Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), proposed a sweeping bill on Thursday that would lift decades-old federal prohibitions on marijuana, Politico has reported.
The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act aims to decriminalize the drug on the federal level and allow states to set their own marijuana laws without fear of punishment from Washington.
“I am proud to be the first Majority Leader ever to say that it is time to end the federal prohibition on cannabis, and this bill provides the best framework for updating our cannabis laws and reversing decades of harm inflicted by the war on drugs,” Schumer said in his floor remarks.
“I look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans to get something done this year,” he continued.
Schumer added that the bill would legalize cannabis by removing the drug from the Controlled Substances Act, which would empower “states to create their own cannabis laws instead.”
“It will establish a robust regulatory system to protect public health and ensure that cannabis is as safe as possible. It includes rules to prevent impaired driving, prevent youth access, and prevent illegal diversion. We also robustly fund a variety of research programs to make up for lost time when it comes to cannabis research,” he continued.
Schumer also noted that the bill includes measures that would wipe clean federal criminal records of those “with convictions for…
