January 11, 2021 John,
With the electoral victories in Georgia of Senator-elected Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Democrats will have majority control of the US Senate for the first time since 2010. This change in leadership holds important implications for federal marijuana policy reform and paves the way for the 117th Congress to potentially approve legislation to repeal the nearly century-long federal prohibition of cannabis.
Last session, House members voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation such as the MORE Act -- which repeals the federal criminalization of marijuana, the SAFE Banking Act, and many other important cannabis-specific reform bills. Unfortunately, under the GOP-leadership of Mitch McConnell in the Senate, these legislative fixes were dead on arrival in the Upper Chamber. In fact, Senate leadership never even permitted these measures to be debated in committee, much less called for a vote
By contrast, Democrats in the Upper Chamber -- including Senators Schumer, Wyden, Booker, Merkley, Smith, Sanders, and others -- have already pledged publicly to debate and advance legislation to end federal marijuana prohibition via descheduling. Specifically, Senator Schumer's ascension to Majority Leader will mark the first time in US history that the upper chamber is led by a Senator who is openly calling for cannabis legalization.
It’s imperative that NORML is in a strong position to push the new leadership to keep their word and advance these legislative efforts within the first 100 days. Make a contribution now to our Senate Education Fund.
In July, Senator-elect Jon Ossoff told CNBC: “I won’t just push for decriminalization; I’ll push for nationwide legalization of cannabis. The prohibition of this substance is irrational. It’s hugely expensive. It has a terrible human toll. The fact that there are people doing time for nonviolent marijuana-related offenses while others are getting rich in the cannabis industry is a grave injustice. I’ll fight for outright cannabis legalization, an end to incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses and expungement of records for nonviolent cannabis offenses.”
As a Pastor, Senator-elect Raphael Warnock discussed ending the drug war and repealing marijuana criminalization on multiple occasions. Specifically, he said: “Marijuana is seen as an illegal substance. It’s a terrible irony and we feel … that right now in America there are some folks who are becoming billionaires for selling the same stuff that’s got our children locked up all across America. Where is the justice? It’s not enough to decriminalize marijuana. Somebody’s gotta open up the jails and let our children go.”
Make sure that pro-cannabis policy reforms are a priority in the US Senate. Donate to NORML’s Senate Education Fund now!
Reformers have already proven that we have the votes to repeal marijuana prohibition in the US House of Representatives. Last December, House members voted to approve the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, HR 3884, which removes marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act — thereby eliminating the existing conflict between state and federal marijuana laws and providing states with the authority to establish their own cannabis laws free from undue federal interference.
Under new Senate leadership, the Senate Finance Committee is expected to be Chaired by Senator Ron Wyden, a longtime reform supporter and the recipient of the 2019 NORML Rufus King Sr. award for Outstanding Public Servant, which he personally accepted at NORML’s national lobby day. We expect the MORE Act, as well as the SAFE Banking Act, to be assigned to this committee. We further expect Senator Schumer to advance these measures to a floor vote.
In short, for the first time ever, leaders of both chambers of Congress are on record expressing their willingness to advance marijuana policy reform. But with so many issues facing Congress and many complex procedural factors facing the chambers, it would be all too easy for our efforts to be lost in the haze.
So that is why we are asking you today to make a contribution to NORML so that we can keep fighting for marijuana consumers rights. With your continued support, we will urge the Senate to prioritize our issue, and we will work with our Senate allies to end federal marijuana prohibition once and for all!
Onward,
The NORML Team
