The long-anticipated Senate bill to federally legalize marijuana will not be introduced this month, with Democratic leadership saying on Thursday that the timeline is being extended as they continue to work out various provisions \u201cwith the assistance of nearly a dozen Senate committees and input from numerous federal agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said on several occasions that the bill he\u2019s been working on with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) for many months would be formally filed by the end of April. That\u2019s no longer the case, with the leader now saying the \u201cofficial introduction\u201d will take place sometime \u201cbefore the August recess.\u201d<\/p>\n
A discussion draft of the Cannabis Administration & Opportunity Act (CAOA) was first unveiled last year<\/a>, and advocates and stakeholders have been hanging on the leader\u2019s words as they continue to push for an end to federal prohibition. Most recently, Schumer said last week that he and colleagues were in the process of reaching out to Republican senators<\/a> to \u201csee what they want\u201d included in the legislation.<\/p>\n The timeline that Schumer previewed has apparently proved too ambitious\u2014but the hope is that by taking extra time to finalize the measure, it will help the senators overcome what are currently significant odds stacked against them to reach a high vote threshold in the chamber, where Democrats hold just a slim majority and several members of the party have indicated that they\u2019re not supportive of legalization.<\/p>\n CAOA is is \u201ccritical legislation that will finally put an end to the federal prohibition on cannabis and address the over-criminalization of cannabis in a comprehensive and meaningful way,\u201d Schumer said in a press release. \u201cI am proud of the progress made in bringing this vital bill closer to its official introduction before the August recess, and I want to thank the committee chairs who have worked with us and remained committed to addressing this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCAOA will not only remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances, but also help repair our criminal justice system, ensure restorative justice, protect public health, and implement responsible taxes and regulations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In the process of finalizing key provisions, working to build consensus with committee leadership and GOP members, the Senate sponsors detailed \u201ckey policies\u201d of the bill that are being taken into consideration, including some that advocates would support that weren\u2019t included in the discussion draft such as removing or scaling back drug testing for cannabis for certain federal workers.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a list of those policy areas that are being looked at as the senators continue to work the bill:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe federal cannabis ban is a senseless and failed relic that\u2019s needlessly destroyed lives, stifled research and treated job-generating legal small businesses in Oregon and other states like criminal organizations,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cThis outdated prohibition is long overdue for an end. And introducing final legislation as early as possible requires committees to continue their diligent work, and agencies to provide prompt analysis.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014\n
Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.marijuanamoment.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank.jpg\"){kind=tracking}