GOP congressman says Democrats are responsible for delaying marijuana legalization

By Jelena Martinovic

As we near the end of yet another year in which marijuana was not legalized at the federal level, there is a small shift of blame between the leading parties.

According to a GOP congressman, the Democrats are responsible for the failure of Congress to pass a law to legalize marijuana, writes Marijuana Moment.

Photo by Andy Feliciotti via Unsplash

What happened

Rep Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said during an episode of his Firebrand podcast last week that “Democrats, especially the Black Congress of Congress,” should be blamed for the fact that cannabis is still a List I drug – the considered more dangerous than opioids but does not offer any medicinal benefits.

Criticizing Democrats for insisting that legalization measures contain specific justice provisions ready to address the aftermath of the war on drugs, he stressed that they could be unnecessary and only delay the passage of the long-awaited and bipartisan federal cannabis reform .

Why it matters

Gaetz was one of the few Republicans in the House of Representatives who last year voted for the MORE Act, a law that could effectively decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. On the other hand, almost all Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to legalize cannabis, leading the charges against legalization.

RELATED: GOP Legislators Urge Biden and Harris to End Silence on Cannabis Legalization

Congressmen also shared his thoughts on the history of drug criminalization and the Congressional response to the opioid epidemic, arguing that the 117th Democrats cannot successfully move the marijuana bill. “

Photo by MmeEmil / Getty Images

RELATED: President Biden comes under pressure from all sides for his stance on cannabis legalization

The most recent breakthrough in this area, however, came from the two Republican lawmakers who recently passed new laws in the Senate poised to further streamline research into Schedule I drugs like marijuana and psilocybin.

What’s next

Stop All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act is designed to limit trafficking in strong opioids. The ancillary laws submitted by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) also contain provisions streamlining the research process for all Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, the strict category including psychedelics, such as LSD, mescaline and MDMA, except cannabis.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.