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It was a big day for US football fans at the World Cup next fall as the US men’s national team drew England and Iran into groups.
The House of Representatives voted in favor of marijuana’s non-criminalization, but it’s not clear what’s next, as deep partisan divisions remain.
The Hill is Peter Sullivan, Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Send tips and feedback to psullivan @ thehill.com, nweixel @ thehill.com and jchoi@thehill.com.
let’s start.
House approves bill to non-criminalize marijuana
The House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday ending the federal ban on marijuana and eliminating long-standing criminal penalties for those who distribute or possess marijuana.
The bill, called the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Elimination (MORE) Act, removes cannabis from the list of banned federal substances, eliminates certain past crimes related to cannabis, and pays a 5% federal tax on cannabis. Will eventually increase to 8%. A fund program aimed at supporting communities affected by the war on drugs.
The bill was passed primarily along the party’s lines 220-204, with three Republicans joining all but two Democrats.
The law was enacted as most states passed some non-criminalization or legalization legislation as people’s attitudes towards marijuana changed.
Cloudy future: The bill is currently going to the Senate, but it’s not clear if we’ll get the 60 votes we need. Majority leader Charles Schumer (DN.Y.) is working with fellow Democrats to submit a bill to legalize marijuana soon this spring.
The White House has also not yet issued a statement as to whether President Biden will support the bill. Biden said he was against widespread legalization.
Currently, marijuana is classified by the federal government as a “Schedule 1” drug. So, like heroin, it’s worse than fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, more addictive, and considered ineffective.
Please check this out for details.
Republicans still have deep doubts about marijuana
The majority of Republicans on Friday voted against the bill ending the federal ban on marijuana, emphasizing the deep reservations that Republicans have left on their use and making it widely available despite growing support for legalization. I made it.
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee warned that passing the bill would lead to widespread use of the drug. They also said they were ignoring established science about the harmful effects of marijuana.
Republican lawmakers are also upset that Republican amendments for more restrictions were not considered.
“Our country is already suffering from many Biden crises. Now, the Democratic Party is prioritizing increasing the accessibility of addictive behavior-changing recreational drugs,” said Bob Goode. The Republican Party) said the bill’s program “will have a negative impact on our children and our children.” community. ”
As public opinion warms up towards the legalization of cannabis, so does Republican politicians. Former Speaker of the Republic, John Bener (Ohio), joined the board of directors of a cannabis investment company after leaving the House.
When the MORE Act passed the House of Representatives earlier in 2020, five Republicans joined the Democratic Party to support it. One of the five, Congressman Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Said he would “probably” vote in favor of the bill again.
Rep. Bob Gibbs, Republican Ohio, said he has come to support the legalization of medical cannabis, but has made a personal evolution that it is not for recreational purposes.
Some Republicans have found that the bill has regulatory issues, but broadly speaking, the MORE law vote has shown that many Republicans are resisting the legalization of entertainment. rice field.
Doctor Andy Harris (R-Md.) Calls the legalization of entertainment a “bad idea,” and the director of the National Institute of Substance Abuse “should not legalize recreational marijuana from a health perspective.” I testified. .. ”
Please check this out for details.
Pregnancy doubles breakthrough COVID risk: study
Pregnancy almost doubles the risk of breakthrough COVID-19 cases, followed by the risk of solid organ transplantation, according to a study published Thursday.
An analysis based on medical records of approximately 14 million people found that vaccinated pregnant people were at greatest risk of developing COVID-19. This is more likely than a person with a solid organ transplant or a defective immune system.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is trying to encourage people to get injections of the coronavirus before or during pregnancy to combat the fear of some communities that injections can be harmful.
The authors found that patients with high-risk comorbidities should use enhanced infection control other than vaccination to minimize the risk of breakthrough infections with COVID-19. He said he supported the CDC’s recommendation that there might be one.
unknown: However, this study found no reason to increase the risk. It also did not show how the patient became ill when infected with the virus after vaccination.
Please check this out for details.
CDC: Over 40 percent of teenagers “permanently sad” AMID pandemic
More than 40% of teens said they were persistently sad and desperate during the pandemic, highlighting the sacrifices COVID-19 made to the mental health of teens.
According to a CDC survey released Thursday, 44% of the 7,705 US high school students surveyed reported feeling sadness and despair almost every day for at least two weeks in a row. 37% said that during a pandemic, mental health was almost always or always bad.
“These data reflect calls for help,” Debra Houry, Deputy Deputy Principal of the CDC, said in a statement. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created a traumatic stressor that can further compromise a student’s mental health.”
Please check this out for details.
Poll: More Americans Support Than 15-Week Abortion Ban
As the abortion dispute emerges in the Supreme Court this summer, a new poll from the Wall Street Journal shows that more Americans support it than oppose the ban on abortion after 15 weeks of gestation. I understand.
In polls, 48% strongly or to some extent supported a 15-week abortion ban, except to protect the health of their mothers, and 43% opposed such a ban.
Polls show that 31% strongly support the ban and 17% support it to some extent. On the other side, about 34% strongly opposed this measure and about 10% slightly opposed it.
The result came from several Republican-led states passing a bill banning abortion for women 15 weeks after pregnancy.
Please check this out for details.
? Break the mold of the morning show. Burst the beltway bubble. TUNE-IN TO riseNow available as a podcast.
What we are reading
- Caliph acknowledges the controversy over the FDA’s decision on Alzheimer’s disease affecting expert confidence in the authorities (Stat).
- Black students experiencing racism on campus lack mental health support (Kaiser Health News)
- Finding a coronavirus test was previously difficult. Too many now (Washington Post)
State by state
- As the United States approaches the death of one million Covids, one devastated county is tackling an unthinkable loss (Kaiser Health News).
- Mississippi state legislators want to save on prisoners’ medical costs. Hesitating to expand parole makes it tricky (Mississippi today)
Editorial in the hill
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