Everything You Need To Know About Democrats' Plan For Federal Cannabis Legalization

Democrats legalization plans for marijuana

The issue of cannabis legalization in the US has been one of the major talking point in the political scene of the country for many years. Different individuals with different views have come through the ranks over the years but unlike before we're moving forward towards full legalization and farther away from prohibition. Gone are the days where the wave of cannabis restrictions and prohibition was the order of the day. Now, what we're experiencing is a wave of legalization.

Both waves came to pass due to the influence of the public and its views of the medicinal herb. It was initially seen as a possible product of dependence which led to the war on drugs but now with more advanced knowledge of what the plant really is, the majority see marijuana as an extremely valuable substance with immense medical and recreational benefits.

The 70s and 80s were plagued with the war on drugs as all arms of government were fully insistent on criminalizing cannabis. This led to the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic drug and placed in a category of tightly controlled substances. Luckily, after incessant works of research aimed at exploring the makeup of the cannabis plant this trend has changed. The majority of the public are beginning to accept cannabis and more states are opening legal medical and recreational cannabis markets.

Unfortunately, the stance of the federal government on cannabis is still the same. Federally, cannabis remains illegal. This reality is what the Democrats intend to change as the new house looks to push for cannabis legalization. Read on to find out more!

Democrats and cannabis legalization

The newly formed house under the majority leader Senator Chuck Schumer looks set to change the tide completely as they plan to push for federal legalization of cannabis. This move spearheaded by the Democrats is momentous, the presence of a great majority and other positive factors means this just might be the turning point for cannabis. The benefits of this move if it falls through are in great proportions for the public and stakeholders in the cannabis industry.

The house under the previous government was being led by Senator Mitch McConnell and he along with the Republican majority were fully against cannabis legalization. This stalled moves made towards policy reforms with respect to cannabis. The change in power however has since removed such roadblocks and the path towards full cannabis legalization looks clearer by the day. The Democrats also have the additional support of a majority of the public at the moment as most agree to federal legalization of cannabis. A Gallup poll recently confirmed that 68% of Americans are in agreement with the legalization of cannabis.

The Democrats had initially made a move towards the federal legalization of cannabis under the last administration. This was through the MORE act that was sponsored by Democrats to see the full legalization of cannabis and expunging of criminal records associated with cannabis possession. Unfortunately, this bill in a house led by Senator Mitch McConnell never saw the light of day as the dream was killed even before it began. Now that the Democrats are in power, they have come out to say that the legalization of cannabis will see the light of day.

The plan towards legalization

Now that the Democrats have the majority, the plan towards legalization is very similar to the MORE act that was proposed during the last administration. The proposal for legalization under this act will look to protect public health while ensuring restorative justice is made available. The proposal is also expected to cater to taxes and other regulations. Though many specific details of this proposal are yet to surface the general idea remains clear and that is full cannabis legalization. The present state of things has also affected proceedings for legalization in New York and New Jersey. This further shows the importance of the expected move.

There is still a lot of uncertainty concerning how this proposal for federal legalization by the Democrats will impact state laws. This is because since states have been given the sole right to determine how things go in terms of laws on cannabis, there have been different peculiarities even among States with legal laws. The proposed plan by the Democrats, for this reason, is expected to be all-inclusive because it requires Senate action along with substantial influence from the states as well.

An ally in the White House

President Joe Biden was once known as a supporter of the war on drugs when it was popular. However, in the run-up to the presidential elections in November 2020, he made his change in stance regarding cannabis legalization very clear. This shows that the proposal by the Democrats is likely to face less opposition from the White House. It should be noted that the strongest ally for federal cannabis legalization in the White House is not even President Joe Biden; cannabis biggest supporter in the white house is the amiable Kamala Harris.

The Vice President had initially been a strong sponsor of the MORE act as a Senator. She also co-sponsored a bill with Senator Cory Booker which was the senate version of a legalization bill while serving. This coupled with the fact that she made the affirmation of support for federal cannabis legalization whole having a debate with Mike Pence shows she’s a very strong ally. Having a Vice President like Kamala Harris and her antecedents on cannabis legalization shows the stage is ripe for cannabis legalization to come to life.

Bottom line

There are over half a million arrests for possession of cannabis each year. This shouldn't be the case in 2021, we are better than that. Provisions for criminal justice and restorative justice has to be provided by those in power. The way towards this is by cannabis legalization which is what the Democrats are pushing for with the new proposal. Hopefully, sooner rather than later cannabis will be fully legalized.