Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has urged Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to place cannabis reform policies up for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis said in a Monday letter to his chamber colleague he “strongly” encourages Johnson to “bring bipartisan cannabis legislation to a vote as soon as possible.”
Blumenauer’s letter comes on the heels of Former President Richard Nixon making headlines this past weekend for his admission that marijuana was “not particularly dangerous.” During a March 1973 Oval Office meeting, two years following the launch of the War on Drugs, Nixon privately acknowledged knowing “nothing about marijuana” and “that it’s not particularly dangerous.”
Blumenauer emphasized the five-decade-long classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance and its ramifications for Black and Brown communities. “This is a devastating public admission of a devastating public policy,” he wrote.
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No More Divide On Marijuana
Additionally, this revelation comes after Former President Donald Trump announced that, if re-elected, he would federally reschedule cannabis. He also stated over Labor Day weekend that he plans to vote yes on Florida’s Amendment 3, which would legalize adult-use cannabis, in the Nov. 5 election.
In the meantime, the stance of Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate in the 2024 presidential election, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on cannabis is clear: they are the first explicitly pro-legalization presidential ticket from a major party in U.S. history.
“With both party leaders in favor of commonsense reforms and the revelation that the President who started the war on drugs never found cannabis dangerous, it is clearly past time for Congress to act,” Blumenauer continued.
The Congressman then cited examples of cannabis policies that the House could “easily clear.”
“Twice now, the MORE Act has passed the House of Representatives,” he wrote. “Additionally, there is strong bipartisan, bicameral support to provide state-legal businesses access to standard financial services. Further, just months ago, the House moved to allow veterans to access medical marijuana programs in states where it is legal.”
Blumenauer concluded his letter to Johnson with a remark that “it’s never too late to do the right thing.”
H/T: www.benzinga.com
