A trio of Democratic U.S. senators on Thursday reintroduced a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level. The refiling of the measure, which was originally introduced in 2021, comes as the Trump administration weighs a less comprehensive proposal to reclassify cannabis under federal drug laws.
The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) would remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), ending the criminal prohibition of marijuana at the national level and allowing the states to adopt their own laws to regulate the drug. So far, 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana, while 35 has passed legislation to permit the medicinal use of cannabis.
Thursday’s reintroduction of the measure was led by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. They were joined by 14 of their Democratic colleagues in the Senate, who have signed on as co-sponsors of the legislation.
“The only reefer madness I’m seeing is the continued federal prohibition of cannabis,” Wyden said in a statement about the bill. “Our legislation is the most comprehensive proposal on the books to end federal cannabis prohibition while keeping public health and safety front and center. The federal government needs to get with the times, and our bill is the way to do it.”
Reintroduced Bill Regulates Marijuana At The Federal Level
The legislation would also establish a federal regulatory framework for marijuana designed to protect public health and safety while addressing the harms caused by decades of cannabis prohibition. Additionally, the legislation provides funding for cannabis research, ends discrimination against marijuana users in the determination of eligibility for federal benefits and strengthens protections for workers.
The CAOA would also regulate and tax marijuana at the federal level, with jurisdiction over cannabis transferred to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). A federal excise tax on cannabis products would be levied, and market competition rules to protect independent producers, wholesalers, and retailers and prevent anti-competitive behavior would be established. The bill also directs the Food and Drug Administration to establish standards for the labeling of cannabis products, including potency, dosage, servings, place of manufacture and directions for use.
The legislation prioritizes restorative justice by using federal tax dollars for a trust fund to reinvest in communities and individuals most harmed by the failed War on Drugs. The measure also provides funding to help minimize barriers to cannabis licensing and employment for individuals adversely impacted by decades of marijuana criminalization.
“For decades, generations have suffered unjustly under the failed War on Drugs and broken cannabis laws—hurting primarily people of color. It is long overdue that we stand up for them,” Booker said in a statement. “I am proud to reintroduce this commonsense legislation, which will dismantle the unjust and outdated federal marijuana prohibition, establish a federal regulatory framework to protect public health and safety, expunge past convictions for low-level cannabis offenses, and deliver restorative justice to the communities most harmed by decades of failed drug policy.”
Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act Nixes Looming Hemp THC Ban
While this year’s CAOA is nearly the same as previous versions of the legislation, the measure introduced this week also addresses hemp THC products, Marijuana Moment reported. If adopted, the bill would negate a ban on hemp products with intoxicating cannabinoids slated to go into effect this fall.
“The over-criminalization of cannabis has destroyed far too many lives, disproportionately harming communities of color,” said Schumer. “Our Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act is necessary and would correct historical wrongs while investing in safety, research, workers’ rights, and banking accessibility for industry. The movement is budding, and I won’t stop until restorative justice is achieved. The American people overwhelmingly support the federal legalization of cannabis—it’s long past time the government caught up.”
The reintroduction of CAOA was quickly applauded by cannabis policy reform advocates including Morgan Fox, political director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
“The continued federal prohibition of marijuana is increasingly out of step with public opinion, state laws, and scientific evidence,” Fox said on Thursday in a statement from the group. “Nearly all Americans live in jurisdictions where cannabis is legal for either medical or adult use. It is time for Congress to enact policies that reflect this reality and finally bring the failed experiment of marijuana prohibition to a close.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com