Democrats reintroduce legislation to decriminalize marijuana
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is recommending marijuana be reclassified as a lower risk Schedule 3 drug.
Democrats across Capitol Hill praised the historic pivot from the Biden administration’s Department of Justice.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.),Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, says the reclassification will fix a decades long error.
Currently, as a Schedule 1 drug marijuana is considered as dangerous heroin.
“It is not highly addictive and has in fact medicinal purposes,” said Blumenauer. “I could not be more excited and optimistic that we are finally on the home stretch to end the failed ‘War on Drugs,’” Blumenauer said.
Rescheduling marijuana will not legalize it nationwide but would open the door to new research and make cannabis business owners eligible for tax breaks.
Opponents are not happy.
Luke Niforatos with Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) calls the proposed rule an election year “giveaway to this new Big Tobacco like industry.”
He accuses the Biden administration of ignoring science, and says SAM is prepared to sue if the rule is finalized after a public review session.
“What they’re saying is marijuana has lower potential for abuse at a time when the science is telling us the potency of this drug is unlike it’s ever been before,” Niforatos said.
Democrats on Capitol Hill are vowing to go further and decriminalize marijuana.
Sen. Cory Bush (D-N.J.) Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) reintroduced their bill “The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act” Wednesday. The plan would also provide federal public safety guardrails to discourage users from driving while under the influence.
Booker says while the DEA’s reclassification is a good step, it does not resolve inequities in the law that disproportionately harm African American communities.
“People can’t get jobs for doing the same things that presidents, and senators and congresspeople have done, that’s the height of hypocrisy,” Booker said.
The senators say they now have 18 senators supporting their bill and are working to garner additional support.
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