Federal Cannabis Legalization May Be Stalled Due to Opposition in The Senate | Morning Buzz
Cannabis News Update April 22, 2021
Today in cannabis news: Lawmakers in Denver, Colorado approve amendments to allow cannabis delivery and consumption lounges; a U.S. senator and longstanding cannabis legalization supporter says they’re hopeful about federal cannabis legalization now that Democrats hold majorities in both Congressional chambers; and two Democratic senators express opposition to federal cannabis policy reform.
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** First up: Lawmakers in Denver, Colorado voted to approve amendments to the municipality’s cannabis statutes this week, allowing cannabis delivery and consumption lounges.
When Colorado became among the first states in the U.S. to legalize recreational cannabis in 2012, Mike Leibowitz of Veritas Fine Cannabis said on TRICHOMES Hash it Out that “we blew it” because legalization was “embraced by the people” and “not the politicians.” The recently passed amendments are a much needed “better late than never” policy update, even if it only applies to the city of Denver for now.
The amendments were approved by the City Council and will now be presented to Mayor Michael Hancock, according to KDVR-TV. Many of the amendments will take effect immediately if ratified, but courier operation might take several months.
The news hasn’t come without criticism. Multiple Denver Public School leaders signed a statement to the City Council conveying their worry that greater access may result in an increase in cannabis consumption among children and teenagers. Polling shows that use by young people has stayed steady since legalization, according to city leaders.
** Next up: Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), a longstanding cannabis legalization supporter, is hopeful about the prospects of lifting the federal prohibition against cannabis now that Democrats hold majorities in both Congressional chambers.
The SAFE Banking Act was passed by the House on Monday, with bipartisan support from both Republicans and Democrats. Legal cannabis companies will be able to use financial facilities as a result of the measure. The measure had passed the House multiple times but failed in the Senate, which was dominated by Republicans at the time.
“It’s the difference between night and day,” said Blumenauer in an interview with Yahoo! Finance Live. “We had more progress in the last Congress than ever before with the MORE Act, with my research bill, with the SAFE Banking Act — but it all went to Mitch McConnell’s hospice in the Senate. Now, we are in an entirely different dynamic.”
The MORE Act, which was approved by the House in December and has yet to be considered by the Senate, would repeal the federal ban on cannabis.
Senators Chuck Schumer, Ron Wyden, and Cory Booker collaborating on federal cannabis legalization, according to Blumenauer, is a boon to legislative plans. Although Democrats only have a Senate majority thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-break vote, they believe the SAFE Banking Act will ultimately pass.
** Last up: The greatest obstacle to cannabis legalization for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer might be their own Democratic colleagues, as two Democratic lawmakers have told POLITICO that they do not support sweeping federal cannabis policy reform. Senator Schumer has continuously pledged a vote on cannabis legalization, despite President Joe Biden’s apparent reluctance.
“I don’t support legalizing marijuana,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) in an interview. “We’re in the middle of an opioid epidemic, and the research that I’ve seen suggests that that is a way that more people get into drugs.”
Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana) was equally pessimistic regarding the repeal of federal cannabis prohibition. According to Tester, legalization will “cause more problems than it solves.”
Losing even one vote from Democratic colleagues is enough to stall progress on federal cannabis legalization and that’s prior to the much more difficult task of wooing Republicans who aren’t interested in negotiating with Democrats.
Even though 18 U.S. states have adopted recreational legalization, if Schumer cannot chart a course to Senate approval this year, the midterm elections in 2022 might not bode well for the senator. If Schumer is not reelected during the midterms, it might prolong the wait for federal cannabis legalization in the United States.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/20/senate-democrats-weed-legalization-schumer-483747
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