Senate Democrats to introduce bill that will end federal marijuana ban

Senate Democrats on Wednesday will move to further legislation that seeks to end federal prohibition of marijuana and remove it from the list of controlled substances issued by the government.

The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would officially remove marijuana from the Controlled Substance Act, making it regulatable and taxable. At present, the substance is classified as a Schedule I drug, a category of drugs that are completely illegal.

In the case of the proposal becoming law, it would enable Congress to put in place rules on the rapidly growing pot industry. The sector is currently governed by various laws in states where the substance is already legal.

“By ending the failed federal prohibition of cannabis, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act will ensure that Americans especially Black and Brown Americans no longer have to fear arrest or be barred from public housing or federal financial aid for higher education for using cannabis in states where it’s legal,” a draft of the legislation states.

Furthermore, the bill proposes that individuals arrested and convicted of non-violent marijuana charges have their records expunged from the federal database.

The proposed bill emphasizes the already existing legalization laws in the District of Columbia and 18 states, along with the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. Marijuana is legal for medical use in 37 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Today, more than 90% of Americans believe cannabis should be legal either for adult or medical use Despite legalization under state law and broad public support for cannabis legalization cannabis remains illegal under federal law,” the draft bill says.

The House passed legislation last year to remove marijuana from the controlled substances list and reintroduced the bill in May.