Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., along with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., plan to introduce a major marijuana reform bill. The bill is set to be called the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act.
Although its details are not yet available, the proposal is reported to be an entry level conversation, which would eventually lead to a formal introduction to the bill.
The Hill reports that, earlier this year, Schumer, Wyden and Booker announced that they would introduce a bill to marijuana advocates. In February, Schumer said that “[I]t’s not enough in my view to just end cannabis prohibition. I think we need to restore the lives of people who’ve been hurt most by the failed war on drugs and especially black Americans.”
Schumer’s bill will prioritize small businesses, so that large alcohol and tobacco companies aren’t able to monopolize the cannabis industry. The legislation will also “ensure restorative justice, public health and implement responsible taxes and regulations.”
President Joe Biden is against marijuana legislation, although he did campaign on decriminalizing the drug’s possession.
Schumer, Wyden and Booker have all previously introduced legislation to legalize marijuana that ultimately failed.