With the November election just over four months away, and with the presidency, the entire US House, and a third of the Senate up for grabs, a stark contrast has emerged between the Democrats and Republicans.
The Biden Administration is moving to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III, officially recognizing its medical value. In contrast, House Republicans are attempting to pass legislation to block this change.
While 89 Democratic members of the House of Representatives and 18 senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, are working to pass legislation to deschedule marijuana, not a single Republican has endorsed the the move. The most prominent Republican-backed marijuana bill, the Stop Pot Act, aims to keep marijuana in Schedule I and withhold federal funds from states that legalize it.
Moreover, the House Republican Policy Committee recently issued a report opposing the SAFE and SAFER Banking Acts, which would facilitate marijuana banking, and legislation to remove past marijuana use as a barrier to federal employment and security clearances (the Cannabis Users’ Restoration of Eligibility – CURE – Act).
The committee argues, “Marijuana is a dangerous, addictive drug with no mechanism to control rogue producers from increasing potency and causing more harm. Rather than labeling marijuana as a recreational drug, it should be recognized as a gateway drug that increases schizophrenia and impairs cognitive ability.”
The committee claims that marijuana legalization lead to “increased violence, depression and suicide”, while also alleging that it leads to “decreased productivity, high unemployment claims, and lawsuits.”
Returning to President Biden, during an April White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that it’s “very, very clear” President Biden supports decriminalizing marijuana, although he does not yet endorse full legalization. Vice President Kamala Harris, however, supports legalization, recently stating, “We need to legalize marijuana.”
It is worth noting that some Republicans, such as Representatives Dave Joyce (R) and Nancy Mace (R-SC), have supported marijuana reform by sponsoring separate bills to respect state laws. Additionally, the SAFE and SAFER Banking Acts both have Republican cosponsors. Despite this, there remains a significant divide between the two major parties on marijuana policy.
