Is Marijuana Closer Toward Federal Legalization

The U.S. has notoriously fallen behind when it comes to legalizing cannabis. Because of this, many statewide markets have found it extremely difficult to run efficiently. A series of news has been showing that this is changing into the near future. While most of this is still very much up in the air, it seems as though we are closer than ever to seeing legal weed be a possibility.

A Landmark Movement From the Feds

Lawmakers in the U.S recently weighed in on what could be a landmark hearing for the world of cannabis. With a large amount of the officials in the hearing stating that they would like to see marijuana legalized, the hearing could help to change the future of the substance. Tom McClintock, a Representative from California stated that

“marijuana decriminalization may be one of the very few issues upon which bipartisan agreement can still be reached in this session. It ought to be crystal clear to everyone that our laws have not accomplished these goals.”

Despite legislation falling behind, it is evident that the public would like to begin legalizing weed. So far in the U.S., as many as eleven states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. This just goes to show that these individual markets can function well when the legislation makes sense.

Moving Forward in the Industry

Representative Karen Bass from California stated that “there is a growing consensus in this country that the current marijuana laws are not appropriate and we must consider reform. Today’s hearing is a first step in that process.” The lawmakers in the hearing, however, would not be able to legalize cannabis on their own.

The main issue is that cannabis is still considered to be a Schedule I narcotic. This means that the government views cannabis on the same level as deadly narcotics that fill the streets. The government has shown that they are far behind when it comes to the truth about cannabis.

Changing the Laws in Favor of the Public

Baltimore’s state attorney stated that “we need to reinvest in those individuals and those communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition.”

This is another factor that is very clear. Those who have been incarcerated for non-violent marijuana-related offenses, deserve to have a new opportunity. As we move forward the hopes that new laws continue to shift the way that the public deal with marijuana. Only time will tell if hearings like these can truly affect cannabis law in the U.S.