Chuck Schumer has just released the details of his long-awaited law to legalize weeds

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has finally unveiled the first draft of a landmark bill that would end the federal cannabis ban once and for all.

Schumer initially announced that he was working with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to propose substantial cannabis reform law as early as February. Now the legislature has finally released the complete first draft of their law for public comment. This 163-page bill, officially bearing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, would move cannabis to the federal level, eradicate former cannabis crimes, and lift many cannabis-related federal penalties and restrictions.

“The war on drugs was a war against people – especially people of color,” said the senators in the summary of the bill, reports Marijuana Moment. “The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act aims to end the decades of damage inflicted on color communities by removing cannabis from the federal controlled substances list and empowering states to implement their own cannabis laws. The abolition of cannabis is a crucial step in achieving justice for those hit and hard hit by the war on drugs. But that alone is not enough. “

Most importantly, the bill would completely remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. However, that law wouldn’t legalize weed across the United States right away. Individual states could continue to ban cannabis if they so choose, but federal agencies would be prevented from interfering in states that have chosen to legalize it. Federal law enforcement agencies would no longer be able to arrest people for weed crimes unless they violated state law.

Unscheduled cannabis would immediately remove many of the excessive restrictions associated with the sale or use of controlled substances. Legal cannabis companies could open bank accounts, take out loans, or list on the US stock exchange. Federal agencies could no longer deny cannabis users employment, social housing, or other assistance, and veterans could finally get medical marijuana from their doctors without risking losing their services.

The bill also contains a significant number of restorative and social justice measures. Federal courts would have to automatically identify and eliminate any nonviolent weeding offense, and anyone currently in jail or facing a sentence could request that their charges be dropped. Several grant programs would also be put in place to provide vocational training, re-entry and other services for those most harmed by the war on drugs. Grants would also be provided to help members of marginalized communities start their own legal cannabis businesses.

To fund these programs, the bill would impose federal sales tax on all legal cannabis sales. That tax would be 10 percent for the first two years after the law was passed and then increase by 5 percent annually until it reaches 25 percent. After 5 years, the Feds would also impose an additional THC tax per weight on any legal cannabis product. But to encourage small businesses, the proposal would allow pot companies making less than $ 20 million a year to lower their tax rate by 50 percent.

If passed, the law would transfer most of the cannabis regulatory agency from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA would regulate the manufacture, marketing, and safety of cannabis products and packaging across the country. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) would be responsible for taking action against anyone who violates these new cannabis laws, and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) would be in control of sales practices and tax revenues in the Retail take over collection.

The Senators now hope to gather feedback that will help them revise this mammoth proposal. Specifically, lawmakers want to hear opinions on best practices for testing and regulating legal cannabis products at the federal level, ways to support low-income people in the industry, and ideas for coordinating the responsibilities of federal and state law enforcement agencies to enforce cannabis regulations. Anyone who would like to comment can send an email to [email protected] until September 1st

“Our top priority is to ensure that Americans who choose to use cannabis responsibly are no longer discriminated against under the law,” said Justin Strekal, NORML Political Director, in a statement. “With one in eight Americans opting for semi-regular use, including nearly one in four veterans, we must end the practice of arresting over 500,000 Americans each year and denying countless others employment, housing, and other civil rights if we are.” to truly be the ‘land of the free’. The federal government can take great strides to rectify this situation by pushing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act forward in the legislative process. “

The cannabis reform has received bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, so the bill actually has some chance of getting passed if lawmakers can reveal the details before the 2022 midterm elections. Unfortunately, President Biden has proposed opposition to any substantial attempt at state legalization, so it is unclear whether he would sign or veto this historic law.