U.S. Senators Ask Justice Department to Decriminalize Cannabis

U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) have sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to decriminalize cannabis by removing it from the federal controlled substances list.

“Under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (CSA), the Attorney General can remove a substance from the CSA’s list, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Decriminalizing cannabis at the federal level via this descheduling process would allow states to regulate cannabis as they see fit, begin to remedy the harm caused by decades of racial disparities in enforcement of cannabis laws, and facilitate valuable medical research. While Congress works to pass comprehensive cannabis reform, you can act now to decriminalize cannabis.” — Booker and Warren in the Oct. 6, 2021 letter

In the letter, the senators called out President Joe Biden (D) for so far failing to uphold his campaign promise to decriminalize cannabis and expunge all prior federal cannabis use convictions.