[refurb]

It's actually pretty amazing how quickly this happened. Prior to the new legislation, "cannabis" was illegal, that is, the plant, regardless of THC content. Schedule 1 narcotic according to the DEA.

Then this farm bill passes, without a lot of fanfare (about cannabis) and poof, it's legal across all 50 states (as long as it's less than 0.3% THC).

What's interesting to me is how the DEA is losing influence. They not only tried to stop this legislation, but also kratom (they were making it schedule 1 as well). Due to public outcry, the DEA backed down and we're in this weird limbo where kratom remains legal federally, even though the DEA doesn't want it to be.

I'm guessing over the next 20-30 years, we'll see a lot of changes with regards to the war on drugs. It started with marijuana, but it won't stop there.

[redisman]

This is definitely one of the spaces where the internet has made the status quo unacceptable to the majority of at least the US public. It’s very hard to fight one of humanity’s basic urges with disinformation in a open society with the internet.

[anewdirection]

And yet adult contact is down overall, sex workers cannot communicate online anymore, and covid is seen as a 'nothingburger' by half the people I meet reguardless of political leanings. Never underestimate a good disinfo wave. Hell, even Biden is singing the old 'we don't know if it is safe, better keep it illegal' refrain.