Senate Democrats are seeking additional co-sponsors ahead of re-introducing legislation that would eliminate federal criminal penalties for marijuana possession and establish a regulatory framework for cannabis products.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Ron Wyden (Ore.) and Cory Booker (N.J.) are circulating a letter to colleagues asking them to sign on to the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which is expected to be re-introduced by the end of April.
“The question today is not whether cannabis should be legal — many states have already moved ahead," the letter states, pointing out that more than half of Americans now live in states where anyone at least 21 years old can legally possess the drug. “The question now is whether cannabis should be subject to the same high regulatory standards, based on preserving public health and safety, that apply to alcohol and tobacco.”
Key context: Schumer, Wyden and Booker initially released a discussion draft of the decriminalization bill in 2021, which spurred more than 1,800 comments from interested parties. The CAOA was then formally introduced in July 2022. However, the bill didn’t make any progress during the last Congress.
