Joe Biden supports marijuana decriminalization, but not legalization

What do the experts think about this and the marijuana legalization in general?

The candidates keep rolling in, throwing their hats into the ring and here we go with yet another. Former VP of the United States Joe Biden bringing the total number of candidates to twenty-five. Twenty-five!!

What does that mean though for the cannabis industry and startup cannapreneurs? That’s the burning question and as an entrepreneur and consultant to industry startups, it’s the one we seem to pay attention the most.

Right off the bat, Joe Biden came out in support of decriminalization and rescheduling BUT not necessarily in support of legalization. Is that enough? So I’ll admit that decriminalization and rescheduling is a big and fantastic start but it’s simply not enough. It’s time for legalization. And not for the sake of legalization in and of itself but rather because many politicians are really missing the BIGGER mark.

That mark?

Cannabis sits firmly at the crossroads of two major US issues. The opioid crisis and states that are simply going broke so a firm stance on legalization has a literal dual purpose. It’s a double-edged sword but in a really, really good way.

Think about it for a sec.

The ability to significantly curb and potentially solve the opioid crisis rests firmly in the hands of this plant and the science that would follow after legalization. As far as US states going broke the potential massive tax windfalls from legalized cannabis sales could help many, if not all these states, right their ship and ‘fix’ their state economies.

Food for thought for sure but to answer the question about Joe Biden I’d say this.

You’re either a ‘hell yes’ or a ‘hell no’ and his responses are plain and clear…he’s a ‘hell maybe’ and that’s not the kind of replies we want in a leader.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Decriminalization and rescheduling of cannabis is tantamount to legalization for medical purposes. It's an incremental stance that is unlikely to backfire on Former VP Biden politically. It gives silent support to continued studies on the medical applications of cannabis as well as future development in pharmaceuticals.

Personally, I support legalization of cannabis. Cannabis is not addictive, has pain relieving properties for neuropathic pain, research and anecdotal patient experiences are showing alleviates other health problems, and has far less negative health consequences than other things that people already use to medicate and self-medicate. Further, prohibitions create the problems they claim to solve and cost society a fortune both in resources and in human suffering. They are ill-conceived policies based on personal bias and not data. We have the data now to make better decisions and take corrective actions for previous policy mistakes. The data doesn't lie. We need to legalize.

Decriminalizing is the perfect solution at the federal level. It solves the banking problem and opens up growth opportunities for the farm belt.

Not a Biden fan, but they should remove it from the CSA Schedule completely. Or, they could simply give up their Patent 6630507 as the lie that it is (as there is NO medical value). That statement makes their own Patent invalid. Once removed from the CSA Schedule, it would be up to the States and the people to make their laws about it... This is exactly how things were intended to work (IMO). 

Marijuana legalization for medical (not recreational) use will happen with a democratic president, house, and senate. It is needed for the US to lead the world into this new legal cannabis global market and facilitate other countries to legalize.

 I think it's a step that takes the conversation into a more positive narrative but the ultimate goal should be legalization.