Members of Congress Launch Cannabis Legalization Petition

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap] few democratic members of Congress are trying to end prohibition by circulating a petition entitled “It’s Past Time: End the Federal Prohibition of Marijuana,” which urges supporters to help legalize cannabis at the federal level.

So far, Sen. Ron Wyden (Oregon) and Reps. Earl Blumenauer (Oregon), Pramila Jayapal (Washington), Julia Brownley (California), Jared Huffman (California), Ro Khanna (California), Mark Pocan (Wisconsin) and Jim McGovern (Massachusetts), have authorized and contributed to the effort. “Marijuana criminalization has sent hundreds of thousands of nonviolent offenders to prison, ruining lives and shattering families,” the petition states. “It’s denied patients access to crucial medication. It’s allowed the Trump administration to threaten a pointless federal crackdown in the states that have already legalized marijuana. It’s wasted billions of dollars in an ill-conceived war on drug while forgoing billions more in potential revenue.”

While this petition may seem to some like a giant leap forward, it definitely isn’t lacking support when it comes to democrat voters. According to a recent Gallup poll, 75 percent of democratic voters favor legalizing cannabis. 

Furthermore, according to Marijuana Business Daily, Congress is planning on holding a historic hearing that could change the current status of cannabis in the U.S. This hearing, to be held July 10, could also play a part in ending federal prohibition.  “When it comes to ending federal prohibition, the connection between business and social justice are linked at the hip,” Neal Levine, CEO of the Cannabis Trade Federation (CTF), told Marijuana Business Daily.

There are currently many avenues that could lead to the end of federal prohibition, in spite of which party or administration is in the White House. There is also currently a move to federally protect states with medical cannabis as well as to protect veterans nation-wide from losing cannabis benefits.