[fogof]

If a majority of Republicans support it and a majority of democrats support it, then why hasn't it passed already? Surely there cannot be enough state level skew on this issue that a majority of Senators don't represent states where legalization is favored by most voters?

[curryst]

It's not a major issue among the Republicans who don't care, while it's often a major issue for those who do. You don't lose much of your base by opposing it, but you lose a bunch if you support it.

Representatives are doing their job as the system designed. I don't love how it's playing out, but I don't think there are shenanigans afoot.

[throwaway0a5e]

>If a majority of Republicans support it and a majority of democrats support it, then why hasn't it passed already?

Because the demographics that write the laws aren't representative of the electorate in general. The people making the rules are on average middle age or older.

[paulmd]

The US system has atrophied enough that the will of the people no longer really matters.

There are certainly lobbies against it (prison lobby, police lobby) but there are also some that are for it (cigarette lobby would like those weed dollars). But the actual problem is that everyone's gonna vote the way they were anyway, so there's no need to actually address the issue.

And that's really both parties. Like, Biden could unilaterally order federal descheduling tomorrow. The President has authority to order the DEA to schedule or deschedule something. It would literally be another 5 minute thing he could do by executive order that would prevent the ongoing ruining of thousands of people's lives currently being ground up by the justice system. Will he? No.

"Maybe later this year" and only via congress.