Schumer pushes Senate on pot laws

WASHINGTON — Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing the Senate toward lifting the federal prohibition on marijuana with legislation that would represent the biggest overhaul of federal drug policy in decades.

The bill that Schumer is drafting with Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden of Oregon and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is still being written. Though they avoided the term legalization when announcing their plan, it is expected to remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances and tax and regulate it on the federal level while leaving states able to enforce their own laws regarding the drug.

Their proposal goes beyond decriminalization, which President Biden voiced support for during his campaign, and may be a stretch for some Senate Democrats. But it taps into building public sentiment for legalization and moves by states to change marijuana laws, including Schumer’s home state.

New York became the 16th state to legalize pot for recreational use. The Assembly and Senate passed a bill that would allow personal cultivation as well as taxing and regulating commercial sales, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the legislation Wednesday. Several other states also are moving toward legalization.

In Washington, the House passed a major decriminalization bill in December for the first time but it was kept off the Senate floor by thenMajority Leader Mitch McConnell. Prospects for revamping marijuana laws have vastly improved with Schumer now in charge of the Senate’s agenda, but getting the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster remains a major challenge.