DL Open Thread: Monday, November 16, 2020
Legal Weed Has A Real Shot In Delaware In 2021. Here’s what the guy who is gonna run the Senate says:
Sen. Dave Sokola, D-Newark, who supports legal weed and is taking over as the highest-ranking senator who will control if and when bills get voted on, expects that though lawmakers could have a hard time agreeing on the details, he thinks they will end up with “some version that would have a reasonably good chance to get through.”
“I don’t think we should spend a nickel on enforcement,” Sokola said. “It just seems to me that there’s no lethal dose. There is for alcohol, alcohol’s legal. There’s a whole lot of potential upside and not a heck of a lot of downside.”
Dave McBride would never have said that. He’d have listened to the cops. Like always. Marie Pinkney, who defeated McBride, says something else McBride would never have said:
“There are some people who want marijuana legalized simply because people enjoy it and they want to have a good time and they want to do what they want to do with it,” Pinkney said the day after she won the general election on Nov. 3.
“We can also talk about the fact that the marijuana industry will be a lucrative business, and when is there going to be a more important time to introduce lucrative businesses in our state than when we’re in the middle of a pandemic that has drastically impacted not just the state but the country?” she said. “We need the additional revenue.”
Elections matter.
Another Highly-Promising Covid Vaccine. From Moderna. My pharmacist wife says it’s really exciting b/c both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines employ ‘messenger-RNA’ technology, which has not previously been used in vaccines. Meaning that, in the future, flu shots could be much more effective, and on down the line.
Biden’s Team Begins To Play Hardball, Sorta, On COVID Transition Needs. Dr. Fauci is on their side. Not Scott Atlas, though. Trump’s COVID ‘advisor’ tells Michiganders to ‘rise up’ against Gov. Whitmer’s restrictions.
Rapid Antigen Tests Suck. The government didn’t have a plan. I’m sure you’re shocked.
Will Biden Enable IRS To Release Trump’s Tax Returns? To me, it’s a no-brainer. Biden’s people could overthink it, though.
What do you want to talk about?
If there is a system of weed legalization that enriches a few connected people while allowing cops to continue to harass people – Delaware can legalize it.
Sokola made clear that he doesn’t think cops should be enforcing this at all.
Which reminds me, this General Assembly should move to eliminate civil forfeiture ASAP. Hey, even Colin Bonini supports it.
Doesn’t have to pass in both houses?
I wonder how far the weed legislation will get in the house? After all Pete has said, nothing will get passed unless the cops support it.
Osienski said he thinks it can thread the needle. Pete may try to bury it in the Executive Committee, but a majority of the House members can petition it out.
Not to mention that any conservadems who oppose it could well face progressive challengers next time. Herb is a pretty potent issue. (See what I did there?)
Believe it when you see it, but I think there is chance the simpletons will do the right thing this time because of the coming legalization in New Jersey. Love what Sokola had to say, but it will be all about the money in the end.