Bill To Federally Legalize Marijuana Filed in senate A much-anticipated U.S. Senate bill to federally legalize marijuana and promote social equity has finally been introduced.
Just over a year after first unveiling a draft version of the cannabis reform legislation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) formally filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) on Thursday. The news of an imminent release starting circulating last week.
But with ongoing talks about reaching a passable compromise this Congress, it’s also possible that certain provisions attached to the new lengthy legislation could serve as building blocks for something else: a more incremental reform package that Schumer has been discussing with bipartisan offices in both chambers.
In any case, the main thrust of the now-filed 296-page legalization bill closely resembles that of the earlier version, which weighed in at a mere 163 pages—though the senators highlighted a number of changes, which generally expand on the draft.
For example, there are revisions concerning cannabis industry workers’ rights, a federal responsibility to set an impaired driving standard, banking access, expungements and penalties for possessing or distributing large quantities of marijuana without a federal permit.
Bill to legalize cannabis introduced in the Senate.