Democratic senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), are \u201ctrying to recruit Republicans\u201d to join them in the push for federal marijuana legalization, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) said at an event ahead of 4\/20, which another lawmaker said is a holiday that should be celebrated \u201cevery day\u201d this year as advocates work to get reform \u201cacross the finish line.\u201d<\/p>\n
At a press briefing organized by the Last Prisoner Project (LPP) on Wednesday, multiple congressional champions of cannabis legalization marked progress in the fight to end prohibition.<\/p>\n
As Schumer, Wyden and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) prepare to file a bill to federally legalize marijuana later this month<\/a>, Wyden said the trio are \u201cout right now trying to recruit Republicans to join in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want you to hear what my message is. I\u2019m gonna say one word: Deschedule,\u201d he said. \u201cDescheduling ought to be a Republican dream\u2026 Sometimes I think they\u2019re only for states\u2019 rights if they think the state is right.\u201d<\/p>\n Schumer, meanwhile, applauded advocates and discussed his work on legalization and cannabis banking reform in a pre-recorded video that was shared with Marijuana Moment ahead of a National Cannabis Policy Summit on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cMy commitment to ending federal prohibition on cannabis remains as strong as ever,\u201d he said. \u201cAs many of you know, cannabis reform is an issue I\u2019ve cared about, and I\u2019ve been working hard on, for years. And as many of you know, momentum is now in our favor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere in Congress, we\u2019re making some good progress,\u201d he said, pointing to the Senate Banking Committee passage of the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act<\/a> last September. Schumer also reiterated his interest in attaching a measure to incentivize state-level cannabis expungements to the legislation when it\u2019s brought to the floor.<\/p>\n The majority leader also talked about his forthcoming Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) to legalize marijuana.<\/p>\n \u201cCannabis legalization has proven successful at the state level. It\u2019s high time that Congress catches up with the rest of the country,\u201d Schumer said<\/a>. \u201cOf course, we know none of this is easy, especially in divided government. We need all of you to continue reaching out to members, especially Republican members, so we can make cannabis reform a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n