An employee has a jar of marijuana for sale after it became legal in the state to sell recreational marijuana to customers over the age of 21 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Illinois begins legal sale of marijuana on January 1, 2020.
Matthew Hatcher | Reuters
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and two other Democratic senators said Monday they will push for approval this year of general legislation ending the federal marijuana ban, which has been legalized until certain point for many states.
This reform would also provide so-called restorative justice for people who have been convicted of pot-related crimes, senators said in a joint statement.
“The war on drugs has been a war on people, especially people of color,” said a statement issued by Schumer of New York and Mr. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon.
“Ending the federal marijuana ban is necessary to correct the mistakes of this failed war and end decades of damage to communities of color across the country,” they said.
“But that alone is not enough. As states continue to legalize marijuana, we must also enact measures that elevate people who were unfairly subjected to the war on drugs.”
Senators said they will publish “a draft unified discussion on comprehensive reform” earlier this year and that passing legislation will be a priority for the Senate.
The trio also said that in addition to ending the federal ban on the boat and ensuring restorative justice, the legislation “would protect public health and implement responsible taxes and regulations.”
Several years ago, Schumer sponsored legislation on decriminalizing marijuana.
The statement comes as public support for legal marijuana has grown. A Gallup poll in November showed that 68% of Americans, a record, favored legalizing marijuana.
Any initiative involving the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana at the polls in 2020 was approved.
Voters in New Jersey and Arizona chose to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use. Mississippi voted to legalize the use of medical marijuana and South Dakota legalized the drug for both recreational and medical use.
To date, 15 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use and 36 states allow medical use of the drug.
Oregon is the first to decriminalize hard drugs.