Schumer Pushes Senate on Pot Legalization as States Leap Ahead

[DonViejo]

Source: Bloomberg


By Steven T. Dennis

March 31, 2021, 2:00 AM EDT

Top Democrat to introduce bill ending federal prohibition

Once-fringe issue has become mainstream as public polls flip

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing the Senate toward lifting the federal prohibition on marijuana with legislation that would represent the biggest overhaul of federal drug policy in decades.

The bill that Schumer is drafting with Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden of Oregon and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is still being written. Though they avoided the term legalization when announcing their plan, it is expected to remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances and tax and regulate it on the federal level while leaving states able to enforce their own laws regarding the drug.

Their proposal goes beyond decriminalization, which President Joe Biden voiced support for during his campaign, and may be a stretch for some Senate Democrats. But it taps into building public sentiment for legalization and moves by states to change marijuana laws, including Schumer’s home state.

New York is about to become the 16th state to legalize the drug for recreational use. On Tuesday night, the Assembly and Senate passed a bill that would allow personal cultivation and tax and regulate commercial sales. Governor Andrew Cuomo said he plans to sign the legislation. Several other states also are moving toward legalization.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-31/schumer-pushes-senate-on-pot-legalization-as-states-leap-ahead

[CentralMass]

1. I wonder how taxing federally will impact the price and the revenue of legal states.

[SheltieLover]

2. Never should have been illegal

[bahboo]

3. pass it on April 20th....

[cynical_idealist]

4. Smile

[bahboo]

5. and hopefully, no longer an "illegal smile"

nationwide....

[ancianita]

6. The timing of the bill can perhaps work for Schumer to 'groom' repubs into a sympathy for --

dare I say it -- bipartisanship. With this and the infrastructure bill, there might come enough 'do-gooder' bipartisan momentum to spill over with even one or two repubs to vote for S1.