With Joe Biden just sworn in and the Democrats in control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, federal decriminalization of cannabis is now just a matter of formalities. A first step towards legalization is expected this spring.
While the first Executive Orders signed yesterday by Joe Biden on the Resolute Desk were devoted to the Covid crisis and aid for distressed households, the federal decriminalization of cannabis remains among the most eagerly awaited decisions to come.
For the 46th President of the United States and his administration, all the lights are now green for the progressive initiative to succeed.
A historic liberation whose texts, ratified by Parliament and the Senate, should reach the Oval Office in the coming weeks for final validation by the new tenant of the White House.
Senate under Democratic control
Since January 20, Chuck Schumer – a Democrat elected from New York State and a fervent pro-legalization advocate – has presided over the Senate. Replacing Mitch McConnell, the Republican senator who had no hesitation in dumping Trump after the attack on the Capitol.
In addition to this advantage in the Senate chamber, a growing number of states, most recently New Jersey, have legalized cannabis.
Nearly a third of senators – 30 to be exact – now come from states that allow the sale and consumption of ganja for recreational use.
More importantly, of its 30 senators, six are Republicans. Like U.S. Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado in 2014, they will have to give in to the demands of their constituents, who are overwhelmingly in favor of legalization, and team up with the Democrats to end the federal ban on cannabis.
Decriminalisation and liberation
The measure will decriminalize cannabis at federal level, and oblige federal courts to expunge previous convictions for weed consumption or resale (as long as no violence has been perpetrated and the perpetrator has never been tried for a serious crime).
It will allow many people convicted of drug use or petty dealing to get out of prison. The reform will also tax cannabis sales to help communities hardest hit by the war on hard drugs. The reform will also fund vocational training programs and provide loans to small businesses (Small Business Administration ). A boost for cannabis entrepreneurship that will enable minorities, currently sidelined from the ganja-business, to enter the legal weed industry.
The first head of state to be received at the White House is Justin Trudeau, who arrives in Washington today with an ultra-positive record on the legalization of cannabis in Canada.
Joe Biden is said to be most emphatic, displaying a rare ability to listen and open up.
It’s up to our brilliant Prime Minister to do the rest.
