How the plan to pass a weed package went awry

December 8, 2022
AggregatedNews
Federal, Policy & Legal
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Opposition from key Republicans, most notably Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, derailed hopes of attaching cannabis provisions to a must-pass defense spending bill.

Democrats almost had a weed deal — for real this time.

For weeks, a bipartisan group of senators worked to negotiate a historic package in the office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The ideologically diverse crew included Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

The bargain they ultimately reached represents the broad spectrum of cannabis issues: banking, guns and criminal record expungements. The package gave progressives, libertarians and conservatives all something to be happy about.

But in the final days of negotiations over the National Defense Authorization Act, which they hoped would serve as a must-pass vehicle for the cannabis package, enthusiasm evaporated. The unraveling of the plan was sparked by top Republicans attacking cannabis banking legislation that was the centerpiece of the deal.

The failed attempt is just the latest setback for the burgeoning cannabis industry on Capitol Hill. The number of states that allow legal recreational marijuana use has nearly doubled in the last three years. Almost half of Americans now live in states where anyone at least 21 years old can legally possess weed, and Missouri and Maryland became the latest states to legalize adult use marijuana via ballot referendums in November. [Read More @ Politico]