United States: Federal cannabis legalization proposal to keep tobacco and alcohol giants at bay

She's coming «soon» and «We absolutely must see this through to the end.» on the federal legalization of cannabis in the United States. These are the words of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat. He and the 99 other senators are currently drafting a bill that would legalize cannabis in all 50 states of «the great United States.».

Currently, the use of so-called «recreational» cannabis is permitted in about 15 states, but not at the federal level. According to Senator Schumer, this is expected to change soon. «We want to get this bill passed. It’s time. The American people support it. We’re asking everyone to tell their representatives and senators that this has taken too long. It’s a matter of justice, justice, justice—but also of freedom.», the Democratic lawmaker argued in a speech on the steps of the Senate.

The political climate is favorable. The U.S. Senate is slightly controlled by the Democrats, with 51 out of 100 seats. If the bill passes the Senate, it will then have to go through the House of Representatives. There, too, the Democratic Party holds a majority, with 219 members, compared to 211 for the Republicans. Next, President Joe Biden will have to sign the federal bill into law. And the Democrat, elected in November 2020, promised to decriminalize cannabis in his platform.

Keep the tobacco and alcohol giants at bay

There is still a long way to go before it reaches the White House. The bill is currently being drafted by the Senate. But Chuck Schumer can already count on the support of Senate heavyweights, such as the Democratic chairman of the Finance Committee, Ron Wyden. «Americans will no longer tolerate procrastination on the part of the federal government. It's as if the government were stuck in a time loop!», takes a swipe at this elected official from Oregon, where cannabis was legalized in 2014.

Ron Wyden, Chuck Schumer, and the other senators have already outlined their bill. The guiding principle? «We don’t want big tobacco and alcohol companies to come in and take control. The legislation we’re drafting will ensure that small businesses—and those owned by minorities—have the upper hand. Minorities have paid the price for the cannabis ban for years. They should at least get something in return.», promises the Senate majority leader.

Schumer had had already proposed the decriminalization of cannabis in 2018, during the Donald Trump administration. Today, the winds are in our favor. And so is public opinion. In a recent survey conducted in November, at the time of the elections, 68 % of Americans said they were in favor of a marijuana legal in the United States. Such a high score had never been achieved before.