NY Democrats Chuck Schumer And Hakeem Jeffries Are Teaming Up In An Effort To Decriminalize Marijuana

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus Hakeem Jeffries have announced the reintroduction of the groundbreaking and expansive Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act.

According to HuffPo, the legislation “would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, where it is classified among drugs such as heroin and LSD.”

The two leaders are campaigning in a new ad shot in Brooklyn (where both are from) for the decriminalization of marijuana to help boost minority communities and small businesses. 

The legislation would also aim to reform the current criminal justice element, providing $100 million over five years to the DOJ to encourage state and local government agencies to create expungement programs for marijuana possession convictions. 

Public support for marijuana legalization is steadily increasing; last month New Mexico became the latest state to decriminalize marijuana possession. 

With both Jefferies and Schumer, two of the top Democrats in the House and Senate leading the charge at the federal level, the efforts bring us all one step closer to making the goal a reality.