Friend, yesterday we shared that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is officially proposing rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. But we know that’s insufficient. To achieve true federal decriminalization, marijuana must be removed from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by descheduling it. Descheduling marijuana is the only way to end federal prohibition and the harms it’s causing to our communities.
As we keep pressure on Biden’s DEA to deschedule, we are also working to do the same in Congress as I shared in my message below. Today, I have another big update: the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) was officially reintroduced in the Senate. It would federally decriminalize marijuana by descheduling it and begin to repair the damage caused by decades of prohibition.
It’s the most comprehensive marijuana policy reform legislation in Congress to date. We worked with our allies and members of Congress to build off the MORE Act and create a more comprehensive bill with the CAOA. And now we need your help to build support for it in the Senate.
Tell your Senators to cosponsor the bill to end the federal war on marijuana and reinvest in the communities who have been most harmed by prohibition.
With federal marijuana policy poised to shift soon, this presents another historic opportunity for our movement. We need to show our support for real marijuana justice so please make your voice heard!
Thank you,
Maritza
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BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE
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From: Maritza Perez Medina - DPA
Sent: 4/19/2024
To: [email protected]
Subject Line: Tell Congress to Deschedule Marijuana to End Federal Criminalization
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Friend,
Today, 88% of Americans support legal marijuana for medical or recreational use. But our federal marijuana laws remain stuck in the past. President Biden’s DEA is currently reviewing a recommendation to change marijuana’s placement on the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) from Schedule I to Schedule III. But rescheduling marijuana would maintain federal marijuana criminalization and its harms.
The outcome of the Biden Administration’s review of marijuana scheduling remains unknown. But Congress has an opportunity to act. Tell your Senator to deschedule marijuana by supporting the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA).
The CAOA is comprehensive marijuana reform legislation that will soon be reintroduced in the Senate. It would federally decriminalize marijuana by removing it from the CSA. It would also begin to repair the damage caused by decades of marijuana prohibition. The CAOA would expunge marijuana convictions. It would reinvest in the communities disproportionately harmed by marijuana criminalization. In short, the CAOA pairs marijuana decriminalization with real marijuana justice.
Federal marijuana decriminalization and repair is essential. Nearly half of all states in the U.S. have legalized marijuana in some form. But as long as marijuana remains anywhere on the CSA, most marijuana conduct would remain illegal under federal law.
Under federal marijuana criminalization:
- Individuals can be imprisoned, deported, or have their children taken away for marijuana-related activity;
- Marijuana-related convictions can keep people out of jobs and educational opportunities;
- Workers in marijuana-related industries lack critical federal protections; and
- People with marijuana records can still be barred from accessing life-sustaining food and housing benefits.
Congress has a historic opportunity to finally align public opinion with our federal marijuana laws. Act now to support comprehensive marijuana reform legislation.
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Sincerely,
Maritza Perez Medina
Director, Federal Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance
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