Last Tuesday, President Joe Biden took a step that activists have been demanding for years. His DEA took a step to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III instead of a Schedule I drug. This change frees up federal funding to research the drug and diminishes the potential of substantial penalties for simple possession in states where marijuana remains illegal.
The decision moves the nation one step closer to making pot legal for recreational use on the national level like it is in two dozen states. The step was monumental for Biden, who was once uniquely strict on marijuana in his administration; he even went so far as to fire five staffers for testing positive on pot tests early in his administration.
Does it matter?
Biden’s decision would have been a welcome step in earlier years. The War on Drugs is still considered by liberals as one of the nation’s most consequential mistakes over the past fifty years. It has thrown millions in jail and has not effectively deterred the current opioid crisis. Biden’s announcement is a symbol of how far the federal government has moved away from seeing all drugs as bad and possession as always worthy of punishment.
But Biden has not received any sort of bump from his announcement. It has been completely subsumed by coverage of campus protests. Even Biden’s close supporters have mostly ignored the decision in order to focus on the economy or other issues. It sometimes feels as though the narrative of the 2024 election is set and nothing can break the mold. But it is still remarkable that such a decision has been ignored by many of the people who have argued for it since the 1990s.
Activist anger
Activists have blamed Biden for the poor response his liberal actions have received over the past three years. They have listed a number of betrayals that they believe justifies their tepid response to his unquestionably liberal accomplishments. These supposed betrayals include the refusal to fight for a $15 minimum wage, his abandonment of a full-sized reform program for Build Back Better, and his most recent refusal to withdraw military aid to Israel. Many on the left believe these are unforgivable sins which must be rectified before they can give any support for Biden’s other policies, no matter how beneficial to the country they are.
The argument of leftists is based on the idea that Biden’s actions are the reason why he is so hotly contested by their activist core. But in fact, this dynamic has existed since the very beginnings of the Biden administration. In 2021, Biden announced a full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. This withdrawal occurred a little over six months into his presidency and after several early accomplishments related to pandemic spending. The response from the left was practical silence. Left-leaning publications that had called for an Afghanistan withdrawal for decades were quiet. Activists did nothing to openly support the president. There were no rallies or Twitter campaigns. A socialist website at the time noted paradoxically that “this [the withdrawal] has not lessened the danger of war in the least.” This silence allowed conservative and mainstream narratives to fill the void. As a result, Biden’s withdrawal became known not for the significance of the act itself but for its (inevitable) mistakes and resulting effects. There was no good side to the story because the left did nothing to create that good side.
Liberals aren’t helping
This stance was a sign of things to come. Leftists did little to boost Biden for his manufacturing initiatives or his spending to fight climate change. They have mostly ignored his many attempts to cancel student loan debt as well. Each story has resulted in the worst possible framing by Biden’s opponents. They have been able to push their narrative regularly.
Anti-pot zealots will probably not be able to twist this latest news from Biden. As a result, instead of being spun the story will likely disappear. Biden’s presidency will continue to look shambolic and he will continue to be criticized for doing nothing for the left. But the lack of liberal support has the chance of reducing these executive actions in the future. Biden’s goodwill and altruism will one day run out. He will replace meaningful executive actions with openly political ploys, such as attempts to meet the needs of suburban homeowners or relax financial regulations.
Liberals do not need to acquiesce to Biden’s every argument about the nature of the country and its foreign policy. But they also need to praise Biden when he does the right thing. A constant stream of attacks will make activists feel better. But they may not achieve the kinds of social and political reforms that a president can give them with the stroke of a pen.