[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 27 (Thursday, February 10, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S620-S621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CANNABIS LEGISLATION

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, finally, on cannabis legislation. All 
of these issues I have mentioned--forced arbitration reform, 
appropriations, VAWA, and postal reform--have been bipartisan efforts. 
They reflect a commitment that Democrats made at the start of the year 
to work with the other side when the opportunities presented 
themselves, and I thank my Republican colleagues for working with us. 
Before I close, there is one more appeal I want to make for bipartisan 
cooperation, and that is on cannabis reform.
  This morning, I joined with Senators Booker and Wyden in sending a 
``Dear Colleague,'' inviting Members from both sides of the aisle to 
join in an effort to draft and finalize comprehensive cannabis reform. 
Last summer, I joined with Senators Booker and Wyden in introducing our 
framework legislation for Federal reform of cannabis, and we want to 
build on this framework as we prepare to introduce legislation in the 
near future.
  Today, millions--hundreds of millions of Americans live in States, 
both blue and red, where cannabis has been legalized in some way. It is 
long past time for the Federal Government to catch up.
  This is about individual freedom and about basic fairness. For 
decades, Federal cannabis laws have caused immense damage to millions 
of Americans, particularly Black and Hispanic people, who have been 
unfairly targeted by these laws. We need to change that. We need to 
create opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses to 
legitimately pursue new opportunities, and comprehensive Federal 
cannabis legislation is critical--critical--to reaching that goal.
  I want to thank Senators Booker and Wyden and all my colleagues who 
have worked with us on this important and long-overdue change. I hope 
we can make more progress on cannabis reform in the near future.

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