Several bills involving marijuana legalization are on schedule to be discussed in both the U.S. House and Senate in the coming months, one of which would end prohibition nationwide.
The Marijuana Justice Act, introduced by Senate Democrat Cory Booker on Feb. 28, would end federal marijuana prohibition and expunge the records of those who previously committed a marijuana-related crime. The act has seven cosponsors in the Senate, six democrats and one independent.
Booker, who is a 2020 presidential candidate, said that legalization would attempt to reverse the negative effects that the war on drugs has had on Americans. “The failed War on Drugs has really been a war on people — disproportionately criminalizing people of color and people with mental illness,” Booker wrote on his Facebook page Feb. 28.
The Boston Globe reported Feb. 27 that all 12 official Democratic 2020 presidential candidates support marijuana legalization.
Booker’s Facebook post continued, “We know that black people are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white peers even though they use marijuana at similar rates.” The bill is in review by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary with no word on when it will be voted on.
Another marijuana bill, called the SAFE Banking Act, was approved by the House Financial Services Committee March 28. It passed the committee with an overwhelming majority of 45-15; however, the House has not yet scheduled a full vote.
Currently, banks in states where marijuana is legal are hesitant to serve marijuana businesses in fear of being punished by federal law. Therefore, many businesses are forced to deal in cash only. The SAFE Banking act would protect banks that service marijuana businesses from federal interference.
“Our federal banking laws were designed to prevent illicit activity and help law enforcement do their jobs,” said U.S. Rep. (D) for Colorado seventh district and author of the bill Ed Perlmutter in a press release. “These laws need to be applied to legitimate marijuana businesses and employees in order to improve transparency and accountability and help root out illegal transactions. Most importantly, the SAFE Banking Act will get cash off our streets, reducing the risk of violent crime and making our communities safer.”
“This is a historic and critical step forward for the nation’s burgeoning cannabis industry,” said Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement. “Regardless of where members stand on legalization, they can agree that it is in the public interest to make banking available to cannabis businesses in states where it is legal.”
In addition to the Marijuana Justice Act, four other bills have been introduced to Congress that specifically involve national legalization. Other current proposals aim to protect states where marijuana is legal from federal interference.
According to a 2017 study by Yahoo News and Marist Poll, 52% of Americans age 18 or older have tried marijuana at some point in their lives — equalling roughly 128,842,329 people. 22% of American adults regularly use marijuana — at least once or twice a year. 52% of regular users are millennials, and 54% are more likely to earn less than $50k per year.
