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An employee holds a pot of marijuana for sale after it became state legal to sell recreational marijuana to customers over the age of 21 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Illinois begins the legal sale of marijuana on January 1, 2020.
Matthew Hatcher | Reuters
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and two other Democratic senators said Monday they would push for sweeping legislation this year that would end the federal ban on marijuana, which has been legalized in some measurement by many states.
This reform would also provide so-called restorative justice for people who have been convicted of cannabis-related crimes, senators said in a joint statement.
“The war on drugs has been a war on people – especially people of color,” said a statement released by Schumer, DN.Y., and Senses. Cory Booker from New Jersey and Ron Wyden from Oregon.
“Ending the federal ban on marijuana is necessary to right the wrongs of this failed war and end decades of harm inflicted on communities of color across the country,” they said.
“But that alone is not enough. As states continue to legalize marijuana, we must also adopt measures that will uplift those who have been unfairly targeted in the war on drugs.”
Senators said they would release “a draft unified discussion on comprehensive reform” early this year, and passing the legislation will be a priority for the Senate.
The trio also said that in addition to ending the federal pot ban and ensuring restorative justice, the legislation would “protect public health and implement responsible taxes and regulations.”
Schumer co-sponsored a law to decriminalize marijuana several years ago.
The statement comes as public support for legal marijuana has grown. A Gallup poll in November showed that a record 68% of Americans were in favor of legalizing marijuana.
Every initiative that involved decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana on the ballot in 2020 has passed.
Voters in New Jersey and Arizona have chosen to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use. Mississippi voted to legalize the use of medical marijuana, and South Dakota legalized the drug for recreational and medical purposes.
So far, 15 states – plus the District of Columbia – have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use. And 36 states allow medical use of the drug.
Oregon, Wyden’s home state, was the first to decriminalize hard drugs.
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