices and that marijuana usage should be legalized both medically and recreationally makes the most sense to me. I’m not very surprised that this is the outcome; I wasn’t expecting to be aligned with the Republican party here for I know their stance is somewhat unclear and I was also aware that the Libertarian party supports individual freedoms. However, I don’t think this stance is enough to sway me to vote for their presidential candidate for I think that economic and general political policies are more important. As I scrolled through the Libertarian platform, there were definitely some things that made a lot of sense to me, with ideals similar to those of both conservative and liberal policies, so I do see it possible that I may vote for a Libertarian candidate.

Presidential Debate Assessment:

My civic action issue was not directly addressed in the presidential debate.

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acusumano21ahsgov · 4 years ago

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BLOG POST #2: MEDIA ASSESSMENT OF ISSUE

1. Three articles pertaining to your civic action issue:

The Atlantic: Marijuana Reform Should Focus on Inequality

National Review: It’s Time to Decriminalize Marijuana

ABC News: Bill to decriminalize marijuana at federal level up for House vote next month

2. SACAPS each article

The Atlantic: Marijuana Reform Should Focus on Inequality

SUBJECT: Americans of color have wrongfully faced the harshness of the war on drugs. Black people are four times as likely as white people to be arrested for marijuana possession despite similar usage rates. As states move towards legalization, production regulations should be set so that the wealth from the huge potential profit can be spread rather than be exclusive to industries and corporations.

AUTHOR: Sarah Milov is a liberal history professor at the University of Virginia, with a BA from Harvard along with an MA and PhD from Princeton. She specializes in studies of the Modern United States, Political and Social Movements, History of Capitalism and Legal History. A left wing professor, her opinion agrees with the democratic party.

CONTEXT: This article was published on October 5th, 2019 from Virginia. Although still illegal in Virginia, around the time this article was published, laws and legislation came up regarding marijuana usage and were debated and voted on, creating multiple stances to take sides with.

AUDIENCE: Being a left leaning news source, The Atlantic pertains to liberal Americans or those seeking a reliable source. Thus, the source may be selective of information that supports its claim and may contain less objectivity.

PERSPECTIVE: Although mostly objective, the author has a partially biased, liberal perspective. Rather than the market being dominated by huge cannabis corporations, Milov believes the right to cultivate should be reserved to a smaller, human scale to build wealth in communities. I think I agree with the author’s perspective because it would be bad if the marijuana industry got so big that it had so much power like huge drug corporations such as Big Tobacco.

SIGNIFICANCE: Milov uses numbers and facts as evidence. For example, she cites an ACLU study reporting that black people are nearly four times as likely as white people to be arrested for marijuana possession. She also cites other articles from reliable sources such as Forbes, The Washington Post, and The Counter.

National Review: It’s Time to Decriminalize Marijuana

SUBJECT: The time has come for the decriminalization of marijuana on the federal level and to leave the laws to the states. Colorado Republican Senator Cory Gardner is in a position to make this reform, with various arguments to support him. One is that marijuana should be decriminalized to reduce police/person interactions and arrests to reduce the number of incarcerations.

AUTHOR: David French is a Republican author from Kentucky who currently resides in Tennessee as the senior editor of The Dispatch, a conservative fact based reporting and commentary online magazine. He was a senior writer for National Review for five years with a right leaning stance.

CONTEXT: On January 4th, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded memoranda that made it Justice Department policy not to enforce federal bans on the sale and distribution of marijuana in states that have legalized it. This sparked reaction across varying political views, and gave way for authors like French to write on it.

AUDIENCE: Being a right leaning news source, National Review pertains to conservative Americans or those seeking a reliable source. Thus, the source may be selective of information that supports its claim and may contain less objectivity.

PERSPECTIVE: Although mostly objective, the author has a partially biased, conservative perspective. French claims that more senators need to advocate for legalization, which would decrease police/civilian interactions and lessen government regulation of private behavior as well as make way for the potential benefits of the drug itself on health. I agree with French’s stance because the only way to know for sure is if these government restrictions are lifted.

SIGNIFICANCE: Author David French cites and uses past legislation along with quotes from politicians to support his claim. He also uses facts and statistics, like that National support for legalization is at an all-time high of 64% as of October 2017.

ABC News: Bill to decriminalize marijuana at federal level up for House vote next month

SUBJECT: The House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and expunge federal marijuana convictions and arrests. This would be the “greatest federal cannabis reform accomplishment in over 80 years.”

AUTHOR: Meredith Deliso is a current author for ABC News and has been employed there since April of 2020. There is not an author biography available for Deliso as she is likely writing under a pen name to remain private, however she can be trusted because she writes objectively on current political issues for a non-biased news site.

CONTEXT: Published on August 30th, 2020, this article is pertaining to a very current issue. Introduced by New York Representative Jerrold Nadler in 2019, the House of Representatives is voting this September 2020 on the MORE (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement) Act. This issue has become increasingly urgent because of nationwide protests against racial injustices and can be a way to align cannabis laws with what the majority of Americans support while giving justice to those hurt by preexisting laws.

AUDIENCE: ABC News is an objective, reportative news site. This source was created for people looking for unbiased, fact based information and reports containing both political stances on current events.

PERSPECTIVE: With a goal of staying objective and unbiased, Deliso reports on the upcoming vote on the MORE Act. The democratic stance, as shown from democratic senators and representatives, is more in favor of the bill, whereas republican politicians like Mitch McConnell and even President Trump seem to be less for it although not entirely opposed. I agree with the democratic stance as shown by this article, for the approval of the bill would mean justice for those incarcerated for small marijuana crimes and would open the door for possible health benefits.

SIGNIFICANCE: Deliso uses quotes from Democratic senators and representatives, from both social media posts and public statements. It also includes facts from polls, like Pew Research Center and Gallup that both found that about two-thirds of Americans support legalizing marijuana, with Democrats more supportive of the move than Republicans.

3. What are the similarities and differences between these three accounts of your issue?

Both the left and right wing sources contain a similar pro-legalization stance, however differ slightly in the ways of doing so. Milov, from the Atlantic, believes that the main focus of legality should be on equality, and reducing production rights to a smaller scale to spread the wealth to the community with federal government regulations while giving justice to those incarcerated or mistreated because of preexisting laws. Similarly, French, for the National Review, believes that legalization can be a means for decreasing police/civilian interaction and be more racially just in doing so. However, French believes that the laws and legality should be determined individually by the state and not the federal government, allowing for more variation in the polarized society we live in. The ABC News stance also seems to be pro legalization, however neutral in the policies for doing so.

4. Finally, which source do you identify with most and why?

I identify most with the National Review source because I think the idea of each state having the right to choose its legislation on marijuana while not being under the grasp of federal criminal prosecution makes the most sense. I think that each state should be able to decide individually so that it can conform to the support of its own citizens, whether that be pro or anti legalization.

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