United States: Cannabis use soon to be decriminalized at federal level?

A week ago, New York Senator Chuck Schumer introduced a bill in the Senate aimed at decriminalizing cannabis use at the federal level by removing it from the list of controlled substances. He himself stated, «The time has come to decriminalize cannabis.».

The text, titled Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, also plans to’expunge criminal records for simple possession, thereby enabling better social integration for those who, in his view, have been unjustly criminalized by regressive laws.

The Objectives of the Law

This law is part of the progressive trend in the United States regarding cannabis legislation: 30 states have authorized medical cannabis, and 9 have legalized its recreational use. The law would therefore resolve the conflict between state and federal laws.

In addition to respecting the sovereignty of the states, the law would have primarily socioeconomic implications, as it would allow citizens of the states involved in legalization to enter a thriving industry that, in turn, would boost the U.S. economy. The senator emphasizes that this law would help integrate minorities—communities traditionally discriminated against by anti-drug laws, as well as women—into the nation’s economy and provides funding for this purpose. It also calls for investment in the public health sector to deepen our understanding of cannabis’s impact on health.

What does the future hold for this bill?

Let’s be honest: this bill is ambitious and is likely to be significantly amended if it is passed. However, it is co-sponsored by Bernie Sanders, Tim Kaine, and Tammy Duckworth—all influential senators—and Trump currently seems fairly conciliatory on this issue. The bill must be presented to Congress, where it will need to win bipartisan approval, as the initiative comes from the Democratic Party, which holds a minority in Congress.