Psaki: Biden insensitive to marijuana legalization despite Schumer legislation



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“I have spoken in the past from the president’s perspective on marijuana,” Psaki told the White House press service, adding that “nothing has changed. There are no new legislative approvals to report today.

Asked again about cannabis later in the briefing, Psaki said she had not spoken with the president about this specific law – but again reiterated that Biden’s position had not changed.

The president has spoken of mass incarceration in the past, saying during his campaign that marijuana offenses should not put Americans in jail. But the White House also made headlines for firing staff members early in Biden’s tenure for using marijuana, earning the president criticism from marijuana legalization advocates.

Schumer called cannabis legislation “one of the top priorities” for Democrats in an interview with NBC, saying the party has “a lot of top priorities” that it needs to move forward on. The New York senator has long promised a vote on marijuana reform, although his own party’s reluctance could make it difficult for the bill to pass in the Senate. When asked if Democrats have the votes to make it happen, Schumer said they are working on it.

In the interview, Booker said there was an urgent need to pass this legislation, citing Americans who “are seeing their lives destroyed and hurt” because of strict marijuana laws.

The legalization of marijuana varies across the country, with 18 states and Washington, DC legalizing the substance in the past decade. Although weed has been legalized in the nation’s capital, it remains illegal at the federal level.

A 2021 Pew Research Center survey showed that more than 90% of American adults believe marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes, or just for medical purposes, indicating growing bipartisan support for legalizing marijuana. weeds in the country.

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