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Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) isn\u2019t deterred by President Joe Biden\u2019s opposition to marijuana legalization and says that he and his Senate colleagues will be talking to the White House now that they\u2019ve released draft reform legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n The senator on Friday took another round of questions on Twitter<\/a> about the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), which he introduced this month alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR).<\/p>\n While many of the questions concerned Booker\u2019s stance on marijuana banking issues\u2014as they did when he solicited input earlier in the week\u2014he responded to another post asking how he plans to get the president and vice president on board. That\u2019s been a top question in the minds of advocates who worry that Biden\u2019s opposition to broad reform means he might veto the bill even if Congress sent it to his desk.<\/p>\n Minutes after the senators unveiled the bill, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked<\/a> at her own daily briefing about the administration\u2019s position on the legislation and said \u201cnothing has changed\u201d with respect to Biden\u2019s position.<\/p>\n But Booker in Friday tweeted that \u201cnow that a discussion draft of our legislation has been released we will start having conversations with the White House to get them behind our proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n Now that a discussion draft of our legislation has been released we will start having conversations with the White House to get them behind our proposal. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/1wMbkcfhFb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n It\u2019s another insight into the senators\u2019 procedural thinking on how to get the legislation across the finish line.<\/p>\n Schumer last week discussed the strategy to pass it in the Senate<\/a>, where Democrats hold a slim majority. He said the sponsors will be soliciting feedback on the legislation from colleagues and work to incorporate any requested \u201cmodifications\u201d in order to advance the measure.<\/p>\n There have been some serious questions about whether the three senators will be able to muster the 60 votes needed to pass the legislation in their chamber. Even with a Democratic majority, there are some members of Schumer\u2019s own party who\u2019ve expressed concerns about the comprehensive reform.<\/p>\n It\u2019s for that reason that some industry stakeholders are frustrated that Booker is ruling out moving the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act first, as the bill to protect banks that service state-legal cannabis businesses is bipartisan and arguably stands a much better chance of passage in the Senate.<\/p>\n Asked about the issue again on Friday, Booker said Congress \u201ccannot enact marijuana reform without real restorative justice for those most harmed by the drug war.\u201d<\/p>\n We cannot enact marijuana reform without real restorative justice for those most harmed by the drug war. Red states and blue states are leading the way and legalizing marijuana. It is time for the federal government to catch up. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/CmCUKFAIWK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n \u201cRed states and blue states are leading the way and legalizing marijuana,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is time for the federal government to catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n He also repeated his earlier point that ending federal cannabis prohibition through the CAOA would intrinsically resolve the banking and related issues.<\/p>\n \u201cOur bill would deschedule marijuana, which solves the banking issue,\u201d he said. \u201cAdditionally, our legislation would allow small marijuana producers with less than $20 million in sales annually to get a 50 percent reduction in their tax rate, via a tax credit.\u201d<\/p>\n That is not to mention that our bill would take tax revenue generated from the sale of marijuana and reinvest that money into communities most impacted by the War on Drugs. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Our bill would solve the banking issue by descheduling marijuana. Also, our legislation would allow small marijuana businesses with less than $20 million in sales annually to get a 50 percent reduction in their tax rate, via a tax credit. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/AqDuWqkf6x<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n While the senator has maintained a firm position on legislative priorities for cannabis<\/a>, his resistance to voting on the SAFE Banking Act first doesn\u2019t mean that he\u2019s opposed to the policy change. He clarified last week that he feels that holding off on advancing the banking reform could encourage his colleagues to support comprehensive legalization<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not about headlines, this is about justice,\u201d he wrote on Friday. \u201cNow that our discussion draft has been released we will work hard to build support for our bill and take feedback from stakeholders, industry, and advocates.\u201d<\/p>\n This is not about headlines, this is about justice. Now that our discussion draft has been released we will work hard to build support for our bill and take feedback from stakeholders, industry, and advocates. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/ppyHSiLFCH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The criminal justice implications of prohibition necessitate that the Senate pursue broad reform before passing something that largely benefits the industry, he said.<\/p>\n The War on Drugs has been a war on people\u2014particularly people of color. Before we move on a bill that will largely benefit industry we must take care of the people most impacted by our failed marijuana policies. This doesn\u2019t have to be an either or proposition. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/rPg88bZGHu<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n For the first time ever, the Senate Majority Leader supports a bill to end the federal prohibition of marijuana\u2014this is a big deal. That support will help us build momentum for our bill and make significant progress on the issue. Help us get there. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/gH5UHi9tx3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n He also noted increasing bipartisan support for legalization and expressed optimism that state actions in conservative and liberal states alike could translate into congressional action.<\/p>\n Red states and blue states across the country are legalizing marijuana. This issue has bipartisan support and we will work to translate that into bipartisan support in Congress. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/3WvJvN6aK4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n During the Twitter Q&A, Booker also answered specific questions about how the bill would address social equity and help communities most impacted by marijuana criminalization. For example, there would be a loan program under the federal Small Business Administration that would assist people who\u2019ve been disproportionately impacted by prohibition.<\/p>\n Our legislation would create a Cannabis Opportunity Program run by the Small Business Administration which would make loans to assist small businesses in the marijuana industry owned by individuals unfairly impacted by the War on Drugs. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/jhIHMQ9xVn<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Tax revenue from cannabis sales would also help fund efforts to ensure that the industry is diverse, he said.<\/p>\n The cannabis industry must become more diverse and our bill would help achieve that. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Our bill would create an Opportunity Trust Fund that will fund three grant programs to create opportunity for those harmed by our failed drug war. We must provide resources to small minority-owned marijuana businesses and diversify the market. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/YPFI9MElIn<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n We must take tax revenue from marijuana sales & reinvest them into communities most impacted by the War on Drugs\u2014our bill would create an Opportunity Trust Fund that will fund 3 grant programs to create opportunity for those harmed by our failed drug war. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/FiOPWQjgQR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Further, there are resentencing and expungement provisions built into the legislation.<\/p>\n Our bill requires a motion to be filed with the sentencing court by the individual, BOP, attorney for the gov\u2019t, or the court. In the case where an individual is indigent our bill requires counsel be appointed to represent him\/her. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/KbJVQiqnl6<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Our bill would allow people who are in federal prison for a marijuana offense to receive a resentencing. Our bill also allows for federal marijuana crimes to be expunged. These are critical provisions of our bill. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/ySEkCCISz3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Finally, the senator addressed a semantic issue that\u2019s arisen as congressional lawmakers have described efforts to end prohibition. For example, Schumer has been known to sometimes call it \u201cdecriminalization\u201d instead of \u201clegalization,\u201d and Booker clarified that because it would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), \u201cour legislation would legalize marijuana at the federal level.\u201d<\/p>\n Our bill would deschedule marijuana, thereby ending the federal prohibition. In other words, our legislation would legalize marijuana at the federal level. #MarijuanaJustice<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/NYfK2cZNCe<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 23, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Beyond the policies that Booker discussed on social media, the CAOA would maintain the authority of states to set their own marijuana policies and remove collateral consequences like immigration-related penalties for people who\u2019ve been criminalized over the plant.<\/p>\n Under the senators\u2019 legalization proposal, a gradual federal tax rate would be imposed on marijuana sales, starting at 10 percent for the first year after the bill\u2019s enactment and the first, subsequent calendar year. It would then increase annually, rising from 15 percent to 20 percent to 25 percent. Starting in the fifth year post-enactment, the tax would be a \u201cper-ounce or per-milligram of THC amount determined by the Secretary of the Treasury equal to 25 percent of the prevailing price of cannabis sold in the United States in the prior year.\u201d<\/p>\n While that 25 percent tax rate might seem high, the legislation builds in significant federal credits for any company\u2019s sales that are under $20 million a year.<\/p>\n The sponsors have made clear they are open to suggestions for how the draft proposal can be improved, and they are actively inviting public feedback. For example, they\u2019re especially interested in hearing about measuring cannabis potency, coordinating federal and state law enforcement responsibilities and balancing efforts to reduce barriers to entry to the marijuana industry while mitigating the influence of illicit cannabis operators.<\/p>\n Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments on these and other issues to\u00a0Cannabis_Reform@finance.senate.gov<\/a>\u00a0by September 1.<\/p>\n The three senators formally started their efforts on the legalization bill by holding a meeting earlier this year with representatives from a variety of advocacy groups to\u00a0gain feedback on the best approach to the reform<\/a>.<\/p>\n Schumer made a point in March to say that it will specifically seek to restrict the ability of large alcohol and tobacco companies to overtake the industry. Instead,\u00a0it will prioritize small businesses<\/a>, particularly those owned by people from communities most impacted by prohibition, and focus on \u201cjustice, justice, justice\u2014as well as freedom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He also urged voters to reach out to their congressional representatives and tell them that \u201cthis is long overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile,\u00a0a separate House bill to federally legalize marijuana<\/a>\u00a0and promote social equity in the industry was reintroduced in May.<\/p>\n \u2014 The legislation, sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), was filed with a number of changes compared to the version that was\u00a0approved by the chamber last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act passed the House but did not advance in the Senate under GOP control. But this time around, advocates are optimistic that the policy change could be enacted now that Democrats run both chambers and the White House, and as more states are moving to enact legalization.<\/p>\n Separately, a proposal to federally deschedule marijuana that does not include social equity components was\u00a0recently filed by a pair of Republican congressmen.<\/a>\u00a0Those lawmakers also\u00a0sent a letter to Biden last week<\/a>, urging him to keep his campaign promise and reschedule marijuana under the CSA.<\/p>\n Congressional Lawmakers Push Marijuana Protections For All States While GOP Member Seeks To End Medical Cannabis Rider<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post Senators Are Having Marijuana \u2018Conversations\u2019 With White House To Get Biden On Board With Legalization, Booker Says<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) isn\u2019t deterred by President Joe Biden\u2019s opposition to marijuana legalization and says that he and his Senate colleagues will be talking to the White House now that they\u2019ve released draft reform legislation. The senator on Friday took another round of questions on Twitter about the CannabisContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":49076,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49075"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49075"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49077,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49075\/revisions\/49077"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: Senators Are Having Marijuana \u2018Conversations\u2019 With White House To Get Biden On Board With Legalization, Booker Says<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"