Natalie Fertig Profile picture
Sep 17, 2020 8 tweets 5 min read Read on X
Here's today's biggest news: House Democrats will push a vote on removing federal penalties on #marijuana until after the Nov 3 election. Full story up now (with @sarahnferris) — #cannabisnews politico.com/news/2020/09/1…
Why?

Democrats lost control of the narrative.

Two weeks ago, this bill was about criminal justice reform and showing what Dems can do ahead of the Nov 3 election. Then Republicans used it to bludgeon them over the lack of a coronavirus aid package. politico.com/news/2020/09/1…
Moderates say their problem isn’t with the marijuana bill — it’s on the lack of a coronavirus deal.

“The focus of constituents — the real call for action, the real unmet needs out there — are emergency relief for the pandemic,” @AnthonyBrownMD4 told me earlier this week.
Advocates point out this is a line they've heard time and again.

“We like to tell people to wait when it comes to things related to justice, which is really frustrating, because that should be at the top of Congress members’ mind,” said @MaritzaCPerez

politico.com/news/2020/09/1…
So what now?

The vote is now expected in the "lame duck" session after Nov 3.

@RepBarbaraLee told me that the top focus is getting a huge favorable vote, from both sides of the aisle.

Since the Senate won't bring it up this year, a big vote = a big mandate for 2021-22.
UDPATE on this: @RepBarbaraLee and @repblumenauer just told me they have "an ironclad commitment" from House leadership that a vote on the #MOREAct will happen this fall. #cannabisnews
INBOX: “justice delayed is justice denied.” -@NORML Image
More #MOREAct Updates: @LeaderHoyer' office also just gave me this statement--

“Later this autumn, the House will pass the MORE Act with strong support as yet another crucial step toward making our justice system fair for all Americans.”

#cannabisnews

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More from @natsfert

Jul 14
Hi quick media literacy on breaking news — maybe it’s helpful rn.

If you see a variances in coverage, there are many reasons for that.

1) outlets have dif. standards for how to address speculation on crime scenes (ie what to say ocurred before law enforcement confirm) 🧵 Image
2) newsrooms are scrambling on a summer Saturday and smaller newsrooms will often be slower to update because something like this has to go through multiple channels/checks and they don’t have as many bodies already online/up to speed.
3) it’s easier to add more info than to take it away/walk it back. It’s better to describe how something sounded before getting confirmation (from law enforcement, eyewitnesses, etc) than to guess exactly what happened and hope they’re right - esp. in a high stakes situation.
Read 7 tweets
Dec 3, 2023
My parents in recent yrs have taken to getting a national forest pass to cut down their own tree because tree farm prices have skyrocketed.

This year she tells me “our tree is a little bit different, we weren’t sure at first but it’s growing on us.”

The tree: Image
The permit to cut down a national forest tree is $7.

I told her she got $7 worth of tree
She says it’s elegant and likes that it’s very tall (they’ve had one this tall before since you get to pick whatever size you want in the national forest for $7)

The update with some decoration: Image
Read 8 tweets
Nov 17, 2022
🚨 Congress just passed its first marijuana bill.

@SenSchumer took the podium tonight to usher through the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, which passed by unanimous consent.

The bill passed the House in July, and now heads to Biden's desk.
The bill, which is the product of two separate medical research bills introduced by @repblumenauer and @SenFeinstein/@GrassleyPress, expands medical marijuana research and protects doctors who discuss mmj with patients.
Note: One key element of the House bill — allowing scientists to purchase and research marijuana products commonly sold in legal recreational and medical dispensaries around the country — did not make it into the final version.
Read 6 tweets
Nov 16, 2022
Really quick "how Congress works" moment: just because a bill has been introduced in Congress does not mean that it is a serious contender to be passed in any chamber.

There are **45** cannabis bills that come up in a basic search of the term in Congress.gov.
There's a bill that allows cannabis advertising.
There's a bill to clarify insurance laws for weed biz.
There's a bill to give weed biz SBA loan access.
There are -multiple- vets related weed bills.
There are -multiple- bills to federally decriminalize.
Some parts of some of these bills might sometimes get folded into something bigger -- like what Daines, Joyce, AOC, etc. are discussing with pairing the HOPE Act with the SAFE Banking Act. But they'll never pass all of those bills in any given year. Some will never pass.
Read 4 tweets
Nov 16, 2022
New #safebanking news: Sen @SteveDaines told me he is open to adding the HOPE Act as part of “safe plus” legislation that could be included in an end of the year package.

HOPE is the @RepDaveJoyce/@AOC bill that gives states $$ to expunge cannabis-related records.
“We're open to some additions to [SAFE]. I think the HOPE Act is one,” Daines said. “But if it gets bigger than that, I think we're gonna have a problem.”
Daines also told me Monday night that he had a bipartisan meeting with Schumer planned for Tuesday to discuss the path forward for SAFE.
Read 4 tweets
Nov 15, 2022
Yesterday @AOC told me that she'll be talking about her HOPE Act at today's Oversight subcommittee hearing on #cannabis. The hearing starts in any minute and will be streamed here: oversight.house.gov/legislation/he…
Ranking Member Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) just thanked Biden for his executive order looking at the scheduling of marijuana.
Raskin says this hearing is to see what can be done on cannabis in the next Congress, whichever party is in control.
Read 14 tweets

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