The sparse crowd of socially distanced lawmakers in Congress on Wednesday and the motorists at Thursday’s car rally in Georgia heard the same message: America is back, and so is an activist government.
So far, the Biden Administration’s signature “accomplishment” on marijuana has been to fire White House staffers for admitting they used cannabis, even in states where the drug is legal.
On the eve of his 100th day in office, Biden spoke about his plan to revive America’s economy and health as it continues to recover from a devastating pandemic.
In February, Schumer announced that his Senate would do what no other Senate has done, and introduce and pass legislation reforming federal marijuana policy.
As Politico reported on 4/20, Democratic senators from New Hampshire, Montana, and elsewhere have already said they won’t support a federal legalization plan.
For justification, Shaheen reached very deep into the drug-war bag and pulled out a version of gateway theory, suggesting that legal pot would turn more people onto deadly opiates.
Services hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 7, 2020.
Since 60 votes are needed to pass Senate legislation, and since there are only 50 Democrats in the Senate, Schumer needs every single Democrat as well as some Republicans.
Biden can keep that status quo intact without angering law-enforcement lobbies or social conservatives of the kind that Democratic strategists still believe are necessary to win votes in places like Georgia, Texas, and South Florida.
I’m an award-winning investigative reporter and I’ve covered the legalization movement and the cannabis industry with a political economy lens for more than a decade.