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Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Introduced Friday a bill to decriminalize marijuana and allow for taxation and regulation. The bill is entitled S. 420 and refers to the cultivation of marijuana.
The proposal, identical to a bill in the House, is intended to alleviate the long-standing conflict between states where cannabis is legal, and the US government, which categorizes marijuana as a dangerous illegal drug , similar to LSD or heroin. The American Civil Liberties Union estimates that about half of the arrests for drug possession are for marijuana possession.
Many politicians have characterized legalization as a criminal justice issue, with African Americans more likely to be arrested on marijuana-related charges than whites.
"The federal government's ban on marijuana is clear and simple," said Wyden. a democrat, said in a statement. "Too many lives have been lost and too many economic opportunities have been missed."
It is not clear whether Wyden's bill would have a chance to empty the Senate under Republican control.
The Democratic majority in the House appears more open to considering proposals to relax federal restrictions on marijuana. The chamber has scheduled a hearing next week on a bill to make banking services more widely available to pot manufacturing companies.
A proposal similar to that of Wyden, previously split up in the Senate and the House. However, Representative Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon carrying the current bill in the House, said voters had "elected the most cannabis-friendly Congress in American history."
"It's hard to see how things will unfold, but there is a good chance that cannabis policy reform will be implemented in the Senate," said Morgan Fox of the National Cannabis Industry Association.
Most Americans live in states where the pot can be legally purchased for medical or recreational purposes. A measure to ease federal restrictions on marijuana comes as the problem played a role in the 2020 presidential campaign.
Proposal to remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances by the government federal and would remove federal criminal penalties for individuals and companies acting in accordance with marijuana laws. The bill would allow marijuana to be taxed and regulated in the same way as alcohol and would reduce the barriers that prevent legally licensed marijuana companies from accessing banking services.
The bill is part of a set of three bills: A second would impose a tax similar to that of marijuana products to federal excise taxes on alcohol, while A third party would allow legal marijuana companies to claim tax deductions and credits.
Justin Strekal, political director of the NORML legalization advocacy group, said in a statement that the proposal was an additional sign.
Former House Speaker, John Boehner, who sits on the board of directors of the cannabis company Acreage Holdings, announced Friday the formation of a lobbying group backed by the ####################################################### Industry that is pushing for national marijuana reforms.
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