In an effort to legalize cannabis at the federal level, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and two other members of Congress, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), will unveil a marijuana reform bill called the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, two sources leak at Marijuana Moment.
Details of the proposal’s provisions are not yet available, but sources say this is an entry-level conversation for a formal presentation of the bill at a later date.
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In February, Schumer mentioned that he would, along with Wyden and Booker, present a bill to lawyers, and in April, instead of 4/20, the majority leader said in a Cannabis rally in New York this change was going to happen.
“In my opinion, ending cannabis prohibition is not enough,” Schumer said in February, Marijuana Moment reported. “I think we need to restore the lives of the people who have been most affected by the failed drug war and especially black Americans.”
Not only will Schumer’s Marijuana Reform Bill “ensure restorative justice, public health and implement responsible taxes and regulations,” but small businesses will take priority over large alcohol companies and tobacco, which the New York senator does not want to monopolize the cannabis industry.
The Marijuana Opportunities, Reinvestment and Suppression Act (MORE) was passed by the House but did not advance in the GOP-led Senate. But now advocates are more optimistic with Democrats controlling both Houses and the White House, and as more states move towards legalization.
President Biden opposes legalization of marijuana despite its public popularity and the bipartisanship of both parties.
Biden campaigned to decriminalize possession of cannabis, erasing previous records for state legalization laws.
“I’m in the process of strategizing on the next steps,” Wyden said at the time. “We need comprehensive reform, and you need legislation to do it.”
“Certainly the fact that millions of Americans voted for at least part of what I have just described means that we are in a position to act at the federal level,” he added. “I think that kind of crazy quilting – especially when it comes to the regulatory and financial aspects, especially the nationwide consideration – you really need some sort of basic federal rules on, a, put end of the ban; two, sound tax policies; and third, reasonable regulatory oversight.
All three senators introduced failed marijuana legalization bills.
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