Marijuana News

Legalization efforts at the federal level a standstill

Legalization efforts at the federal level a standstill

09/03/2021

Once freedoms are lost, they are difficult to restore. This is the difficult lesson that federal, state, and local governments are learning and its process is directly impacting we the people. To date, there are currently 35 marijuana-related pieces of legislation divided up between the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House, which is ruled by Democratic majority, has 26, while the Senate, which enjoys less of a Democratic majority, sits on nine. 

Many stakeholders in the cannabis industry assumed that President Joe Biden’s election would be an immediate end to prohibition on marijuana. Despite Biden’s open stance against recreational legalization, many thought that the President and Vice President Kamala Harris would at least remove marijuana’s Schedule I classification, which would open up banking and mend the disparities in the cannabis business. 

Though Biden was never expected to be the President who ended the prohibition once and for all, his running mate Harris showed signs of real progress. She co-sponsored the Marijuana Justice Act in 2019, she was the lead sponsor of the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act (MORE), and she also co-sponsored the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (SAFE), which passed the House in April and is waiting approval from the Senate. 

Despite Biden’s hesitation and resistance, changes have been made making federal law more lenient in regards to marijuana. In December, Congress’s COVID-19 stimulus package repealed the prohibition on students with drug convictions from receiving financial aid. In July 2021. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act was unveiled by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that would reschedule marijuana. 

Popularity for marijuana reform continues to soar, despite inaction at the federal level. Ten states are scheduled to begin selling cannabis between 2021 and 2022. The legal market is projected to generate nearly $45 billion by 2025. The industry is literally putting food on people’s tables while the government still imprisons parents for marijuana convictions.

Continue to read more marijuana news that's happening around the country and stay informed.

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