US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced at a press conference on Friday that he intends to formally introduce the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) in April. The forthcoming legislation, which was released in draft form last July, repeals federal marijuana prohibition by removing cannabis from the US Controlled Substances Act. Speaking at the event, Sen. Schumer said: “In the coming weeks, we’re ramping up our outreach and we expect to introduce final legislation. Our goal is to do it in April. Then we begin the nationwide push, spearheaded by New York, to get the federal law done. As the majority leader, I can set priorities. This is a priority for me.” NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox responded: “We are enthusiastic that the Senator is moving forward on his promise to prioritize cannabis policy reform in the 117th Congress. It is our hope that the official introduction of CAOA jumpstarts hearings and debates in the Upper Chamber — debates that are long overdue.” In past months, Senate leadership has received criticism for both the slow rollout of the CAOA and for failing to support efforts to enact more incremental federal legislation, such as The SAFE Banking Act, which has
NORML, 02/06/2022 19:00:00