Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has announced that he will introduce legislation to
decriminalize marijuana.
In a bold move, the senator announced his plans to introduce legislation that would legalize possession of the drug at the federal level during an interview with
Vice News. Schumer, who has served in the Senate for two decades, initially supported only medicinal marijuana but says his thinking has evolved.
In a post on
Medium, he explained that one reason for this evolution is how current laws affect people of color.
"A staggering number of American citizens, a disproportionate number of whom are African American and Latino, continue to be arrested every day for something that most Americans agree should not be a crime," Schumer wrote. "Meanwhile, those who are entering into the marijuana market in states that have legalized are set to make a fortune. This is not only misguided, but it undermines the basic principles of fairness and equal opportunity that are foundational to the American way of life."
While details on the bill are scarce,
CNN reports the legislation will allow states to figure out how to regulate marijuana. The bill will propose that federal law enforcement be pulled back from states that have legalized the drug, and there will also be a provision outlining federal regulation of marijuana advertising in order to prevent children from being targeted.
The senator's office further explained that the legislation will remove marijuana from the list of substances classified under the Controlled Substances Act.
"A bipartisan group of Senators is already working to tackle sentencing and criminal justice reform so our drug laws catch up to the realities of the world we live in today," Schumer wrote on Medium. "I hope my decriminalization plan will do the same. Over the next few months, I hope that I will have your support as I work to bring Democrats and Republicans together to better serve their constituents and support the rights of Americans to freely and safely use marijuana as they please."
