ACT NOW: Full federal legalization of cannabis gets a chance in the Senate

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), reintroduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), which would fully de-schedule cannabis, removing it from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

If passed, the CAOA would mark a transformational step forward for federal cannabis policy. And while the bill is highly unlikely to pass in this Congress, its reintroduction provides an important opportunity to urge and build support for federal legalization in the U.S. Senate. Particularly since, if Democrats retake control of the Senate in November, the CAOA — or something very close to it — is likely to be the primary Senate vehicle for legalization in the 120th Congress. 

Take action today: Ask your lawmaker to support federal de-scheduling by signing on as a co-sponsor of the CAOA!

The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would:

• Create public health guidelines, such as instructions for labeling, dosaging, manufacturing, and potency 
• Direct funds to state programs to deter youth usage and cannabis-impaired driving
• Implement a tax structure beginning at a 5% excise tax for small to medium producers, and a 10% excise tax for large producers 
• Expand research opportunities, including directing the VA to research ways medical cannabis can benefit veterans 
• Divert a portion of federal cannabis tax revenue to an Opportunity Trust Fund, which would benefit communities affected by the War on Drugs 
• Initiate automatic expungement for non-violent federal cannabis crimes and allow folks currently serving time to petition for re-sentencing
• Eliminate federal pre-employment and random drug testing for cannabis, while preserving necessary testing for sensitive, safety-critical roles 

Senator Booker has provided a detailed summary of CAOA, and the bill language is available here. 

While we are monitoring rescheduling developments closely, the truth is that cannabis and its natural extracts do not belong on the Schedule at all. Building support for federal legalization through bills like the CAOA is vitally important to push cannabis towards full de-scheduling.