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On the brink of gaining control in Washington, Sen. Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-N.Y.) said emphatically<\/a> in 2020 that “I am going to do EVERYTHING I can to end the federal prohibition on marijuana” if Democrats took back the Senate.<\/p>\n But 14 months since winning, Senate Democrats haven\u2019t even succeeded at changing the little things.<\/p>\n This week offered the most dramatic example yet of Democrats\u2019 inability to make any progress on their cannabis promises: The new government spending package<\/a> released on Wednesday continues to prohibit Washington, D.C. from establishing a cannabis marketplace, more than seven years after District voters overwhelmingly backed legalization.<\/p>\n That wasn\u2019t the only weed provision left on the cutting room floor.<\/p>\n The spending bill also failed to protect state-regulated recreational cannabis markets, nor did it expand medical marijuana research or protect veterans who use cannabis \u2014 two issues with widespread bipartisan backing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very frustrated and really disappointed,\u201d said Rep. Lou Correa<\/a> (D-Calif.), a champion of cannabis policy changes. \u201cPolling in this country is off the charts that people want to normalize the use of cannabis \u2026 So what\u2019s the hang up?\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s just the latest example of Democrats\u2019 inability to accomplish meaningful change on cannabis policy when it is seemingly within their grasp. Earlier this year, Senate Democrats removed language from the National Defense Authorization Act<\/a> that would have made it easier for the industry to access banking services. That legislation has twice cleared the House with huge majorities, including more than 100 Republicans, but has made no progress in the Senate.<\/p>\n Democrats have been locked in an internal debate about the correct approach to overhauling federal cannabis policies. Schumer and other key senators have resisted piecemeal changes, insisting that any cannabis legislation address broader criminal justice reforms, even though there\u2019s little evidence that they can corral 60 votes for a major package.<\/p>\nMore weed woes<\/h5>\n