CANNABIS CULTURE – Sens. Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, and Ron Wyden unveil their long-awaited proposal for public comment.
Washington, DC: Today, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will join Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden, in releasing draft legislation (the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act) for public comment.
“The days of federal prohibition are numbered,” said NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri. “These actions by Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senators Booker and Wyden reflect the fact that the supermajority of Americans are demanding that Congress take action to end the cruel and senseless policy of federal prohibition. It is time for legislators to comport federal law with the laws of the growing number of states that have legalized the plant, and it is time for lawmakers to facilitate a federal structure that allows for cannabis commerce so that responsible consumers can obtain high-quality, low-cost cannabis grown right here in America without fear of arrest and incarceration.”
“Our main priority is to ensure that Americans who choose to responsibly consume cannabis are no longer discriminated against under the law,” said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “With one in eight Americans choosing to consume on a semi-regular basis, including nearly one in four veterans, we must end the practice of arresting over 500,000 Americans every year and denying countless others employment, housing, and other civic rights if we are truly to be the ‘Land of the Free’. The federal government can take great strides toward rectifying this situation by advancing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act through the legislative process.”
NORML members and supporters will be submitting their input throughout the coming weeks to ensure that the bill best reflects the realities and demands of the cannabis community.
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NORML advocates for changes in public policy so that the responsible possession and use of marijuana by adults is no longer subject to criminal penalties. NORML further advocates for a regulated commercial cannabis market so that activities involving the for-profit production and retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products are safe, transparent, consumer-friendly, and are subject to state and/or local licensure. Finally, NORML advocates for additional changes in legal and regulatory policies so that those who use marijuana responsibly no longer face either social stigma or workplace discrimination, and so that those with past criminal records for marijuana-related violations have the opportunity to have their records automatically expunged.
Find out more at norml.org and read our Fact Sheets on the most common misconceptions and myths regarding reform efforts around the country