Congressional Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Issue Statement Calling for Cannabis Reform on 4/20
WASHINGTON, D.C.?– Today, Congressional Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Lee (D-CA), Blumenauer (D-OR), Joyce (R-OH) and Mast (R-FL) released the following statement celebrating recent progress on cannabis reform:
“When the Congressional Cannabis Caucus was founded in 2017, it set out to create a forum where members from both parties could engage, discuss, and learn about the need to establish a more rational approach to federal cannabis policy. In the years since, we have watched cannabis reform gain more momentum with the American people than ever before.
“Our Caucus has worked to translate this momentum to action in Congress, including the passage of both the MORE Act and the Medical Marijuana Research Act in the House leading up to this year’s 4/20, and introduced numerous other pieces of legislation such as the STATES Act, the Veterans Safe Harbor Act, the HOPE Act and the PREPARE Act. Our Caucus is eager to work with the Senate to send transformative, impactful cannabis reform legislation to President Biden’s desk.
“We have also gained over 300 bipartisan supporters for the SAFE Banking Act, which has passed the House in some form six times and would finally grant state-legal cannabis programs access to banking services.
“This Congress has a rare opportunity to reimage the way the federal government addresses cannabis. And while we celebrate the progress we’ve initiated, we know there is more to do to bring an end to the federal government’s prohibition of cannabis and remedy the disastrous impacts of the failed war on drugs. The American people have called for change, and we will continue to be a leading force for that change here in Washington to ensure it becomes reality.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.