What’s Going on With Marijuana Legislation?

The world of marijuana has revolved around the legislation that allows it to flourish for quite some time now. Although the majority of the U.S. has stated that they are in favor of legalizing the substance on a broad scale, not much has been done from the federal level to do so. Despite this, cannabis has shown itself to be quite a large part of our present and past. With so much about cannabis in question, some states have chosen to move forward with new laws.

New York State Senator Kirsten Gillibrand recently stated that she has unveiled a plan to legalize the substance if she wins the presidency. She has stated that the ending of prohibition is one of the most important parts of her candidacy and that the legislative status of the substance has a negative effect on underprivileged communities. She stated that “these are real injustices that affect millions of Americans and multiple areas of our society, and it’s past time to get to work making them right.”

Her plan would effectively allow the marijuana industry to become highly regulated, which involved implementing a tax for production of cannabis as well as helping to solve the nonviolent convictions for marijuana-related crime issues. Additionally, she has stated that the taxes will help to expand access to the substance through investing in research and how the substance can benefit a large portion of those who need it.

She went on to state that “We’ve made great progress in recent years on legalizing marijuana at the state and municipal level, and we’ve seen the positive benefits in states like Colorado, Washington, and more. But a state-by-state patchwork is not enough to tackle the deeply rooted racial, social, and economic injustices within our marijuana laws, or to fully unleash the economic equity and opportunity of marijuana legalization.” States such as Colorado and Washington have set a widespread example for how a legal cannabis industry can run effectively, but it is only a matter of time before we see this on a large scale.

Gillibrand, however, is not the only candidate for the 2020 race that is showing positivity toward legalizing cannabis. It appears as though this is high on the list of priority for several of those running for office. Gillibrand went on to state that “with this plan, we can begin to dismantle the institutional racism in our criminal justice system, open up important new medical and economic horizons, and lift up communities who need and deserve a fair shot at opportunity.”

All in all, the wave for cannabis looks to be well on the way to being executed. The only issue that remains is that of those who oppose the new potential laws. The hopes are that with the new candidates running for office in 2020, cannabis may finally see its day of legalization. Only time will tell whether or not this can become a reality and how long it will take, but things look to be well on the way.