Federal Decriminalization of Marijuana Seems Inevitable
The Democrats have been less willing than many liberty minded Republicans when it came to the legalization of drugs. However, the often bipartisan passage of legalization — already in nine states, with other states considering it — momentum for decriminalization on a federal level seems inevitable.
Decriminalization on a federal level does not mean it would be legal in every state, but would have a profound on the states when it comes to the drug. It would almost immediately make it no longer an issue for states that legalized it and it would encourage states that are debating states to “take the plunge” towards legalization.
A big step towards decriminalization can be found in a statement that USA Business Radio has obtained from the Democratic Leader of the US Senate, Chuck Schumer (D-NY). In the statement it stated that Schumer “announced his support – for the first time – for decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, as well as plans to introduce new legislation in the United States Senate to do so. Specifically, Leader Schumer’s legislation would remove marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, effectively decriminalizing it at the federal level.”
Schumer was quoted as saying “The time has come to decriminalize marijuana. My thinking – as well as the general population’s views – on the issue has evolved, and so I believe there’s no better time than the present to get this done. It’s simply the right thing to do. This legislation would let the states be the laboratories that they should be, ensure that woman and minority owned business have a fair shot in the marijuana industry, invests in critical research on THC, and ensures that advertisers can’t target children – it’s a balanced approach.”
Sen. Schumer’s office said the legislation would meet the following objectives:
Specifically, Leader Schumer’s new legislation would:
- Decriminalize Marijuana: The legislation would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level by descheduling it, removing if from the U.S. Controlled Substances Act of 1970 schedule;
- Respect States’ Rights: The legislation would maintain federal law enforcement’s authority to prevent marijuana interstate trafficking in states that have not legalized it.
- Invest In Public Health: The legislation would invest in public health research to better understand the impact of THC on the brain and the effectiveness of medicinal marijuana for specific medical conditions; and
- Protect Children: The legislation would maintain the federal government’s authority to regulate marijuana advertising in the same way it does alcohol and tobacco advertising. This helps ensure that marijuana businesses are not allowed to target children in their advertisements.
Decriminalization advocates received a significant boost when President Trump agreed to support state rights efforts in legalizing drugs. CNBC reports “President Donald Trump promised Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado he would support efforts to protect states that have legalized marijuana, ending a standoff on Department of Justice nominations.”
The Colorado Republican said in a statement that “Since the campaign, President Trump has consistently supported states’ rights to decide for themselves how best to approach marijuana. Late Wednesday, I received a commitment from the President that the Department of Justice’s rescission of the Cole memo will not impact Colorado’s legal marijuana industry.” This appears part of a deal between Trump and Gardner. The Senator would stop holding up the approval of Trump’s appointments in the Senate and Trump would take this more conciliatory approach towards states and marijuana.
The jury is out on whether such a policy change will make things better for Americans. There is no doubt that the use of marijuana can have a disastrous results on lives. It can lead as a gateway to other, more dangerous, drugs. Meanwhile, marijuana use itself can lead to employment issues, family problems, and other concerns.
On the other hand there are many in the drug recovery fields that believe drugs are dangerous, many would like to see it treated more like a disease. Also, although the US only has 5 percent of the world’s population, we have over 20 percent of the world’s prison population. Some number suggest that a huge number of them are in prison because of our federal drug laws. A different approach — promoted by the “laboratories of the states,” might lead to more effectual drug policies nationwide.
