U.S. Sen. Cory Booker joined five of his Democratic colleagues Wednesday in asking President Joe Biden to end the federal ban on cannabis, allowing states to decide whether to legalize the drug.
In a letter to Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the senators asked the administration to use its existing powers to remove cannabis from the list of Schedule I drugs, which also includes heroin, as well as pardon all individuals convicted of nonviolent marijuana crimes.
“There is widespread public support for cannabis legalization, with around two thirds of the public supporting the legalization of cannabis,” the senators wrote. “In communities where cannabis has been legalized, there have been widespread economic, racial-justice, public safety, and health benefits.”
During the presidential campaign, Biden was the only major Democratic candidate to oppose legalizing marijuana. But he endorsed decriminalizing marijuana use, expunging previous convictions for using cannabis, supporting medical marijuana and letting states decide whether to legalize the drug for recreational use.
The senators said Biden needed to look at federal cannabis policy,
“The administration’s failure to coordinate a timely review of its cannabis policy is harming thousands of Americans, slowing research, and depriving Americans of their ability to use marijuana for medical or other purposes,” the senators wrote. “We ask that the administration act quickly to rectify this decade long injustice harming individuals, especially Black and Brown communities.”
[Read more at NJ.com]The post Booker, other Senate Democrats ask Biden to end federal ban on cannabis appeared first on Cannabis Business Executive - Cannabis and Marijuana industry news.
Copyright
© Cannabis Business Executive
