Schumer: legalizing marijuana will be a Senate priority

Majority leader in the Senate Charles schumerChuck Schumer Moderate Democrats call for 9/11-type panel to investigate origins of COVID-19 Democratic Senator: Reconciliation package to include clean electricity standard Non-white Democratic Senate employees increase from 2020 MORE (DN.Y.) announced at the hearing Thursday that he would use his influence to make legislation ending the federal ban on marijuana a top priority.

Marijuana is currently listed as a banned Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act, and about 40,000 Americans are in jail for cannabis-related offenses, according to Forbes.

Schumer said on Thursday he would put his political clout to the service of legalizing marijuana, which was declared illegal nationwide in 1937.

“I am the first Majority Leader to say it is time to end the federal marijuana ban and as Majority Leader I will move this issue forward and make it a priority for the Senate “Schumer said in his morning remarks.

Schumer doubled down on his remarks a day earlier at a press conference introducing a Cannabis Administration and Opportunities Bill, which would lift the federal cannabis ban and allow state-compliant cannabis companies to have access to financial services such as bank accounts and loans. .

The legislation is also sponsored by the chairman of the Senate finance committee Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenEquilibrium / Sustainability – Senate Democrats want new weed deal Senate Democrats unveil bill to decriminalize marijuana Democrats seek to investigate tax avoidance strategies of wealthy Americans (D-Ore.) And Sen. Cory bookerCory BookerEquilibrium / Sustainability – Senate Democrats want new weed deal Senate Democrats unveil bill to decriminalize marijuana Senate Democrats unveil efforts to legalize marijuana at the federal level (DN.J.).

“It makes perfect sense to legalize marijuana,” Schumer said Wednesday. “A number of states, including mine in New York, have just legalized recently. The catastrophic predictions did not materialize in any of these states. And as more states legalize marijuana, it’s time for our federal cannabis law to catch up. ”

Schumer presented the bill on Thursday as a bill that would bring about “monumental change.”

“Finally, he would take steps to right the wrongs caused by the failure of the drug war,” he said, noting that this would remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances and erase the criminal records of those who have committed minor marijuana offenses.