Seven Mayors Ask Federal Government to Deschedule Cannabis

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he mayors of the cities of Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and West Sacramento sponsored a resolution on June 11 to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Boston, Massachusetts.

The mayors indicated that they are all dealing with the same problems—problems that need to be addressed by the federal government.

Mayors are the ones implementing legal marijuana. We know what works & what doesn’t. Teaming up w/ @MarkFarrellSF, @MayorJenny, @LibbySchaaf, @tedwheeler & @mayorheidi in a first-of-its-kind coalition to help cities, states & Congress prepare for legalization #MayorsMJCoalition pic.twitter.com/M6TCORQc5P

— Michael B. Hancock (@MayorHancock) June 11, 2018

“As mayors of cities that have successfully implemented and managed this new industry, we have hands-on experience that can help Congress take the right steps to support other local governments as they prepare to enter this new frontier,” stated Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, who led the coalition. “We all face common challenges.”

The mayors of Oakland, California and Thornton, Colorado are not official sponsors, but also asked for cannabis reform. The coalition is also asking for the federal government to uphold Obama-era protections on banks that cater to cannabis businesses. They also asked city officials of cities that have legalized cannabis to expunge prior convictions.

“Cannabis prohibition has failed,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told The Chicago Tribune. “It has failed to keep our children safe, it has failed law enforcement, and it has especially failed communities of color disproportionately targeted and prosecuted for low-level drug offenses.”

Most of the excitement is due to President Trump’s recent statements about the possibility of supporting federal cannabis reform. Now that the resolution has been approved, the U.S. Conference of Mayors will create recommendations on federal policy to submit to Congress starting next year.