{"id":590762,"date":"2021-07-14T11:06:40","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T15:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=590762"},"modified":"2021-07-14T11:06:43","modified_gmt":"2021-07-14T15:06:43","slug":"dem-senators-unveil-marijuana-reform-bill-aim-to-decriminalize-pot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dem-senators-unveil-marijuana-reform-bill-aim-to-decriminalize-pot\/","title":{"rendered":"Dem Senators Unveil Marijuana Reform Bill, Aim To Decriminalize Pot"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdem-senators-unveil-marijuana-reform-bill-aim-to-decriminalize-pot%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=590762&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/PotGlasses.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced Wednesday that he will propose draft legislation to decriminalize marijuana on a federal level, potentially ending an ongoing conflict between states, which are generally moving towards decriminalization, and the federal government, which has kept older, stricter laws against pot on the books.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/07\/14\/us\/politics\/marijuana-legalization-schumer.html\">The New York Times reported Wednesday<\/a> that the \u201cdraft bill, called the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act\u201d but it would also allow the federal government to move in on marijuana production and sales, \u201cbegin regulating and taxing\u201d pot, and potentially \u201cplacing federal rules on a burgeoning industry that has faced years of uncertainty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The bill would allow states to keep their own marijuana laws in place, but \u201cbusinesses and individuals in states that have legalized its use would be free for the first time to sell and consume it without the risk of federal punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The bill also has a criminal justice reform element, following on the heels of the Trump administration\u2019s \u201cFirst Step Act.\u201d According to the New York Times, the bill would make an effort to reverse years of overcriminalization of pot consumption, \u201cimmediately expunging nonviolent marijuana-related arrests and convictions from federal records,\u201d and it would \u201cearmark new tax revenue for restorative justice programs intended to lift up communities affected by \u2018the failed federal prohibition of cannabis.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2021\/7\/14\/22576119\/democrats-new-plan-legalize-marijuana-schumer-wyden-booker-senate\">The Verge notes<\/a>, that primarily affects minorities. \u201cAccording to a 2020 analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union, Black Americans were more than three times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession as white Americans,\u201d the outlet noted Wednesday. \u201cAn analysis by the <em>Washington Post<\/em> last year found that between 2015 and 2019, Black people accounted for 89 percent of the 3,631 marijuana arrests in Washington DC.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The proposed legislation would also:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li id=\"36Wo1M\" readability=\"-2\">\n<blockquote readability=\"5\">\n<p><em>establish a minimum age of 21 for cannabis retail sales<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"qXIOAD\" readability=\"-2\">\n<blockquote readability=\"5\">\n<p><em>conduct an evaluation of the societal impact of legalization by states with adult use of cannabis.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"b0GM6h\" readability=\"-2\">\n<blockquote readability=\"5\">\n<p><em>introduce three grant programs to create opportunity for those harmed by the War on Drugs<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"6ASNKR\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<blockquote readability=\"6\">\n<p><em>provide funding to eligible states and localities for loan programs for small cannabis businesses owned by \u201csocially and economically disadvantaged individuals\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"cqT9an\" readability=\"-2\">\n<blockquote readability=\"5\">\n<p><em>impose an excise tax on cannabis products similar to those on alcohol and tobacco<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Unlike its sister piece of legislation, the House-passed Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment &amp; Expungement (MORE) Act, the Senate bill does not do away with drug testing for federal employees.<\/p>\n<p>Schumer announced on April 20, 2021 (4\/20, an unofficially recognized, marijuana-centric holiday) that he would \u201cprod the federal government off the sidelines\u201d on the debate over marijuana decriminalization, particularly in light of news that 37 of 50 states have passed marijuana decriminalization in some form, and 18 states have decriminalized marijuana for recreational use.<\/p>\n<p>Until Congress passes some form of marijuana-related legislation, changing how marijuana is classified at the federal level, individuals who live in those states and also grow, sell, or consume pot are still subject to federal law \u2014 and to prosecution by federal agencies \u2014 even if they are not targeted by local or state law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese changes represent a dynamic shift in public opinion and support across the political spectrum,\u201d a statement from Schumer and two colleagues, released Wednesday, reads. \u201cState-compliant cannabis businesses will finally be treated like other businesses and allowed access to essential financial services, like bank accounts and loans. Medical research will no longer be stifled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced Wednesday that he will propose draft legislation to decriminalize marijuana on a federal level, potentially ending an ongoing conflict between states, which are generally moving &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2314654,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/PotGlasses.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Dem Senators Unveil Marijuana Reform Bill, Aim To Decriminalize Pot","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-590762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/PotGlasses.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Dem Senators Unveil Marijuana Reform Bill, Aim To Decriminalize Pot","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=590762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590762\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2314654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=590762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=590762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=590762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}