Last week, New York announced its decision to legalize marijuana, following a slew of other states that either done the same or decriminalized it. There is a nationwide softening on the perception of cannabis and as the states change their laws there are many pushing for the all-important next step: federal reform.
New York’s very own Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been a proponent of the idea, even nudging President Biden at times, for what he feels be an eventuality regardless of the President’s final decision on the subject. So far, the president’s stance is to not interfere with each state’s decision on recreational cannabis use but does support its decriminalization at a federal level.
Schumer wants to compromise with Republicans on a bill that is comprehensive in nature, but he has been vocal about certain issues he will not budge on, like expunging past conviction records – an idea that many Republicans are not very keen on. However, Schumer mentioned that there are actually senate Republicans who are in favor of no longer considering cannabis as a controlled substance.
A Gallup Poll taken six months ago showed that a staggering 68% of Americans are in favor of marijuana legalization, a trend that has been on the rise since 1972 when it was at a meager 12% approval.
As one might expect the group with the highest approval are those between 18-29 years of age and surprisingly (or not) more college grads approve of the idea than non-college grads, shaking off the common misconception that a “pot smoker” is usually poorly educated. Further, those in the $100,000 income bracket are in larger favor than those who make less money.
There is overwhelming public support for marijuana legalization and if politicians are doing their job and placing personal bias aside, they will abide by the will of the people. The lion’s share of resistance comes from Republican Conservatives
