Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) remains firm in his stance that cannabis reform doesn’t lead to an increase in crime or drug use.
“The overwhelming evidence from the states that have legalized cannabis is there has not been an increase in crime and has not been an increase in drug use,” Schumer said at a recent press briefing. The comments came on the heels of his introducing long-awaited U.S. Senate legislation that would decriminalize and deschedule cannabis on the federal level.
The nearly 300-page Cannabis Administration And Opportunity Act (CAOA), from Schumer and Senators Ron Wyden and Cory Booker, was presented last week. Two more Senate Democrats, Assistant Democratic Leader Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), also agreed to cosponsor the measure.
The briefing, held on Tuesday, overlapped with the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, in which Booker tackled many important issues regarding federal cannabis legalization. The subcommittee has yet to vote on the CAOA.
Schumer’s Latest Cannabis Legalization Efforts
Meanwhile, despite an overall pessimistic sentiment regarding the passage of the legislation in the Senate, as it needs a 60-vote threshold to get approved, Schumer continues to advocate for the broad reform proposal.
Last month the senator convened with GOP House Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) on several occasions to discuss possible bipartisan cannabis reform steps that can be taken ahead of the finalization of a separate comprehensive legalization bill that would include much more than just banking and expungements reforms.
The two lawmakers discussed combining the two already existing bipartisan bills, the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act from Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and the Harnessing Opportunities by Pursuing Expungement (HOPE) Act, a piece of legislation that would help states expunge criminal records for people with convictions for non-violent cannabis offenses.
SAFE Banking Act has passed the House seven times. However, it is still in the Senate under Republican and Democratic leadership.
The Roll-Up: Leafly’s weekly cannabis news and culture podcast
Every Friday the Roll-Up crew—Bruce Barcott, Alyssa Yeoman, and Hannah Staton—dissect the week’s top cannabis stories and take a deep dive into a single issue. It’s a news and culture podcast, slightly elevated.
Leafly Podcasts bring the latest in cannabis news, products, and culture directly to your ears each week. Subscribe to The Roll-Up, What Are You Smoking?, The Hash, and The High Life on podcast outlets like iTunes, Spotify, and beyond.
By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from Leafly and you agree to Leafly’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.
Two more Senate Democrats expressed support for the U.S. Senate bill that would decriminalize and deschedule cannabis on the federal level.
The new cosponsors of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), which was unveiled on Thursday, are Assistant Democratic Leader Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), according to Marijuana Moment. The two join the bill’s three prime sponsors: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) (C), joined by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) (L) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) / Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“It is long past time the federal government catches up to Washington state when it comes to cannabis laws,” Murray said in a press release. “This legislation is about justice, strengthening our economy, and bringing the federal government into the 21st century.”
The senator also emphasized that the measure would “undo deeply unfair and racially unjust laws that have disproportionately harmed people of color.”
Interestingly, the senator’s statement also addressed the bipartisan Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, a piece of legislation that was approved by the House members seven times so far but failed to advance in the Senate.
“While the reforms we are pushing for are critical and long overdue—I remain fully committed to passing SAFE Banking however possible—including as a standalone bill,” Murray said. “It makes absolutely no sense that legal cannabis businesses are forced to operate entirely in cash and my bill would bring them into the formal banking system where they belong.”
The bipartisan marijuana banking reform measure aims to protect financial institutions that wish to provide their services to state-legal marijuana businesses.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), the bill’s House sponsor, recently filed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which would include the marijuana banking reform bill.
Support for the enactment of the policy reform is broad, with the latest push coming from the American Bankers Association (ABA) and other financial organizations.
