![](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-1.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) says that he\u2019s \u201copen to compromises\u201d on marijuana reform, including the possibility that the Senate pass modest cannabis banking legislation with social equity components before advancing a wide-ranging legalization bill that he introduced last month.<\/p>\n
In an interview published by NJ Spotlight News on Friday, the senator was asked whether he could see a path forward for more incremental marijuana policy reform, as he signaled he was considering at a\u00a0Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing<\/a> last week that he convened as chairman.<\/p>\n Booker has faced criticism from some advocates and stakeholders over his prior opposition to moving anything<\/a> in the Senate before comprehensive legalization was enacted.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, I\u2019m a compromise guy. New Jersey sent me down here to get things done\u2014not to make stands where I make good points but don\u2019t pass bills,\u201d the senator said.<\/p>\n Booker said that the new\u00a0Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA)<\/a> that he filed alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) is a \u201cgold standard bill\u201d for federal marijuana reform. But that doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s unwilling to take a more dialed-back approach to the issue.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m open to compromises that are going to achieve my goals of safety, of investment opportunities that are equal for business communities and, finally, to make sure we do something for all of these people right now who have marijuana possession charges that deserve some relief from the impact that it\u2019s having on their economic and family wellbeing,\u201d the senator said.<\/p>\n The reporter asked<\/a> Booker specifically whether that meant he would be open to advancing the bipartisan Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would provide protections for financial institutions that work with state-legal cannabis businesses.<\/p>\n Booker said that SAFE Banking is \u201cvery important\u201d legislation, and he\u2019s a \u201csupporter of that.\u201d However, he said he wants the bill to be \u201cbalanced with us having some restorative justice as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 To that end, Schumer has been holding high-level bicameral and bipartisan talks with different offices about possibly introducing a package of incremental marijuana reforms<\/a>, including the banking measure, that could reach the 60-vote threshold to pass in the Senate this year.<\/p>\n Both senators have indicated that they\u2019re aware of the fact that CAOA might not have enough support to move this session, so it\u2019s possible that various provisions of the legislation could be used as the basis for a different reform vehicle.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the bicameral sponsors of the SAFE Banking Act, Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), laid out next steps for the cannabis banking reform<\/a> last week at a briefing organized by the U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC).<\/p>\n Also at that briefing, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) said that he recently spoke with Booker about the pathway for marijuana reform this session, and they had a \u201cgreat conversation\u201d about finding areas of compromise.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the senator is fully aware of the consequences of this failed policy of prohibition in terms of what it does with the SAFE Banking Act and the threat that is made to the very communities he wants to support,\u201d the congressman said in response to a question from Marijuana Moment. \u201cI think he\u2019s trying to be able to thread the needle.\u201d<\/p>\n Perlmutter also said in a recent interview that he feels the introduction of CAOA alone in the Senate means that\u00a0lawmakers have overcome a legislative \u201churdle\u201d<\/a>\u00a0that\u2019s kept SAFE Banking from advancing in the chamber.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the third-highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, Assistant Majority Leader Patty Murray (D-WA)\u00a0signed on to CAOA following its introduction<\/a>, but in a statement, she also stressed that lawmakers must enact the bipartisan banking bill in the interim.<\/p>\n Majority Of Missouri Voters Back Marijuana Legalization, New Poll Finds As State Reviews Signatures For Ballot Initiative<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post Booker Says He\u2019s \u2018Open To Compromises\u2019 Such As Passing Marijuana Banking With Equity Provisions, Despite Filing \u2018Gold Standard\u2019 Legalization Bill<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) says that he\u2019s \u201copen to compromises\u201d on marijuana reform, including the possibility that the Senate pass modest cannabis banking legislation with social equity components before advancing a wide-ranging legalization bill that he introduced last month. In an interview published by NJ Spotlight News on Friday, theContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":56245,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56244"}],"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=56244"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56246,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56244\/revisions\/56246"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMarijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.<\/strong>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/a>
\nLearn more about our marijuana bill tracker<\/a> and become a supporter on Patreon<\/a> to get access.
\n\u2014<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n
\nRead More: Booker Says He\u2019s \u2018Open To Compromises\u2019 Such As Passing Marijuana Banking With Equity Provisions, Despite Filing \u2018Gold Standard\u2019 Legalization Bill<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"