Schumer’s weed push

Tokin’ a ‘legalize’ shot

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday released a “discussion draft” of legislation that would make marijuana federally legal — despite President Biden’s continued opposition to pot legalization.

The bill would remove the drug from the Controlled Substance Act and put the Food and Drug Administration in charge of regulation. States would be allowed to maintain their own laws against pot possession.

Schumer (D-NY) wrote in a tweet that it’s a “legislative proposal to end the federal prohibition on marijuana and repair damage done by the War on Drugs — especially in communities of color.”

The 163-page draft bill would apply a new federal tax that would be used to help minority groups enter the industry after bearing a disproportionate share of arrests, according to a breakdown by Marijuana Moment, a prominent cannabis policy publication.

The bill would allow for federal criminal records to be expunged and for current prisoners to be resentenced. Some are serving life without parole in federal prison for dealing marijuana, including Ismael Lira, 44, and Pedro Moreno, 61, who recently told The Post they want Biden to honor a campaign-trail pledge to release “everyone” in prison for marijuana.

Since 2012, 18 states, two US territories and Washington, DC, have legalized recreational pot use and voters in a 19th state — South Dakota — voted for legalization but the referendum is tied up in court.

The Justice Department has tolerated state-legal pot businesses, but risk-averse banks have cited fear of federal prohibition and possible money laundering charges to decline accounts to pot companies.