Comment on the new plan to end marijuana criminalization by Sens. Schumer/Booker/Wyden

Today, we are saying, “The days of federal prohibition are numbered.” That’s because for the first time in American history, the Senate Majority Leader — alongside longtime cannabis reform champions Cory Booker and Ron Wyden — has introduced legislation to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act. 

This long-awaited proposal is comprehensive and includes many of the criminal justice reforms provided in the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, which passed the House of Representatives last December, and provides ample deference to the laws already in place in the majority of states that have already legalized marijuana for either medical or adult use. 

Public comment will be solicited through September 1st and as we prepare our formal response, we need to hear from you!

Here at NORML, our main priority is to ensure that Americans who choose to responsibly consume cannabis are no longer discriminated against under the law. 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 criminalization of cannabis must come to an end.  The federal government can take great strides toward rectifying this situation by advancing comprehensive reform and the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act is the legislative vehicle that can make this happen. 

At first glance, this proposal contains many of the federal changes that NORML has long advocated for. That said, we already know that we will be pushing the Senators over the next month to revise the language regarding discriminatory drug testing policies, among other aspects of the bill.

We’ll go through your feedback and then we will go through the bill with a fine tooth comb. After that, in the coming days, we will share with you the proposals that we will be sending to the Senate regarding what works well, what should be improved, what language should be added, and what should be removed. 

So please, take just a few moments and give us your feedback.

Lastly and matter of factly, we could not have made it to this point without fifty years of organizing, advocating, and agitating with the support of people just like you. If you are in a position to do so, please make a contribution to support our ongoing efforts. 

Thanks for all you do,

NORML