If Democrats take the Senate, cannabis legalization will take center stage

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer promises to push marijuana reform

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asserts that, if Democrats retake control of the Senate, he will push legislation to legalize cannabis in an interview with Green Enterprise. Schumer said the cannabis reform bill, would seek to federally deschedule cannabis, direct tax revenue to those communities impacted by the “war on drugs,” and work to expunge prior cannabis convictions.

“I’m a big fighter for racial justice, and the marijuana laws have been one of the biggest examples of racial injustice, and so to change them makes sense,” Schumer said. “And that fits in with all the movement now to bring equality in the policing, in economics and everything else. Our bill is, in a certain sense, at the nexus of racial justice, individual freedom and states’ rights.”

Schumer added, “If I become majority leader, I put this on the floor and it’s likely to pass. So, how do I become majority leader? Well, this is a little political you’ll forgive me, Andrew, but back to the facts, you vote for a Democratic senator in your state, that’s going to make it happen,” he said. “Vote if you believe in reform here if you believe in decriminalizing cannabis. The thing to do is vote for your Democratic Senate candidate because they’ll be part of my team to get this done.”

House Democratic moved to postpone a vote on a separate marijuana descheduling and justice reinvestment bill until after the November elections. Actor Kal Penn, who worked in the White House Office of Public Engagement during the Obama administration, praised Schumer’s cannabis stance. “You don’t have to be a stoner (or play one) to change marijuana laws.

Had a great call with @SenSchumer this eve,” he tweeted. “He’s committed to decriminalization if he’s Senate Majority Leader after the election. One of the many reminders of why voting matters + progress takes hard work.”