US Democrats, together with Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, are planning to reintroduce a federal hashish decriminalization invoice.

In a ‘letter to colleagues’, seen by Politico, Schumer, Senator Ron Wyden, and Senator Cory Booker have known as on different Senators to co-sponsor the Hashish Administration and Alternative Act (CAOA).

The CAOA was initially launched by the trio as a dialogue draft in 2021, and was then formally launched in July 2022 however did not make any progress in Congress.

It’s understood that the brand new invoice, now set to be reintroduced ‘by the top of April’, stays largely unchanged from the invoice that was launched two years in the past.

In a nutshell, the CAOA goals ‘to decriminalize, regulate, and tax hashish’, eradicating it from Schedule I of the CSA and regulating it in an analogous vein to alcohol.

“The query in the present day is just not whether or not hashish needs to be authorized—many states have already moved forward,” the letter learn.

“The query now’s whether or not hashish needs to be topic to the identical excessive regulatory requirements, based mostly on preserving public well being and security, that apply to alcohol and tobacco. Federal regulation is lengthy overdue to make sure that hashish merchandise are as secure as potential, to forestall entry by youngsters and adults youthful than 21, and to make sure that state and native jurisdictions have the sources they should fight impaired driving.”

A separate letter to colleagues was penned by Schumer simply days earlier, reaffirming his dedication to passing the SAFER Banking Act this yr.

The letter, revealed on April 05, laid out Schumer’s agenda for the upcoming work interval, highlighting the necessity for bipartisan assist to make any progress on a big selection of points dealing with the nation.

Whereas the SAFER Banking Act made it additional than ever within the final legislative session, it’s pending Senate flooring motion.