Ex-Gov. Weld Says Research Key to Pot Legalization
*By Jacqueline Corba*
Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld called on President Trump to change the federal classification of marijuana so researchers can explore the drug's ability to treat diseases, including cancer.
"I think anybody who is a reasonable politician has to listen to the argument that its been proved around the world that this will cure the ailments that your constituents are suffering from," Weld said in an interview with Cheddar at the Cannabis World Congress in New York. "Do you want to look your constituents in the eye, and say, 'No ー I'm going to stand in the way of you getting the physical relief from pain and suffering that you know you can get around the corner? That's a position that makes no political sense."
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, marijuana is a Schedule I drug, which is the same category as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. This means it is considered to have a high potential for abuse and is not accepted for medical use.
Weld, who is a member of the board of the cannabis company Acreage Holdings, said Washington has yet to catch up with the country when it comes to cannabis: 64 percent of Americans say it should be made legal, according to a [Gallup Poll](http://news.gallup.com/poll/221018/record-high-support-legalizing-marijuana.aspx).
"There's a lot of old people who have pains and aches that cannabis is very useful in just making go away. They are a voting bloc," said Weld, who also said millennial voters are another large bloc in favor of legalization. "So that's a pretty good pair of bookend voting blocs for any politician that is listening."
Weld said ultimately research will make it impossible for members of Congress to vote against cannabis, once they understand more about the drugs abilities.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/why-bill-weld-is-pushing-to-declassify-marijuana-as-schedule-i-drug).
An independent watchdog within the IRS reports that while taxpayer services have vastly improved, the agency is still too slow to resolve identity theft cases. And National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins says those delays are “unconscionable.” Erin M. Collins said in the report released Wednesday that overall the 2024 filing season went smoothly, though IRS delays in resolving identity theft victim assistance cases are worsening. It took nearly 19 months to resolve self-reported identity theft cases as of January, and Wednesday's report states that now it takes 22 months to resolve these cases.
Amazon.com Inc. surpassed $2 trillion in market value for the first time in afternoon trading on Wednesday. The push higher for Amazon’s stock market valuation comes a little more than a week after Nvidia hit $3 trillion and briefly became the most valuable company on Wall Street. Nvidia’s chips are used to power many AI application and its valuation has soared as a result. Amazon has also been making big investments in AI as global interest has grown in the technology. Most of the company’s focus has been on business-focused products.
Climate change doesn’t just mean more extreme weather – it also leads to billions of dollars in lost productivity, tourism, and stresses infrastructure.
It’s an annual tradition: the Fed’s banking ‘stress test.’ A year after the regional banking crisis, there are good reasons to make sure they’re prepped.
Summer is upon us, which means weddings, trips overseas, and trips to see Taylor Swift. Avoid a “Cruel Summer” with these budget-friendly tips and tricks.
While Nvidia's meteoric rise led it to briefly dethrone Microsoft as the world's biggest public company, there's a lot more going on in this market than A.I.
