On Thursday, Senate Democrats, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) , announced a bill that would lift the federal ban on marijuana products.
If passed, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would give the power to states to create their own marijuana laws. The bill would also have the FDA monitor the products similar to requirements already in existence for alcohol and tobacco, according to ABC News.
Schumer, along with Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), proposed a bill to decriminalize marijuana on the federal level last July, according to POLITICO.
However, it appears to be unlikely that the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act will pass in the Senate, POLITCO noted.
"Cannabis legalization has proven immensely successful at the state level, so it is time that Congress catches up with the rest of the country," Schumer said on Thursday, per ABC News.
"I am proud to be the first Majority Leader ever to say that it is time to end the federal prohibition on cannabis, and this bill provides the best framework for updating our cannabis laws and reversing decades of harm inflicted by the war on drugs."
There have been 37 states, plus three U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C. that have legalized medical marijuana; while 19 states, two territories and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
71% of registered voters throughout all 50 states support the legalization of marijuana at the federal level, according to state-level polling data from Civiqs, per FiveThirtyEight.
Wyden tweeted on Thursday afternoon to announce the proposed bill, and said that, "It's past time for Congress to bring our nation's harmful, out-of-touch cannabis laws into the 21st century."
"Our bill will take a comprehensive approach to decriminalizing and regulating cannabis at the federal level, allowing states to make their own laws, and restoring the lives of those in communities disproportionately hurt by the war on drugs," Wyden tweeted.
"The overwhelming majority of Americans support legalization and live in a state where some form of cannabis is legal. Cannabis legalization is here, and Congress needs to get with the program," Wyden added.
In a news release posted to Booker's website, the Senator addressed the issues that marijuana laws have had on people of color in the United States.
“As more states legalize cannabis and work towards reversing the many injustices the failed War on Drugs levied against Black, Brown, and low-income people, the federal government continues to lag woefully behind," Booker said in a statement.
"With strong restorative justice provisions for communities impacted by the drug war, support for small cannabis businesses, and expungement of federal cannabis offenses, this bill reflects long overdue, common sense drug policy. I am proud to have partnered with Senators Schumer and Wyden to introduce this critical legislation. The support that we have received from committee chairs and outside groups underscores the historic nature of this bill and the urgent need for Congress to pass it."
"For far too long, the federal prohibition on cannabis and the War on Drugs has been a war on people, and particularly people of color," Schumer added in the statement.
"The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act will be a catalyst for change by removing cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances, protecting public health and safety, and expunging the criminal records of those with low-level cannabis offenses, providing millions with a new lease on life. A majority of Americans now support legalizing cannabis, and Congress must act by working to end decades of over-criminalization. It is time to end the federal prohibition on cannabis."
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