Republicans & Democrats Join Together in Senate to Legalize Pot on Federal Level

Politicians are currently working on a bill for marijuana legalization.

Senators from both political parties are going against Attorney Jeff Sessions and his ineffective war on cannabis, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rand Paul (R-KY) have co-sponsored a bill that would work to legalize marijuana.

“The fact is our marijuana laws in America are broken,” Democratic Sen. Cory Booker said when introducing the bill at the Capitol. “They are savagely broken, and the jagged pieces are hurting American people.”

The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States, or CARERS, Act would de-classify marijuana under the Controlled Substance Act. This would permit states the authority over their own policies for the distribution, possession, and production of medical cannabis.

The bill was first brought up in 2015 as the first medical marijuana legislation in the US Senate. The legislation has increased support now with the addition of Republican Senator Mike Lee and Lisa Murkowski, and Democratic Senator Al Franken. This bill is very similar to the bipartisan legislation that was brought up by Representatives Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Tom Garrett (R-VA) to exempt cannabis from the federal Controlled Substance Act (CSA) in February, and shows that both parties are starting to see some of their own beginning to support the issue.

The CARERS Act mainly addresses veterans ability to possess medical cannabis. SB-683 will press the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to permit VA health care providers to give veterans opinions/recommendations to participate in medical marijuana programs in their states.

“The reintroduction of the CARERS Act is the first of many steps we hope this Congress will take to end the federal prohibition of medical marijuana,” says Don Murphy, director of conservative outreach for the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement.

“Polls show overwhelmingly strong support for medical marijuana, and it spans the political spectrum.The federal government should not be meddling in state laws that allow it or obstructing research into its many medical benefits.”

This bill comes at a time when cannabis prohibition in America is becoming strengthened under Jeff Sessions. After Sessions sent private letters to congressional leaders asking them to label medical marijuana patients into criminals, Democrats and Republicans set their opinions aside and join together in warding off Session’s inept policy.

“I believe it would be unwise for Congress to restrict the discretion of the Department to fund particular prosecutions, particularly in the midst of an historic drug epidemic and potentially long-term uptick in violent crime,” Sessions penned. “The Department must be in a position to use all laws available to combat the transnational drug organizations and dangerous drug traffickers who threaten American lives.”

Many senators are holding Sessions accountable for his opposition towards cannabis, highlighting that despite prohibition, it has saved many lives of children from deadly seizures.

Sen. Booker said, “I dare him to sit down with families and listen to their stories and then pursue a policy like he’s advocating for now,” in response to the private letter sent by Sessions.

The Cannabis Manifesto: A New Paradigm for Wellness

Based on Sessions’ narrow mind and lack of education on marijuana, he would support the arrests of parents and their children for cannabis possession. The Rolling Stone reports that supporters of the bill believe it is gaining support despite the battle. Additionally, many Republican states have passed some form of legal cannabis laws.

“I believe things are changing and they’re changing fast,” Sen. Gillibrand tells Rolling Stone. “I think we will get the support we need.”

Times are changing and society is becoming less supportive of jailing innocent people for cannabis possession. There also is a wave of understanding growing in the country that cannabis is medicinal and could combat the current opioid epidemic.

Those who support locking up people for cannabis possession, should do right by joining sides with us to end persecution of cannabis users. Without State enforcer’s willing to jail people for simple possession, the prohibition is as weak and nothing but a piece of paper.

Source: Free Thought Project

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